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BREW REVUE: Magic Hat Vinyl
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BREW REVUE: Magic Hat Vinyl
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| Photo l Felicia D'Ambrosio |
| Vinyl's fanciful label by poster artist Jim Pollock |
One of the first craft beers I ever really got my tongue around was Magic Hat #9, brewed in Burlington, VT. Not quite as bitter as a true pale ale but still appealingly dry and slightly touched with apricot, #9 was a veritable staircase out of my grim, sweaty NattyIce dungeon into the sunshiny wonderland that is craft beer.
Magic Hat's Spring Seasonal Variety Pack, samples of which arrived at my door on Tuesday accompanied by a branded coaster in the shape of a record (pictured), includes the brand-new Vinyl, a limited-run amber lager.
Magic Hat scores straight off with unique graphic design that should grab consumers by the eyeballs when the beer is on the shelf. Vinyl's whimsical label artwork is by artist Jim Pollock (he of Phish concert-poster fame), who is also producing a limited-edition Vinyl poster series to benefit the nonprofit Waterwheel Foundation.
Once cracked, the 12-ounce bottle poured a deep coppery color with a moderate bright white head that quickly dissipated. The nose is slightly toasted and grassy -- true to the Vienna or amber lager style, fruitiness from esters is considered a defect. This has none. On the tongue is a solid, not-too-sweet malt backbone with a fresh bread quality and a very slight, crisp hop presence that finishes dry. Vinyl is certainly easy-drinking at 5.1 percent ABV, the result of lagering at the low end of ale fermentation temperatures with bottom-fermenting yeast.
Overall Vinyl is extremely quaffable -- smooth, clean and pleasant. It's what Yuengling Lager would taste like if it wasn't mass-produced crap. You can find Vinyl, as well as the Spring Seasonal Variety Pack, with Magic Hat's Sipcode locator.
magic hat was my first brewery tour/growler fill...oh to be young and drunk... i wonder if nectar's gravy fries are as good as i remember?
Magic Hat was one of my first craft brews, too. It must have been like 1994 or '95. I remember drinking their Blind Faith IPA from the Baltimore fridge of my best friend John's oldest brother Tom. Tom's Vespa helmet had a big "Magic Hat" sticker on the back, which to my early-20-something eyes, was the coolest thing ever. Back then you couldn't get Magic Hat in Pa. so it was like forbidden fruit. I find I'm not nearly as smitten with MH these days — for instance, their Wacko beet beer this summer was true to its name — but I'll always have nothing but super-fond feelings for the brewery.
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