Beer #1- Magic Hat's Summer Seasonal "Wacko"

Well, I did it. I finally bought those snobby beer glasses- the ones that look like short, squished, wine glasses. And what an investment. I would pay 10 times the amount for them just because of the drinking experience I get every time I lift the glass right below my nose.

I type this as I look into the glass against my lamp-light as the cup holds a blood-orange liquid. I muster a surprised, high-pitch “hrm!” as I lift it to my nose. I was expecting huge citrus notes as I took that first breath, only to be surprised yet again by my senses.

Meat.

That is the first thing I smelled. Meat...

Now, I will not say I am an expert on beer or spirits by any means, but I have tasted many beers. I have had every beer in the Nashville region, and then some. I have looked, smelled, and tasted over 500 beers in our F.B.L.A. group (Federation of Beer Lovers Association) and countless others I haven’t remembered or just plain ignored as I binged during my darker days. But, one thing to note here- I have never smelled meat.

I then tasted it. Meat. No, I shrugged this ignorant thought away and blew my nose. I just remembered about an hour earlier I was cutting into 40 lbs of top round at the restaurant, prepping for the weekend. “The damp, bloody, copper smell is probably just permanently in my nostrils,” I thought as I sat down with a fresh sniffer to experience “Wacko” again. Meat. It was still there. And it was damn good.

The fizz was light and whitish red like a Lambic. I usually hate Lambics. I was beginning to talk out loud to myself in frustration that I couldn’t pin this beer, and kept pouring. Why do I like this so much? It had subtle notes of rare meat, blood-orange grapefruit and bitter-sweet lemon zest. The aftertaste was a dull, refreshing mix of copper and tart strawberry that pranced along my tongue, cheeks, and throat.

I couldn’t stop drinking it. It became a challenge- it was a beer I couldn’t dismiss. I drank more to understand the source, becoming more frustrated at the sight, smell and taste only to find myself profoundly stumped. “This beer is just…. Crazy...” I thought to myself as I poured more into my glass. It didn't take long for the one word review of this beer to hit me, and it had been there all along, before I even opened it.

"Wacko it is."

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Magic Hat's Summer Seasonal "Wacko" gets a well deserved "84" from me.

Look: Ruby Blood-Red with a light, Lambic-style head
Smell: Copper, Grapefruit, Lemon Zest Notes
Taste: Light and refreshing, crisp yet complex


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Brett's ratings are out of 100.

As with all connoisseurs, personal taste affects all ratings. The best ratings tend to lean towards his two different biases; 1) Well-crafted heavy Stouts and 2) Lagers made with a simple perfection.

Please understand that just because Brett gives a beer a high rating doesn't mean you may think it is good. Only understand that if he gives it a high rating it is because most people who have a good taste in beer would do the same.