Capsule reviews – Magic Hat Odd Notion Irish Red Ale; Southern Tier Heavy Weizen
I ordered the Magic Hat on the general principle of always trying something new.* It came across as unexpectedly thin for the amber color and substantial head, and the added-in spices were a bit forward for my taste. It reminded me of what would happen if I stirred cinnamon and nutmeg into a Yuengling Black & Tan.
Southern Tier’s Heavy Weizen sat on the other end of the spectrum. Instead of a thin mouth feel like most hefe’s, Heavy is relatively huge for a hefe-wiezen at 8% ABV and chewy in the mouth like a Belgian. The beer nonetheless has that shyness that turns me away from most hefe’s; I normally prefer the emphatic character of barley plus a healthy fistful of hops, yet the combination worked here. I would strongly recommend Heavy Weizen for people who a) don’t like hefe’s, especially (spit) Blue Moon, and b) don’t plan on putting away seven or eight like you can with Hoegarrten.
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(*) I make an exception for Southern Tier’s Un Earthly. New stuff will have to wait when that magic brew is on tap.
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