Magic Rock Magic 8 Ball

Brewed by Magic Rock
Style: Black IPA
Huddersfield, England

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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As many an ardent suitor may have said to Cleopatra: "What a lovely nose!" And in this case, it really is. Vineous, sinewy, sweet and sour and full of molasses, citrus and spice. The flavour that follows, though great, sadly doesn’t live up to the promise. It’s good, mind - bitter, sharp, dry and hoppy - but let down slightly by a thin mouthfeel and a tiny touch too much of the dirty socks. Nevertheless, if only for the nose alone a great brew with complexity, distinction, and a fair wallop of ancient Egyptian promise.

Bottle from Rehills in Newcastle. Inky black with a rich sour fruity? and burnt currant flavour, notes of tropical fruit and roasted coffee on the finish.

Keg at CP&K. It pours jet black, with a thick beige head. The nose is pine, resin, toffee, charcoal, toast, roasted malt and charred wood. The taste is liquorice, resinous hops, salted caramel, dark toffee, pine, alcohol warmth, smoke, charcoal, leaf, toast and roasted malt, with a long bitter-sweet finish. Medium-full body and moderate carbonation. A flavoursome black IPA.

Bottle from Stirchley Wines and Spirits, Pershore Road, Birmingham. Unlike some other black IPAs this beer’s colour is befitting of the name. It has an inviting aroma of roasted malts, toffee and a little elderflower. If there was a category for bitterness this would get the full 5 out of 5; it tastes more strongly of coffee than coffee with an extremely long, unrelentingly bitter finish and a rough, slightly gritty mouthfeel. Unfortunately for me, I don’t enjoy the taste of coffee and I prefer my beers with a modicum of sweetness to balance things out. This presents me with a dilemma: I can appreciate this is a well crafted beer - full of character, aromas and flavour; however, drinking beer is meant to be about enjoyment and, truth be told, I didn’t find this particularly drinkable.

33cl, new exclusive English brew Anno 2012, from The Bottle Shop Canterbury, complex bitter brew, malty/roasted and slightly bitter/fruity, not too heavy, very balanced, clear, good head, very good brew, ’The UK craft beer scene is slowly changing... Keep them coming!’

Keg at Craft Beer Co., London. Arrived looking seductive with a creamy head. It’s deep and toasty at first, very stout-like, then the citric bitterness arrives in waves and produce some fruity character as it finishes. I can tell this is a well-crafted beer, but the elements didn’t quite click for me. I’m looking for more synergy between the two extremes.

Coffee? Yes, lots of it. Roasted well. Thoroughly enjoyable................

Keg at Brewdog Glasgow. Great hop profile on the nose and a rich fruity bite in the mouth. The smoky malt at the back coupled with the fruit makes for an interesting and drinkable beer. My favourite of the current Magic Rock brews.

Black pour. Big tan head with plenty of lacing. Big danky, oniony, malty, caramel aroma. Huge hop presence. A little musty. Malty, danky flavor with some earthy notes. A slight pepper flavor. A little thin, but still decent.

Very dark brown with bubbly tan head. Some citrus and pine on the aroma but fairly subdued. Flavour full of mango skin and lime pith, its pretty astringent actually. A touch of chocolate in there underneath it all.