Magic Hat Odd Notion - Belgian Blonde (Summer 09)

Brewed by Magic Hat Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Ale
South Burlington, Vermont USA

a decent Belgian style ale, yeasty and a touch of sour acidity in harmony with appropriate spice and a touch of fruit. little bit of hop is present and the alcohol is substantive enough yet brew is refreshing. finish fades out nicely.

Bottle. Moderate malt notes of grain and hay, flowers and grass for the hops, light barnyard for the yeast, with hints of white wine and allspice. Head is small, fizzy, white with a little lacing and is almost fully diminishing. Color is clear pale yellow. Flavor starts lightly sweet and moderately acidic, then finishes lightly to moderately acidic and bitter. Palate is light to medium, dry and has a soft carbonation and a dry finish. Light and fairly Tripel-ish, just a little thin on taste.

12 oz bottle. Straw colored slightly cloudy pour with a thin off white head. Aroma of yeast and malt. Taste of yeast with some very faint, slighlty stale barnyard and bread. Even finish, slighlty thin palate.

This bottled brew from a bottle shop poured a medium sized head of foamy white colored bubbles that were mostly lasting and left behind a transparent typically carbonated yellow colored body and a thick foamy lacing. The putrid aroma was malty at best. The mouth feel was tingly at the start and at the finish. The kind of funky flavor contained notes of stale malt slightly soumalt and floral hops. Not much to my liking and one that I would not buy again.

12oz from the sampler. Only having had Odd Notion once before I didn’t know that it varied with the season. Not bad at all.

12 oz. bottle. Pours a very hazy pale gold with a moderate white head that lasted through the first quarter of the glass and left very little lace. The aroma is orange, coriander and yeast. The flavor is orange, coriander, wheat, and yeast. A bit oily on the palate, which I was not crazy about. Its the end of August and I think I’ve had my fill of wits and other summer beers. As for this ale, an ok beer, but probably not something I’d look to revisit.

12 oz. bottle pours a light golden yellow with little to no head. Highly carbonated, thin body. Aroma of yeast with slight citrus. Front palate of wheat with a lemony middle and sour finish. Some corriander and nutmeg in the aftertaste. The flavor and aroma made more sense when I found out they’re calling it a Belgian ale, but it doesn’t seem a very good sample of the style.

Poured from the bottle a creamy gold color. Small head, little tracing on the glass. Mouthfeel is creamy, it tastes how it looks, with some good malt sweetness in the finish. A good summer brew.