Vermont Beercation 7/4/2012

Last week I headed to Vermont for a 3-day trip with my wife, her sister and her husband. I spent a couple of days looking at reviews of places to visit and getting input from my Twitter and FB followers on places not to miss. After spending 3 days visiting 6 breweries and eating tons of great food I have to say the trip was as good as I have had.

We left Maine shortly after noon on July 4th and hit a micro burst just west of St Johnsbury. This was some of the worst weather I have ever driven in with huge amounts of rain, street flooding and multiple trees down. We had to detour several times and ended up many miles north before finally making our way back through Stowe to Waterbury. See photos and notes about the storm here.

After making it to Waterbury we were ready for supper and stopped at The Reservoir for dinner and drinks. At this point I had been driving for 4+ hours and needed a beer. Fortunately they had a great tap list as well as some great burgers. I had a Hill Farmstead Edward, then an Abner and ended with a Celia Saison from The Alchemist.

My brother in law opted for a sampler including; Lawson's Knockout Blonde, Fiddlehead IPA, Harpoon Ginger Wheat and Hill Farmstead's Abner. I tried each of these in addition to my 3 beers and enjoyed them all. I have reviewed Edward previously and will be reviewing Lawson's Knockout Blonde in the near future. The others will have to wait for a future trip to Vermont as I did not take good pics or notes while drinking them. I can say the Celia Saison was different than anything I have had before. It is a Gluten free beer which may appeal to some people but for me the taste was a little too funky. The food was amazing with great chicken wings, sweet potato fries and burgers. After this stop we made our way to our hotel in Burlington for the night. It was a long drive and we needed our rest for the next three days.

On Thursday our first stop was The Beverage Warehouse in Winooski, VT just north or Burlington. They had a huge selection of beer, wine, glassware and pretty much anything else you would need. We ended up with 3 cases of Heady Topper, bottles from Dogfish Head, Founders (Double Trouble) and much more that we cannot get in Maine as well as some Lawson's Finest Liquids glasses. They did not have a limit on the amount of Heady Topper which was great as I needed to bring home a bunch for my Maine beer drinking friends. After this we made our way back to Burlington and spent some time on Church Street for some shopping. This is a great little marketplace that has something for everyone. We came back to Church Street on Friday and I will post some info on the restaurant we went to shortly.

For lunch we made our way to American Flatbread which is within walking distance of Church Street and they have their own brewery. The food there was amazing with my wife and her sister getting a very nice salad and then splitting a couple of pizzas. The small pizza was enough for two people to share even though the waitstaff encouraged us to get a large. We also had several beers from their tap list and since they serve halfs we were able to enjoy a bunch of different styles without drinking too much at lunch. We also ended up taking home a growler from Zero Gravity (their in house brewery) which I will review soon. (Read more after the break)

240. Magic Hat Circus Boy

I enjoy beer from Magic Hat as they always seem to put a slight twist on a style to make it their own. Magic Hat also some of the best bottle artwork and a great website. 


Circus Boy is Magic Hat's Hefeweizen and pours a very clear pale orange. Their site states this beer is unfiltered but almost everything must have settled out of it. I prefer a nice cloudy Hefe like Widmer's version (here). Very slight white head that disappears very quickly. Aroma is fairly typical of the style; lemon, wheat and a bit of banana. Taste is sweet with some spice and lemon. Very pleasant and refreshing although it may be a bit over carbonated.
Pros: Solid taste and easy to drink

Cons: Very clear for a hefeweizen

Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 15

Rating:  

Brewers Website: Magic Hat

Brewers Description: Unfiltered and unfettered, Circus Boy is a unique and refreshing American-style Hefeweizen. Is he a who? Or a what? Or perhaps some of both? Be amazed by the flavorful haze of this wonderful wheat beer.

112. Magic Hat Encore

When I started this blog I was not a fan of IPAs but I have come to enjoy them and since this is my 17th IPA review it is probably a good thing. This one barely qualifies as an IPA when you look at the IBU rating but it does have a fair amount of hop bite. Color is a beautiful orange with a small head that disappears quickly leaving a fair amount of lace on the glass. Aroma is sweet with some hops which you would expect from an IPA. Taste is sweet with a mild hop finish but minimal aftertaste. Not sure what is hiding the wheat but it is almost non-existent in what is supposed to be a "wheat IPA". I enjoy Magic Hat and this one does not disappoint. 
Pros: Color, plenty of hops without being overpowering

Cons: Wheat seems to be missing???

Alcohol Content: 6.4% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 45
Rating: 

Brewers Website: Magic Hat

Brewers Description: A genre-blending mix of an American wheat beer and a traditional India Pale Ale. Encore is hopped and dry-hopped with Simcoe and Amarillo hops, and has a pleasant grapefruit aroma that compliments its subtly sweet malty backbone. Grab a lighter and get up front!

