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