Beer #27 – Flying Dog Under Dog Atlantic Lager

Under Dog Atlantic Lager, Flying Dog Brewery
Maryland, United States of A
Premium American Lager, 4.7 %ABV

Aroma: Bright lemon and grassy,

Appearance: Pours clear, pale golden/yellow, small head of white foam.

Flavor: Nice hop and cracker malt profiles for a lager, with a good balance on the finish and no corn tastes like cheap mass-market lagers.

Mouthfeel: Light and crisp with good carbonation, but stronger presence than cheap lagers.  Fairly filling actually.

Overall: A nice session beer with a decent flavor profile, if nothing outstanding, but for a 4.7% lager, that’s what I’d expect from a craft brewery.

Beer #26 – Magic Hat Blind Faith IPA

Blind Faith, Magic Hat Brewing Company
Vermont, United States of A
India Pale Ale, 6.20 %ABV

Aroma: Resiny and grassy hops, and nice malt balance.

Appearance: Copper in color, small head.

Flavor: Citrus and grapefruit hop flavor, slight malt balance, and a nice citrus hop finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium/light bodied, nice carbonation.

Overall: Not bad for an IPA.  Pretty strong hop profile and bitterness, but without some of the more prolific grass and citrus flavors in some other IPAs.  It’s not bad, but was hoping for better aromas and balance.

Beer #25 – Magic Hat Elder Betty

Elder Betty, Magic Hat Brewing Company
Vermont, United States of A
Hefeweizen,  5.5%ABV

Aroma: Hints of lemon, grapefruit and banana.  Nice fruity aroma but not too intense.

Appearance: Pours a hazy gold, very small white head (could’ve been a glassware issue).

Flavor: Fruity up front, banana with a fairly strong wheat and tart/hop finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium light body, nice carbonation.

Overall: Nice aroma, fairly tart and bitter flavors for a wheat beer, which was somewhat unexpected.  Not sure I really dig this as a summer style.  The flavor is just a little hard to get used to and too intense for a summer beer.

Beer #24 – Magic Hat Pistil

Pistil, Magic Hat Brewing Company
Vermont, United States of A
Herbed/Spiced Beer,  4.50 %ABV

Aroma: Grassy, fruity and lemony, sweet on the back.

Appearance: Light, clear golden, small head of white foam.

Flavor: Nice light hops up front, hint of sweetness and malts and a grassy finish.  Not as much fruity taste as the nose would suggest.

Mouthfeel: Incredibly light, carbonation isn’t low, but not too intense.  Feels very airy.

Overall: Definitely a summer session beer, but I think it lacks a little in flavor.  I could drink a bunch on a hot day but my palette would probably prefer something else with a little more profile.  For the ABV, not a bad effort.

Beer #23 – Magic Hat #9

So yeah, long hiatus due to moving, travel, and dissertation research.  But I’m back and I’ve got a summer sampler of Magic Hat so I’m diving in and the next few reviews will be from that pack.  I assume most East Coast crafties have had #9 before, but since I’m trying to document everything and I haven’t reviewed this yet, here it goes.  Plus, the Artifactory is like the Willy Wonka version of a brewery, so you owe it to yourself to visit.

#9, Magic Hat Brewing Company
Vermont, United States of A
Fruit Beer,  5.10% ABV

Aroma: Strong presence of fruit, apricot, hint of lemon.

Appearance: Pours clear gold with a wonderfully large head of white foam.  Excellent lacing.

Flavor: Apricot up front, followed by a nice citrus hop flavor, and then a slightly sweet and fruity finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body, nice carbonation, smooth but not slick.

Overall: It bills itself as a “not quite pale ale” but the beer world classifies it as a fruit beer with the pale ale as the underlying trait.  For that style, I think it’s a pretty solid example.  The fruit might be too aggressive for some seeking more hops and pale ale traits, but to me the profile fits Magic Hat’s billing.  At 5.1% it’s a solid summer session beer.