Step forward, all ye who dare enter here, and peer into
the Heart of Darkness. But beware. The Heart of Darkness peers back upon
you. Well, it looks like it does anyway. There’s a large eye on the label of
the bottle, and no matter where I put it I can’t shake the feeling that it’s
looking at me. I don’t think the eye can see me that well, though, because
the cap has a quote on it (all Magic Hat caps do) that says, “Hocus Pocus, I
can’t Focus”. How fitting.
Magic Hat of South Burlington Vermont offers this beer up as a winter
seasonal. They’ve become one of New England’s largest and most popular
brewers, and their brews are ubiquitous throughout the region. Their regular
lineup includes a delicious and nicely balanced apricot ale (#9), a red, an
IPA, and of course this stout which I’ve been storing in my DBR (Dedicated
Beer Refrigerator) since last winter. It’s certainly a big enough beer to
age out nicely.
Heart of Darkness is brewed with the famous English Ringwood yeast. Malts
are English 2-Row Pale, crystal, wheat (for head retention), chocolate, and
carapils. Roasted unmalted barley and rolled oats (of course) are used.
English hops are used too; Progress, North Down, and Targets. Contrary to
popular belief, extremely dark beers are not necessarily high in alcohol
content. This one weighs in at 5.3% by volume, not much higher than
Budweiser.
Magic Hat Heart of Darkness stout pours to a deep black color with a thick
tan head and a rich nose full of pasty oatmeal and roasted coffee notes. The
palate is rich and oily, smooth and silky, and hints at coffee, chocolate,
lots of licorice, and powdery oatmeal. The brew finishes balanced, not
really hoppy bitter but roasty bitter like coffee is. There’s just a faint
touch of sourness too. This is a Ringwood stout, but the Ringwood yeast
notes aren’t all that apparent. The roasted character of the brew drowns
them out.
Divine with creamy chocolate pudding.
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.