Magic Hat Odd Notion Summer Draft
American Sour Ale
Magic Hat Brewing Company, South Burlington, VT
On Draft at Barcade (388 Union Ave, between Ainslie and Powers, Brooklyn)
I always have a soft spot in my heart for Magic Hat, because its roll-out in my home state of Rhode Island really got me hooked on microbrews in my college years (a lot of credit goes to Mews Tavern for their great selection of Magic Hat – including being the only place I got to try Ravell, now in their brew graveyard). Then, I moved up to Vermont, where I had a few friends who worked at the brewery. I didn’t go to the bars for the freshest beer, I went over to their houses to get a taste out of their kegs fresh from the brewery. Those were the days.
Barcade had this up on their board as “Odd Notion Grapefruit Sour.” It is a sour ale by definition, but sour, they say? At first scent, I got nothing. But then it lingers in front of me, and I get a burst of grapefruit. The taste, though, was not sour at all. It was sweet, sweet goodness of citrus, berries, and wheat. Almost too sweet, like someone threw a giant slice of sweetened fruit into my beer. Finishes clean – its claim of being “sour” is very misleading, but I sure as hell can’t complain.
Grade: B+
