Magic Hat IPA On Tour

This dark IPA is truly a craft beer lovers delight. As I poured this I immediately thought it was Stout but after your first sip you'll soon discover that the hops are essentially well placed within this amazing beer. The oils from the hops are well balanced and well mixed. I also found coffee and malt tones to the wonderful elixir. I cannot stress enough the joys I have received from The Magic Hat Brewing Company. If you are looking for a mix of excellent craft beers buy a sampler 12 pack and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!
Matt gives the Magic Hat Demo IPA a 4 out of 5


Holy $%^**! This ale wows you at first taste. It is the illegitimate love child of a milk stout and a well balanced IPA. I can honestly say I have never had anything like this. Matt's take on the flavors is spot on and there is stuff (floaties of unknown origin) that is suspended in this brew. Could these be yeast remnants? There is a slight sweetness to this ale that nicely balances the bitter of the malts and the hops. I am once again in awe of the Magic Hat brewery and thus I proclaim my unworthiness. Drink this or die miserable, alone and unfulfilled.
-Zach gives the Demo 4 out of 5-

Tommyknocker Jack Whacker Wheat Ale

 Tommyknocker brewery was a stand out at the Mississippi Coast Beerfest. I took a special note of their various tastings there and was excited to review them formally. Unfortunately I have not been able to find their craft offerings in Tennessee, so on a recent trip to Alabama we found the Jack Whacker. I have to say I love the name, reminds me of what an old mountain man would use as a derogatory comment to someone he was displeased with. I also must confess this unfiltered wheat ale initially is a refreshing enjoyable brew. The light fluffy head left a nice lacing as it went down the glass. My initial taste was nice with the lemon grass backdrop, but as I drank I tired of this strong lemon flavor. Earthy flavors follow the lemon that seemed to rest on the back of my tongue. I felt overpowered by these flavors and lost the other nuances that I might have otherwise discovered. Do not quickly dismiss this beer though, for if your habit is to add citrus to your wheat ales it is already there for you. Maybe I'm being a little critical but that's why I'm called a critic!
Matt gives this well named brew 2.5 out of 5

I have to agree with Matt about the initial burst of refreshment when you first start drinking this ale. It is as witbiers should be, unfiltered. There is a strong, sweet scent to the nose as well as a sweet note to the backside of each swallow. I wonder if the yeast weren't inhibited to keep them from devouring all the sugars in this brew. This is only conjecture, but I could see the brewers coming to this decision to counter the natural bitterness of the wheat and the added intense bitter of the lemon grass. I am not generally for or against adding to a beer to achieve a certain flavor as I see this as the artistic expression of the brewer. I do however admire the skill level of brewers who manage to achieve these flavors through skillful manipulation of the yeast rather than resorting to additives. I personally found this beer to be refreshing and enjoyable during my consumption of it. My good friend Matt is not overly fond of sweet beers and if you feel similarly, this is not a brew for you. As the brew warmed I denoted an almost candied tone to the nose and as I continually swirled the yeast laden remnants in my glass, detected faint phenolic nuances. if you pick up a skunky wet-grass tone in hefeweizens, again this beer may not be for you, but as far as that goes, your nose would have to be well trained to detect those faint signatures.Overall I enjoyed it and see this brew as a good way to get beer newbs to branch out in their taste. I will definitely drink this again.
-Zech gives the Jack Whacker 3.5 out of 5-

Yazoo Hefeweizen

Within this blog we have often spoken about hefeweizens and their various characteristics. This my friends is the penultimate hefeweizen. It is a superlative example of the student becoming the master. The fine folks at Yazoo brewing have taken a time honored and venerable German brew and recreated it here in America with love, artistry and exquisite attention to detail. The phenolic tones in the nose are so pure and unpolluted they truly allow you to experience the full glory of what a hefeweizen should be. A truly astounding brew and a must try. Make sure you swirl the last bit in the bottle to pour it into your glass to get the yeast.
-Zech gives Yazoo Hefeweizen a 6 out of 5- Ha!

