Magic Hat Chaotic Chemistry

Brewed by Magic Hat Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
South Burlington, Vermont USA

(750ml Hersey Kiss bottle) Pours a quick dissipating white head and a non-carbonated, deep orange body... And the most beautiful bottle I have every seen! Very hoppy, yet mellow with caramel tones. A world of scents that do not transpire... A loving shell without a core. Thanks Barry!

shared with my brother, DYCSoccer17...bottled 1/1/04 by Matt, bottle 212 batch 2. Semi-transparent copper color with some yeast floating around. Large fizzy cream colored head, that actually turns kinda creamy in texture. Sweet aroma, very little fruit noticable. Definite bourbon in the beginning, sweetens out a little in the middle, finishing dry and alcoholic. I sense some hops, and a little bitterness to finish...as Casey said, bourbon does dominate. Cardboard to finish. Not great or very good for that matter.

Bottled 1/1/04 by Matt somebody. Bottle 212, batch 2. Vinous aroma that is dominated by the sweet woodys bourbon notes. Transparent copper ruby color with an enormous light tan/yellow head. Unfortunately the bourbon dominates this beer. There is a very nice barleywine hidden underneath the bourbon flavor, but it takes a lot--too much work to bring it out and enjoy it. The alcohol is quite noticeable and the end is rather hoppy. Rather thin for the style. Not a disappointment, but certainly not worth the $20 either.

Bottled in 1/1/04 Batch 2 Bottle 23 Props on the bottle very nice looking, they even have nice custom corks. Interestingly the neck hanger on the bottle recommends to consume within one year, I will oblige. Clear copper with a rocky light tan head. Glass lacing is very nice. The aroma is remarkable, cherry, oak, alcohol, sherry, piney hops, and some vanilla. Now, can the flavor live up to this aroma? I can not stop taking big whiffs, yum. The flavor is good but not nearly as great as the aroma. More bourbon, oak, vanilla, sweetness in the flavor then the aroma. Still some piney hops, which is surprising given that this beer is pushing 4 years (bottle says that is is aged 3 years in bourbon barrels). The palate is lighter than a typical barley wine, quite carbonated given the age and alcohol.. Iwonder how they prime the bottles for bottle-conditioning? Overall a nice beer and by the far best I have had from this brewer. The aroma is amazing. I need to figure out how to pour some onto a piece of scratch-and-sniff paper.

This beer came to courtesy of mikeys01 of beeradvocate as part of what was to be HHHIF 1.0. The beer came in one of the most handsome looking bottles I’ve ever seen, with a conical shape like a miniature fermenter. The markings in gold letters on the back indicate that this was hand bottled on 11/12/02. The top was wrapped in a black foil, which hid a wire cage and a long thin cork. The cork was very tight, and made me sacrifice a cork puller. After some brute force corkectomy, including the removal of some stray pieces in the bottle, I was finally ready to sip. The beer had a very odd look for a Barleywine. It was thin, orange, and very hazy looking with effervescent carbonation like a Belgian beer. The head was short lived and the lacing was very good. The aroma was spicy and floral with some fig notes. The taste was once again not typical for a Barleywine at all. Very oxidized and sour, this one seems to have been brewed to emulate a Saison from the other side of the English Channel. There was a lot of vinous character to this beer, with some off notes like wet paper and rubber induced by the oxidation. The alcohol content is very high, and very hidden. The beer seems to have been brewed in the English style of barleywines, but seems to have lost its brightness in just a couple of years. Whether that’s intentional or not is hard to say. This beer will be a hit or miss proposition, and unfortunately for me it was more of a miss than a hit.

Bottle - Copper amber in color with a very thin whiteish head. Aroma is *very* flower hops with very little malt. Flavor is spicy and flowery, again, with some alcohol apparent. Finish id flowery hops with some alcohol and mild bitterness.

Clear amber color, small white head. Aroma is dry, slightly hoppy, with apricot, slightly sour, faint alcohol. Flavor has some bitterness, some hops, some malt. Very interesting. I like.

OK gathering-mjames apartment-pours deep amber with nice smooth white head. aroma of coconut, woody, currants and blackberries, oak. Flavors of marshmellow, oak aging, sugar, licorcie. dry finish and very complex.