Try?
Every time I’m in Mississippi, I go looking for beer. Big surprise there, right? I usually find a number of selections from neighboring Louisiana, but I always make it a point to pick something up from the indigenous Lazy Magnolia brewery from Kiln, MS. I’m a firm believer in doing what the Romans do when in Rome, after all.
My most recent find was Lazy Magnolia Reb Ale Deep South Pale Ale. The brewery describes this as “a crisp and clean beer with the perfect balance of hops and malt. Its body and clean finish are ideally suited for all seasons, and the brew is dry-hopped for a great aroma and impressive finish. Reb Ale is often referred to as our “Deep South Pale Ale.”
According to the brewer, this beer was specially formulated in honor of Oxford, MS, home of the University of Mississippi. That might just be a canny way to get Ole Miss students to buy the stuff, but hey, why not? The beer is certainly crisp enough for steamy Mississippi weather, with a drying hop bite that refreshes. It’s made with caramel, pilsner, and wheat malts and hopped with Cascades, and has an alcohol content of 4.7% by volume.
Lazy Magnolia Reb Ale Deep South Pale Ale pours to a bright orange amber color with a thick creamy head formation and a citric fruity, spicy hop nose. The palate has just a bit of caramel maltiness and some biscuity malt flavor at the fore, then a hint of citric fruit. Next up, the spicy, herbal hops emerge and intensify into the long, dry, bitter finish. I really enjoy that lingering bitter finish, it balances the beer wonderfully and makes it more-ish. Lazy Magnolia Reb-Ale is very much about the hops, and they really make this beer special.
This beer is dry hopped with Cascades, and that adds the fruity, citric character that permeates the brew. But I also think there's a considerable early addition as well based upon the herbal bitter hop character. A very tasty and drinkable brew that’s rare outside of its home state, and well worth tracking down if you find yourself there.
I enjoyed a glass with a bowl of spicy Zuppa Toscano, and the herbal hop bitterness of the brew cut through the creamy base and spicy sausage of the soup quite nicely.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
(G)=Growler
