FOLLOW THE BEER HERE!

Just so everyone knows, I have been officially picked up by GUNAXIN.COM. So to get your weekly favorite beer fix, head on over there! New beers will start going up in a few weeks as I move these from the site here over there. Please meet me there for a beer!

MAGIC HAT WINTER '08 (ODD NOTION)

Magic Hat Seasonal Batch Winter '08 "Odd Notion", Magic Hat Brewing Company, South Burlington VT. MagicHat.net

HISTORY: "Braggot is an ancient drik from the depths of tradition and is the perfect holiday treat. A mix of mead and ale, Braggot is filled with the calming flavors of chamomile and honey and soars like a reindeer in flight between clouds of sweet malt and bitter hops."

It's not always easy to smell honey in something that isn't warm, but a good swirl in the glass will open it up nicely and the undertone comes to the foreground just for a moment. The brew is unfiltered, so the pour, including the little bit in the bottom most bottlers suggest not releasing, makes the glassful foggy and quite silty. The little bit of head that it does have merely waves contentedly as it floats away. Another swirl and a light sip give notice to the chamomile quality that slightly harkens one back to a mug of seasonal tea.

A drink, a mix about the mouth, and a swallow really fills the senses with the pure, sweet backdrop of the honey. Though the combined bitterness of the chamomile and the stinging hops could be a bit of a turn off for some, it really does lend itself well to the fullness and richness of flavor that this batch has to offer. Light oaky notes hang on just long enough in the throat to say hi, and then they, too, chase the rest of the flavor down the throat. All that remains is a nice sweetness and residual unfiltered cloying taste. Something I happen to really like. I suppose if I had to call a dislike out, it would actually be the strength of the punch of the chamomile. It's just a little to forward, but not vicious. I could quite easily enjoy this beer with meat, maybe a light, oily pasta, and, heck, a cookie, too. Nice. Oh, and its cap reads:

          "Minds Awaked on Roads Less Taken"

RATING: FOUR STARS. IT WAS A VERY GOOD BEER, BUT I WAS LEFT WITH A REMINDER OF THE CHAMOMILE FOR A GOOD BIT AFTERWARDS.

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MAGIC HAT #9

MAGIC HAT #9 (NOT QUITE PALE ALE), MAGIC HAT BREWING COMPANY, SOUTH BURLINGTON VT. MagicHat.net

HISTORY: "A beer cloaked in secrecy.  An ale whose mysterious and unusual palate will swirl across your tongue and ask more questions than it answers.

A sort of dry, crisp, refreshing, not-quite pale ale. #9 is really impossible to describe because there's never been anything else quite like it.  Our secret ingredient introduces a most unusual aroma which is balanced with residual sweetness."

I know that it says that I don't drink during the week, and so this is true, these two posts I put together last night and was unable to put them up. So, enjoy!

The pour into the glass (mine's the Pilsner, as always), elicits a rich head directly, but it quickly dissipates into nothingness. The beer is certainly within the realm of a Pale Ale, but it's as easy to see why it's considered, 'Not Quite'. It's aroma conjures a bit of fruity citrus after a god swirling to open it up. Behind it, a meager hint of wheat. It's clear, with a light yellow hue and looks very nice indeed.

Once it's drunk and sloshed a little around the mouth, one can easily discern the aforementioned fruitiness, but not so much so as to say it's by any means fruity. It has a bit of a hoppy/grassy note as it flows across the tongue to the throat leaving a nice trail of sweetness. It's certainly a rich, bright, and clean finish and would easily go well with dishes using poultry or maybe shellfish. I could really see myself kicking back with a few of these on a muggy evening. Very refreshing. Oh, and as with all Magic Hat bottles, the cap offers u a nice nugget of wisdom:

          "Find a Solution to Mind Pollution"

RATING: FOUR AND A HALF STARS FOR THE SIMPLE FACT THAT IT'S AN ALE AND IT ISN'T ALL AT THE SAME TIME. DELICIOUS!

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BELL'S PORTER

Bell's Porter, Bell's Brewing Company, Inc. Comstock, MI

History: From bellsbeer.com "A robust porter for all occasions. A blend of dark malts give this beer flavors of coffee and chocolate with subtle roasted notes.Gold medal winner in the Brown Porter category Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2008."

From the moment you crack open the bottle, the sweet, creamy odor wafts to your nose and makes you grin. It's rich, it's full-bodied, and the color, as far as Porter's go, is as dark as you could want. It looks like coffee with a head, and what a head it delivers as you pour it into your glass. Oh, and you should certainly pour it if not to just look at it's beautiful color. Now, by nature, Porters are deep hued and about as opaque as you could get, and this Bell's offering is no different.

Before you drink, as with a nice wine, breathe it in right up against your nose. Swirl it -well, after the head's dissipated a little- and draw in the almost chocolaty aroma. It smells almost as though a brewery married a fine chocolateer. It is one of the finest beer smells I've had in a while. Now, the taste.

Take the sip and slosh it around in your mouth. Treat it like the wine this beer ought to be compared to. In fact, 'chew' it, if you will. It opens it up and coats your entire tongue with the flavor. After you bring it across your taste buds and finally swallow, you'll notice not a hint of bitterness but a clean, sweat, malty, caramel-like hoppy-ness that finishes robust and not unlike a rich mug of coffee. This, friends, is a sipping beer and not at all meant to be chugged just to get hammered. It's a fine brew, and a fine brew needs to be explored and enjoyed just like -as it bears repeating- a fine wine. Wonderful.

RATING: 5 STARS For Complete All-Around Perfection

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Welcome to Beer Town

Just a short intro here before I really get this blog up and running. I'll be updating Saturdays and Sundays, since I don't drink during the week (just a personal preference) and it will only be about BEER. And yes, it'll be a different beer or so every week, since I love variety. So check in weekly for your daily dose of info about some awsome beer! See ya!