Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Magic Hat Single Chair

Single Chair represents the single chair lift of Mad River Glen Ski Area. Its availability is year round in Vermont only. The style is a Golden Beer (ale) but it has some interesting lager-like characteristics.

Alcohol Content: 5%
IBU: 17
Malts: Pilsner
Hops: Hallertau

Price: $3.50 for a pint
Medium: On draught served in a regular pint glass

Aroma: Very light hop character with a slight noble earthiness. Malt profile is straight pilsner, representing a sweet, grainy character with some hints of corn. Somewhat bready. Also consistent with a lager-like crispness. Overall very clean with a slightly dry nose. Is this really an Ale?
Appearance: Poured for a large frothy white head and presented like any other lager. Deep golden color with some straw tints. Good clarity approaching brilliant. Strong head retention and a great deal of lacing. Carbonation looks great, with lots of bubbling just under the surface when swirled (also with the pour).
Flavor: Very pale malt sweetness with an overall grainy character. Very refreshing and clean - no distinct yeast characters. No strong hop flavors or aromas - the finish and aftertaste is a bit sweet with a balanced bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Pleasant creaminess and refreshingly smooth with a crisp/ clean finish. Ake's place served it very cold which helped emphasize the lager-like characteristics. Carbonation was moderately strong. Medium to thin bodied. Some watery qualities. I feel like it should be on one of those "drinkability" commercials - what is that anyway?
Overall Impression: Hipsters unite - if you're sick of everyone stealing your image associated with drinking PBR and you're looking to pay more money just to stand out, then this is the beer for you. The classy (or at least crafty) beer that's just slightly better than PBR and certainly not worth the money. Hard to say how accurate it is to style. Not much to drool over but at least its refreshing.

1 comment:

  1. I love hipsters- I can see myself in some thick framed glasses enjoying one of these... hehe

    ReplyDelete