Hi.P.A. - Magic Hat Brewing Company - South Burlington, VT

Hi.P.A. Stats

ABV: 6.8%

fl. oz.: 12

Recommendations by me: 1

The Hi.P.A. is a seasonal offering from Magic Hat, a brewer who I've certainly grown a fondness for over the past few months. Luckily for me, the magic streak continues, because the Hi.P.A. is an exceptional brew.

It's basically an India Pale Ale with a little more kick to it in the form of hoppiness and an extra dry finish. Admittedly, reviewing good beers is not as fun or as interesting as reviewing bad beers, so with the Hi.P.A., I don't really have much to add beyond "Go out and buy this beer and drink it, because you will like it."

So, I'll apologize for the less than enthralling write-up on this beer, but again encourage you to try this, because I give it an A. You can even drink it at a baby shower. Well I can (and did) anyway.

Magic Hat Brewing Company

Prima Pils - Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown, PA

Prima Pils Stats
ABV: 5.3%
fl. oz.: 12
Snarky stat to be filled in later: 1

Hops, hops, hops! If you like hops, you will like Prima Pils. It goes down smooth with a nice dry finish that leaves you wanting more.

The other thing this beer has going for it is that I got it for free, courtesy of my brother-in-law Mike Puerto Rico, who foolishly left a few of these bottles at the house of our mutual parents-in-law. Yoink! Mine now.

I give this an A. I can't really think of any reason any type of beer drinker wouldn't like this brew.

Victory Brewing Company

#9 - Magic Hat Brewing Company - South Burlington, VT

Magic Hat #9 Stats
Alcohol by volume: 4.6%
Pints: 0.75
Number of failures before it became true bliss: 8

I guess Magic Hat is a fairly prominent brewery nowadays, and I guess #9 is about their most recognizable brew. Well, here I am a ripe old twentysomething and this is the first time I've had Magic Hat #9 (that I can remember at least). To sum it up in one word: tastetastic.

With a hint of some manner of citrus-y fruit that my palette is too unsophisticated to identify, #9 is a "not quite" pale ale that flows down the throat smooth as can be. Yes, #9, you are indeed a magic number. And you get an A. Congratulations. I can't wait to drink your friends too.

Magic Hat Brewing Company

Black Lab Stout - McKenzie Brewhouse - Malvern, PA

Black Lab Stats:

O.G. = 13" Plato

ABV = 5.8%

IBUs = 20





This excellent Oatmeal Stout offers no shortness on taste. A wonderful array of dark and creamy flavors such as coffee and chocolate barrage the taste buds with each sip (or gulp if you are like me). And smooth, as a stout should be, to boot! And unlike most other dark beers that I've had, I didn't feel uncomfortable or overly full after drinking about 4 of them. If there's one complaint about this beer it's that you can't purchase it everywhere. In fact, the only place that I'm aware of where you CAN purchase this tasty beverage is inside the lovely confines of McKenzie Brewhouse outside of Malvern, PA. Even the other location of this same restaurant (in Chadd's Ford, PA) sells different beer selections created by a different brewmaster.

This beer gets an A out of me -- I'm assuming the high grade is A+, with a variable number of 'plus' signs, of course -- because it really couldn't have been much better and I didn't get sick of it by the end of the night.

Alas, I suppose I need to visit THIS McKenzie Brewhouse again soon!