Bullfrog Magic Beans

Brewed by Bullfrog Brewery
Style: Sour Ale/Wild Ale
Williamsport, Pennsylvania USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

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Careful pour from a 750ml bottle yields a slightly hazed light chestnut brown body with a rich textured tan head. Pour less carefully and you’ll end up with a chunky chocolate milk-like muddy brown and the nose will suffer immensely. The aroma is extremely quiet and understated, and when first poured (slightly chilled but not cold) there are blueberries, raspberries and blackberry fruit qualities, along with a nutty wood note as well (I called it twigs and berries). When warmer it begins to open up (again, still understated and soft) there are prickly and festive notes of tannic red grapes and dark chocolate, with the vanilla character only showing itself well after the beer reaches room temperature. Texture is soft and mellow, becoming just a small bit of "prickly" or acidic (more like acidic in terms of wine rather than beer) towards the end. The saison character is mostly lost - had this on the same night as the saison noire - but what this beer is is a unique and interesting experiment. It works well, though it may not be the best beer Bullfrog has made recently.

750ml pours a clear copper with some creamy, white head. Nose is cocoa pods, spanish peanuts, earthy, brown sugar. Flavor is very nutty, dried and ground peanuts, dark chocolate, toasted bread. Finishes dry.

Thanks MrChopin. Garnet orange pour with a small offwhite head. Graham cracker and biscuit followed by caramel and toffee, finishing with earthen poo, veggies, and hints of cocoa nib. Ehhh... Not good.

Thanks to MrChopin for bringing this one! Hazy brown pour. Nose holds vegetal notes, mushrooms, spinach, manure, and a touch of fruit. The flavor brings more sweet cherry out, but it’s really tough to get past that bizarre okra-like presence. Ehhh.

Bottle shared by MrChopin. Pours clear tawny with a medium, fizzy off-white head, medium retention with good lacing. Aroma is spices, peppers, light coffee, caramel and toast malt, and light lactic notes. Flavor is malty, sour, dates, light alcohol, peppers, earthy coffee, and a dry finish. Full body, medium warmth and carbonation.

translucent chestnut, thin tan head with decent ring. Vegetal tang in nose, heavy cocoa and light celery, bit rooty. Flavor is less green, light acrid burn in finish, celery, nearing bloody mary, peanut. Decent carbonation, astringent malt and chocolate finish.

750mL thanks to MrChopin. Pours a clear amber to red with a thicker, tan head. Sticky lace. Nose is dark fruits, small vegetal character like bell peppers. Very green. Sticky grenadine comes through. Taste is gritty, ashy, small booze character. Very odd. Not the biggest fan.

Very hazy thick light brown pour. Thin light tan head. Kinda smells like dirt. Maybe some chocolate. Very vegetal and earthy. Flavor is dry and lightly tart. Roasty with some chocolate and coffee. Dry finish.

Bottle shared by MrChopin: Pours a clear amber copper with a stringy-lacing off-white head. Has a unique toasty dark caramel and cocoa nose with some espresso and oak. Starts with pretty good fullness and fine carbonation with a touch of roasty coffee and light fruity tartness before a slightly vinous finish. A unique and fairly complex brew.

Bottle courtesy of MrChopin, thanks! Light brownish yellow color, small tan head. Aroma of caramel malt and soda bread. Taste is boozy date soda. Very odd.

Thanks to thirdeye11 for sharing this retired gem. The beer pours a brownish-amber color with an off-white head. The aroma is very odd, with a lot going on. I get what appears to be a nut brown ale, with a lot of cocoa and vanilla mixed in. There is also a big peanut butter component mixed in to the aroma. The flavor is fairly different than the aroma. You still get the nut brown notes, with some cocoa and nut notes, but that is where the similarities end. I get a lot of Belgian yeast notes, with some orange and lemon notes also mixed in. There is a little bit of funk from the yeast, but not any real sourness. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Overall, a very odd beer that has a lot going on. I really liked it, even though I have no idea if this is what the beer was supposed to taste like.