Magic Hat Jinx

Formerly brewed at Magic Hat Brewing Company
Style: Smoked
South Burlington, Vermont USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, Lager glass, Stein

Bottle: Coppery amber, large frothy off-white head, spotty lacing, slight haze, low carbonation.   Cereal aroma, slight charred wood and campfire.   Pale smoked flavor, very slight hop & malt combo.   Moderate body and mouthfeel.   Very slight smoked finish.   As a smoked, it is very light & enjoyable as I am not that much a fan of the style.   Very non-offensive is how I would sum it up.

Dark brownish amber w/ thick, creamy finger of tan foam. Aroma is nutty & mildly smoky w/ some notes of chocolate. Medium-light, somewhat watery feel. Flavour is chocolaty & nutty w/ a hint of caramel & maple sweetness--though overall somewhat bland.

"Poured a reddish light brown color with a small head that diminished to a film quickly. Smelled of sweet malts and a slight smoke. Sweet malt flavor with a little burnt flavor. Not sure if this really is a true beer of this style. Have to try more i guess. Thin mouthfeel"

have had the pleasure of visiting Magic Hat Brewing in South Burlington, VT. The taps flow freely at the brewery’s combination gift shop/tap room. A steady stream of regulars fill growlers of their favorite Magic Hat beers to go, and of course have a few samples to decide what beer will go into those growlers. I spent a very happy hour or so during my visit, talking to one of the brewers, and trying all their offerings. I too filled a growler to go, and it was their strong ale called Jinx. Magic Hat is a ringwood brewery. They use a distinctive yeast strain that originated in England, that has a very earthy aroma, and produces a by product called diacetal. Diacetal gives a beer a very "buttery" flavor, and when used in proper amounts, it is welcome in many British beer styles. It gives a beer more character, and an added dimension. Magic Hat brews some authentic, outstanding British beer styles, but often throw caution to the wind and do something a little different. Examples would be their Feast of Fools Raspberry Imperial Stout, Ravel Vanilla Porter, #9 (pale ale brewed with apricot), etc, etc. Jinx is based on a "Belgian strong ale", and a portion of peat smoked malt is added to this brew as well. I have had this beer on draught, and in bottles on many occasions, once at a beer fest where the diacetal butter character was extremely high and was like drinking butter! But I have to say, those many samples at the tap room, and that growler to go are my fondest memories of this beer. Jinx Strong ale pours to a beautiful garnet color, with a nice tan head, and a good carbonation. The nose is very interesting on this beer. Very earthy, yeasty aromas, mingle with that "burnt turf" peat smoked aroma, ans some good sweet malt aromas. The palate is as complex and rich as the nose. Really a nice malt back bone, flavors of caramel, toffee, peat, and buttery esters from the ringwood coat the tongue. The body is fairly hefty, slightly viscous, really a satisfying mouth feel. This beer finishes with more sweet maltiness up front, some more peat smoked malt flavor, and ends with a slightly warming burn. Hop presence in this beer is only at the balancing threshold. This is a really unique, rich, and flavorful beer. Lots going on here, and a beer you can really savor. I would match this beer with Vermont smoked cheddar cheese, and cold cuts. This beer would also work well as a night cap.

(12 oz bottles: Obtained in trades with shadey and pineypower, thanks Shane and Dean!) Thank God I picked up two bottles of this in trades because the first bottle I opened tonight was horrible. As strongly afflicted with the flavor and aroma of apple skins (acetaldehyde?) as I can remember in any beer. Just awful. But the second bottle does not seem to be similarly contaminated. The problem is, the beer is still not very good. It’s sweet and fruity, some apple, very lightly malty, gently bitter, hints of light roast, but the promised smokiness is barely perceptible. The nose is very fruity, a bit apple-ish, somewhat sweet, but no smoke that I can detect. Light-medium bodied, certainly nothing substantive for the palate to grab onto. Carbonation is average. Light brown in color with near perfect transparency, but the smallish off-white head fizzled away quickly. Boring, plain, one-dimensional, and just not very enjoyable.

Ive sampled enough I think to know when something just isn’t right. This beer wants to reach out and grab me, but something falls short. A nice effort, but I am left unimpressed and weeping

Not a good beer at all!! Pours nice (but what beer doesnt) with a nice reddish brown with a sweet head. But the taste I thought was horrible. Oh well I still love Magic Hat

Bottle obtained in a trade with <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?U target=blank>richlikebeer, thanks Rich. Deep ruby in colour, thin dissipating off-white head, some lace. The aroma was of smoked malt, some roast, slightly sweet. The flavour was of light smoke, slightly sweet, some caramel and floral at the same time. Creamy mouthfeel, medium body, medium carbonation. Finishes smoky with a lingering bitterness.