Review: Magic Hat G-Thing and Heart of Darkness
Two new/seasonal brews from Magic Hat, both with winter on the mind…
Magic Hat G-Thing – A ginger spice ale that’s light on the ginger, balanced with a solid ale backbone and touched with just a bit of spice (ginger and cinnamon). Mind you, it’s more ginger than gingerbread — the spicy addition offers ginger’s characteristic bite, not the more sweet-and-savory character you get with a baking cabinet full of gingerbread spices. Additives aside, the beer offers caramel, toasted bread, and light coffee notes, with a modestly bitter finish. Nods at the holidays without overdoing it. 5.7% abv. B+ / $NA
Magic Hat Heart of Darkness – A winter-themed English stout. Black as night, with relatively traditional character for the style. The nose is coffee-inflected, with some cocoa powder behind it. The body has more of the same, with some woody tannic notes underneath. Hard-edged and bitter on the finish. Nothing much new in the stout world here, but it’s representative of the style — neither breaking new ground or messing up a well-trod formula. 5.7% abv. B / $NA