I think Zech likes it. What do you think? I found many nuances in this hefeweizen that set it apart as it's own. First the unfiltered beer has a clean feel on your palate, giving you a full shot of flavors. The hops used in this give a cornucopia of flavors that you'll find yourself picking up on as it warms. One outstanding flavor I tasted was banana, no, they did not put banana in the beer. Many of these hefeweizens get a little oily for me, but this one only has a slight heaviness.That is the kind of chemistry that you can enjoy when trying this beer. I really like pairing various brews with certain foods and with this beer I found myself leaning toward something fresh and light, like a chicken salad with some dried cranberries and nuts. I think that if you have never tried a hefeweizen beer than you should start here. How could anyone not like this beer?
Matt gives this a 4 out of 5

Murphy's Red Ale

   This competent Irish-red style ale is actually produced in the Netherlands by the Heineken Brewing company under the supervision of Murphy's. Though there is nothing wrong with this arrangement, I am not impressed with this brew. It is slightly oily, which makes me think hops, which I don't feel belong in an Irish red (call me old fashioned) and though it finishes rather cleanly, it has faint bitter notes that linger. There is also a strong nose of barley to this brew which is not unpleasant, but stronger than I find appealing in a Irish red. 

-Zech gives Murphy's Red Ale a 2.5 out of 5-

I found the Murphy's a bit light for me, clean beer but not enough punch for an Irish Red. This would be good after mowing the yard or some other chores when you needed to wash down the dust. When purchasing this I was expecting a bit more. I do feel that it probably would be a good beer for those wanting to try something a little more, but once you get your taste-buds on some other products you may graduate from this quickly.

-Matt gives this a try it if your new to real beer 2.5 out of 5

Noche Buena Edicion Limitado

WARNING! DO NOT ADD LIME to this fantastic Mexican brew. It seems the habit of drinkers and servers of the offerings from our southern neighbor is to garnish with a slice of lime. That would be a terrible error as it would cause you to miss out on so many subtleties of flavor. More on that in a bit.
   The nose of this cerveza is strong with the odor of malted barley, which I imagine is where this brew gets its deep caramel color. The head is small, tight bubbles that don't linger. The mouthfeel is refreshing, cleansing the palate and hangs around just enough to deliver a pleasant aftertaste. The general impression is a balanced, not too bitter, not too sweet offering reminiscent of Dos Equis Amber, but upon further sampling, you will find a complex palette of flavors swirling in your mouth. I noticed that this beer already hints at lime, and during some of my mouthfuls, but not all, a gentle brush of mint, hence the warning at the outset of this review. All in all I am quite impressed with this Good Night Limited Edition and highly recommend it.
-Zech gives the Noche Buena 4 !Aye Carambas! out of 5-
P.S. - If you are ever in Memphis or Nashville and Hungry for good grub (I highly recommend the buffalo chicken pizza and garlic fries) and Thirsty for some micro brewed beer give Boscos a try. The Beer Lover's Restaurant.


I too was pleased exuberantly at this Dos Equis Product. It sat a little heavier than their Amber but was not heavy. I found that the darkness did not overshadow it with too much barley flavor, but as Zech brought out was refreshing and clean. After preparing this review I read Zech's and now need to try another, to look for more of those subtleties that he discussed. It's a tuff job but someone has to do it. Maybe I'll give you some more to chew on about this beer after I do more due diligence.  ;)  Oh and you must pair this with some mexican food of course! preferably some Tacos de Carne Asade with plenty of Pico De Gallo on the side.

Matt rates this with a very respectable 3.5 of 5

Magic Hat Vinyl Lager

This is another offering by Magic hat that is outstanding. The smooth as fresh cream mouthfeel combines with the sharp bite of carbonation in the back of the throat to make you go "Ahhh! That's good beer!" It has hints of citrus and caramel in the nose and a perfect balance of hop acidity. Not a heavy beer but there is no doubt that you are drinking full bodied goodness. Not some watered down lite beer guaranteed to make you pee. I like it a lot.

-Zech gives Magic Hat Vinyl lager seasonal  a 4 out of 5-

Yes  faithful readers Matt is still alive! I have been on hiatus from the beer reviews, but am back to give my angle on this Lager from Magic Hat Brewers. As I poured this beautiful reddish brown product of delightfulness, I soon realized that this was a quality production. Magic Hat has yet to let me down with an un-unique offer. The head dissipated rather quickly but the coffee like undertones were hitting me with every sip and as the beer warmed became a little stronger. The aftertaste had a slight hop hint, for those who are not into the hopped up beers this one is so slight you will not be bothered by it. I paired this with some tamales and truly enjoyed it better with the Mexican food than many of the beers produced for that purpose.

-Matt is enamored enough to give this a 4.5 out of 5