Magic Hat Odd Notion (Fall 09)

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Excited to find a couple singles of this one since I really never desired to buy the entire mixed twelve pack just to be able to have these. Ended up being a fairly typical lackluster effort from Magic Hat. Milk chocolate, faint roastiness and cherries in the aroma backed by a lot of crystal malt and some noble hops. Dark chestnut pour, filmy tan head, and good lacing. Medium to light bodied, stale aftertaste and a nice bitterness. Dark fruit flavors with toasted nuts and light chocolate. Slightly sour tang and a subtle earthiness. I was a bit let down, but that's my fault for getting excited about a Magic Hat brew in the first place.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

Presentation: The new fall seasonal in the very cool night of the living dead variety 12-pack. It was poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a pint glass. There is a best before the end of Oct. date on the back label of the bottle. Appearance: It pours like used motor oil, thick, viscous and dark brown/black into the glass. In the glass beers color is as black as the night and opaque. On top sits a thick and creamy light brown head. It is about one finger tall and slowly fades to thin coating of lacy foam. The lacing is slick and slides down the sides of the glass as I drink. Smell: The aroma is full and rich. It has notes of dark roasted grain, molasses, burnt caramel, light herbal/metallic hops and a hint of smoke. Taste/Palate: The flavor has a deep roasted character with nice complexity and balance. There are flavor notes of roasted coffee, roasted grain, dark chocolate, burnt caramel and molasses. Underneath there seems to be a hidden estery/yeast flavor as well. This comes out more as the beer warms and adds dark fruity notes of ripe plums and black mission figs. Herbal and leafy hops come in on the back end and give it a good balance of bitterness to the sweet and roasted flavors in the finish. The palate has a solid medium to full body with soft carbonation and a slick viscous texture. Notes: I love this beer!!! It has great complexity and good drinkability. The only thing I would like is a little more head retention but other than that it is a nearly perfect Belgian Stout. I think that Magic Hat should add this one to there regular line up!!!

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

The Odd Notion Fall '09 is part of the Night of the Living Dead 12 pk - pours mahogany black with a thin head and some lacing. Big cocoa and roasted malts in the aroma with a slight sourness and a some nuts. Taste is big semi-sweet chocolate with roasted malts then a slight citrus sour and some earthy nuts followed by a dry slight hops finish. Nice stout. Very cool label.