The other day I was at Taco Mac trying to decide what beer I wanted. That happens a lot actually, but today it was a more annoying occurrence than usual. The Terrapin Tenth Anniversary Ale that had gone on two days before was gone, having not lasted 24 hours according to the server. “OK,” I said, “That’s fine. I’ll have a Bridgeport Summer Squeeze.” It was a pleasant enough spring evening after all, and we were seated on the patio.

Our server came back shortly, sans beer. That couldn’t be good. “Keg just kicked,” he admonished with a drawn out expression, as if wondering if this development might possibly have an adverse effect on his tip. Hoping perhaps to save the day, he suggested a mug of the newly tapped Magic Hat Vinyl as a replacement. OK, I said, it wasn’t on my Brewniversity list and I liked Magic Hat beers after all. The brewery is in Vermont, and as a New England expatriate it seemed my civic duty to support them.

While I awaited my brew, I whipped out my trusty Kindle Fire and Binged “Magic Hat Vinyl”. The Magic Hat website told me that this was an amber lager in style made from Munich, pale, crystal, and victory malts as well as Northern Brewer and Apollo hops. Vinyl has  an alcohol content of 5.1% by volume. Interestingly, Magic Hat does not mention if the beer is cold lagered, but they do say it is fermented with lager yeast but at “the low end of ale fermentation temperatures”. That’s probably around 65 degrees or so, and as with Steam beer, allows for a bit of estery fruit.

Ah, the beer is here. Let’s take a sip, shall we?  

Magic Hat Vinyl pours to a rich copper color with a medium creamy head formation and a nutty malty nose. The palate is simply bursting with fresh malt, with a hint of caramel and lots more of the nutty, toasted malt the nose promised. That’s the Munich malt talking to me, of course. Overall, the beer has a solid mouthfeel and form body. A bit of herbal hop aroma and a bit more bitterness finish the beer out nicely.

 I really like this beer a lot. It has a chewy malt body that reminds me of Bit o Honey candy, much the same way that Otter Creek Copper Ale. After getting hit with hops so frequently these days, it’s nice to get whacked with a malt hammer for a change. Well done Magic Hat, and a bargain too at $5 for a pint.

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