111. Magic Hat Ravell

I know I have made the comment before that porters are good Winter beers and this is no exception. Ravell is a beer that is only occasionally brewed by Magic Hat so I was happy to see it included in this year's Winter variety pack. Pours a very very dark brown with a thick head that lingers. Smell has lots of vanilla and spice, overall quite pleasant. Taste is not quite what I expected with a mix of vanilla, slight chocolate and some malts. Hops taste is minimal but still there in this very complex brew. Even with a slightly higher than normal ABV this beer is still easy to drink. 
Pros: Color, Aroma, Complex taste

Cons: Only available occasionally

Alcohol Content: 5.8% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 28
Rating: 

Brewers Website: Magic Hat

Brewers Description: An enormous play in one significant act, Ravell is a porter brewed with vanilla beans, once available whenever your William and father John deem it so. 

108. Magic Hat Howl

Nothing wrong with this offering from Magic Hat. Color is very dark but the taste is smoother than I expected. Lots of roasted aromas and taste with a bit of a sweet finish. Very easy to drink for a dark beer. As always Magic Hat artists have done a great job with the label and the portion of their site dedicated to this beer. Check it out at the link below. 
Pros: Color, complex flavors

Cons: 

Alcohol Content: 4.6% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 32
Rating: 

Brewers Website: Magic Hat

Brewers Description: Born of dark and cold and snow in the marrow of the northeast's longest night, HOWL comes in on wailing winds winter-weary eyes burning holes in sunless shadows. In its darkened depths our inner voids are warmed. 

63. Magic Hat Hex

Back on track today with another good beer from Magic Hat. This is their fall seasonal amber ale and I have to say it is one of the better amber/reds that I have reviewed. First thing you will notice is the very sweet almost candy smell coming from the glass. Beer pours a nice red color with minimal head that dissipates quickly. Taste is very smooth and leaves minimal aftertaste. As usual the bottle has great art work and the cap has the normal funny saying. This one was "Better living through alchemy" which I think I had on one of the previous reviews as well. Overall this is a very good amber ale and I would recommend you give it a try.
Pros: Sweet aroma, smooth to drink, color

Cons:  Seasonal 

Alcohol Content: 5.4% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 25
Rating: 

Brewers Website: Magic Hat

Brewers Description: A malty amber ale with hints of toffee and caramel and a slightly smoky finish.

18. Magic Hat Single Chair

Single Chair is the last of the 4 flavors including the Magic Hat Summer Variety Pack. All 4 are solid beers with this being the simplest of the bunch. There is nothing complex about this beer; easy to drink and mid-level alcohol content would make this a good session beer. Under the cap sayings on the first 2 are; "Find the way through play" and "Don't be a bore, play outdoors" which are appropriate since I am on vacation this week and will be headed to Baxter State Park later in the week. 

Pros: Smooth flavor and easy to drink

Cons: Simple

Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 17

Rating: 
Brewers Website: Magic Hat

Brewers Description: Single Chair celebrates the uniqueness of the Mad River Glen Cooperative Ski Area in Vermont. Medium bodied and ideally balanced for all tastes, Single Chair's tempting light golden color, heady aroma and smooth liquid go down effortlessly and often!

17. Magic Hat Blind Faith

Blind Faith is one of several IPAs brewed by Magic Hat. Each season they change the IPA offering and this one was not my favorite. Very little flavor compared to the Gritty's and even the Kennebec River IPA previously reviewed. Not a bad beer and I will certainly finish off the 3 that came with my Summer variety pack but I had hoped for better. Another very well designed label from Magic Hat and the comments under the caps were; "Turn to your mate and seal you fate" and "Seize the cheese".

Pros: Minimal aftertaste, high alcohol content

Cons:  Very little flavor

Alcohol Content: 6.2%
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 38

Rating: 

Brewers Website: Magic Hat

Brewers Description: An ale of enlightenment created to aid in deciphering the puzzles along life's road, and to interpret signs in the voyages of the spirit. Blind Faith is an extremely well-balanced India Pale Ale with a crisp, refreshing hop bitterness and a deep malt body to match

16. Magic Hat Wacko

The label on this one describes it as "a beer with beet juice color" which is just about right. Even with the deep red color this is a lighter beer that will quench your thirst. Not your typical summer style beer but Magic Hat tends to go against the grain. The saying on this cap was "If you're in jail, your friends pay bail", "You owe you a beer" and the last was "Suck the tow of Edgar Allan Poe". Great art work on the label and as usual a quality beer from Magic Hat.

Pros: Great color and aroma, smooth

Cons:  

Alcohol Content: 4.5%
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 15
Rating: 

Brewers Website: Magic Hat

Brewers Description: Wacko is the liquid song of summer: Crisp like the morning, cool like the evening and quenching all day long. Pop the top and set your summer loose. Wacko is a delicious summer beer with a big malty aroma, a subdued hop bite and a clean, slightly sweet finish.