Hello,

I just drank a beer and I had to tell you people all about it. It was Howl from the Winter ’09 Feast Of Fools Variety pack from Magic Hat. The pack included #9, the Winter’09 Odd Notion, Lucky Kat, and Howl…

Well, first off, the entertaining case stated it included a “hoppy fireside IPA” . I thought, ‘fantastic, something new and possibly delicious’. I was only half correct. It was the same old Lucky Kat I have had many times before. While, this is a wonderful IPA, it is hardly new or anything different. At least to people who have purchased these variety packs before. As for advertising it as a “hoppy fireside IPA”, there is nothing that would make me drink this by a fire, I would enjoy it just as much during a spring or summertime BBQ. Now, as for the wonderfully decorated case, why wouldn’t it just say that it included “Lucky Kat”? It only stated libelous claims of including a “hoppy fireside IPA”.

As for reviewing this “Howl” beer. It had a one finger head that went away quickly. Smelled like almost nothing, and tasted the same. Almost like brown water that you would expect to taste like poop. Without the taste of actual poop. It left a slight lagerish film on the tongue that Greg would most likely describe,  “tastes like peanut butter”. But, I haven’t a clue what Greg is talking about because I taste burnt water and feel on my tongue what I think is phlegm.

I know this is a lager and should be light and refreshing. But, come on, advertising it as a “winter seasonal”? Why the hell would I like to drink this during the winter?? When I think of winter beer, I think of sweet, spicy, full, and warming. This was absolutely none of those.

Now, I love Magic Hat “elixers”. Roxy Rolles is one of my favorite beers. It just seems to me that Magic Hat is more concerned with making interesting labels, and cute sayings on bottle caps, than making good beer, for those who like actual beer, or labeling them seasonally, correctly, or at all on their variety pack.

Bring this crap back during the spring or summer and call it something else. Maybe I’ll have something different to say. Disappointing “winter” beer to say the least.

I recently got the Magic Hat Mardi Gras Variety Pack, hence the back-to-back Magic Hat reviews. Anyway, I wrote this haiku to help me with my review.

Magic Hat is good.

“Number Nine” has apricots.

Now that’s just crazy!

Now that you have a good background, I will do my review.

It pours with a pathetic head that slips away with fear like Christ reuniting with a Rabbi. There is absolutely no lacing on the glass. When smelling the wafting it was impossible to ignore the apricots. My girlfriend vehemently denied that and said it smelled like beer. But, she’s wrong, like always…it’s apricots. The apricots dominated the taste as well with a caramel malt peeking it’s beautiful head. Almost no hop flavor or bitterness, like most fruit ales but I want my damn hops. It said on the damn bottle “not quite pale ale” which made me feel like I would taste a hop or two…damn. Just slightly deceiving. A light but creamy mouthfeel with a light carbonation made for a yummy drinkable fruit beer…but not a pale ale. It’s delicious but just not exactly what it said it was.

Gee, Greg really likes to steal the show! I must get a high-tech photography machine to keep that SOB in check! Here…I’ll paint a picture for you…..close your eyes and picture this, a cloudy dark amber with a small 1 finger head that disappeared fairly quickly….How’s that for a photo!? Ok, I guess you couldn’t read that with your eyes closed…ehh. REVIEW TIME! The citrus really powers this aroma with mostly a pineappley smell.  Taste was almost the same, mostly citrus/pineapple with some caramel undertones until the bitterness of the hops took over. Has a nice creamy mouthfeel with light carbonation, like a nice winter ale but I would drink this every day of the year if I could. So yes, in all it is a very drinkable beer, delicious in every way, enough citrusy hops to make me wiggle with glee! So drink it! It’s better than not drinking it!

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