beer blah blog

Magic Hat #9

77 / 100

Initially, this interesting ale was distributed only in Northern Vermont. My friends in school up there would talk of it as legend. Finally, I went to Burlington, Vermont (home of Magic Hat Brewing Company) for a visit and got to try it myself. And I thought it was weird. It was hard putting a finger on this fruity apricot ale. It took a few tries, but I liked it. Within a couple years, it was distributed over much of New England, gaining a rather large following.

This is a summer beer, the light crispness and the apricot flavors seem only appropriate in the warmer months. It pours like it tastes, a light orange color - rather carbonated with the slightest head. Something you would imagine a beer version of an apricot might look like. The aroma is clearly that of the fruit with a lingering bready malt. It goes well with my being lazy on a hot summer day, kicking it out by the pond. I had another and that seemed plenty. Though still predominantly distributed in the Northeast, if you cross paths with the #9, it's an interesting beer that's worth giving some thought.