Orlio Organic Common Ale

Brewed by Magic Hat Brewing Company
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
South Burlington, Vermont USA

Bottle. This is a nice one in my book...I’m not quite sure why there’s not much love for this one...or for Magic Hat, for that matter. Appearance: Cloudy bronze, a thin head that dissipates fairly soon. Probably its weakest link in my book. Nose: For me, a classic/generic "Beer Festival Aroma". Malt leads into grassy hops, the smell of springtime. A bit of stale hay and grape leaves are lurking in there as well. Taste: A slight acidic bite fades into a mild floral/grass bouquet, with a sweet-tart finish (is that a citrus tang at the end?) Palate: "Slinky" -- smooth, tart, and a bit of a bubbly snap. Overall: A great everyday brew, one I’d class as a strongish (5%) Lawnmower Brew. Nothing spectacular, but likewise nothing offensive, either. Plus, it’s organic! I’m hoping to see more and a wider variety of organic offerings in the near future. I’m tired of worrying about GM corn sugars in my beer.

12oz bottle. Bronze colored and filtered/fined. Pretty interesting beer. Crisp smooth hoppy flavor throughout, with a nice mellow malt profile as well. Certainly similar to other Magic Hat beers. This is a great session beer. Relatively straightforward stuff.

Bottle. Pours amber with an off white head. Aroma is caramel malt with some fruit and hops. Medium/thin body. Flavor is pretty weak, starts with some sweet caramel and finishes with a hoppy bitterness. Hey, at least it’s organic.

Bottle. Clear amber color, with a small white head. Aroma is slightly hoppy and grainy. Flavor is grainy, watery, bready, some maltiness. Finish is grassy. Dissapointing, to say the least.

12oz bottle. Clear copper amber color. Nose of stachy dry hops, like dried lawn clippings, along with a honey and caramel fish scent. Flavor: simple, crisp, sharp, slightly sour and vegetal, with a stale bread and dried grass flavor. A simple beer.

Pours a clear darker brown amber with no head. Nose is a bit like wet wood with some caramel mixed in there and a sugary tone to it. Flavor is a bit like a wet cardboard, but not so much in a totally negative thing. It just has a flavor of a type of wood with a sweet tone. Kind of a thinner caramel flavor. The wood is a bit too stringent and too much. Throws it off balance and nothing helps it get back up. Feel is okay. Drinkability is...okay. I am not really too impressed here. Decent, but not worth going to at all really. Unless you’re an organic freak.

Pours a clear copper with not much head. There is a strong creaminess to the taste and mouthfeel which, I think, is rather unique.

Bottle. I came in with low expectations and this beer exceeded them. Pours an amber color. Aroma is malt and hop notes. Not that much else to it really.