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Beer review: Magic Hat Demo

By , Herald-Tribune
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Magic Hat Demo (Staff photo / Alan Shaw)

 

Beer: Demo

Brewery: Magic Hat, Vermont

Notes: A rotating release. The label says it's a black IPA, but it doesn't smell hoppy like I'd expect. Instead, it has a nice aroma of coffee and molasses. It tastes more like a porter, with coffee and roasted malt flavors instead of expected hop flavors and high bitterness. This is a fine beer if you think of it as a porter instead of a black IPA. Is a label change needed?

Have you had Magic Hat Demo? What did you think? Use the comment field below to sound off.

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Alan Shaw

Alan Shaw has been a fan of craft beer for more than a decade. He is partial to hops and has been an editor at the Herald-Tribune since 1997. He can be reached at (941) 361-4914, by email or mail at 1741 Main St., Sarasota, FL 34236. Follow him at @alancshaw on Twitter and on Facebook.
Last modified: January 16, 2013
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VIEWING 2 COMMENTS
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Dennis
Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at 1:16 pm

This mislabeling seems to be happening more and more. Maybe it a marketing thing (i.e., Black IPA sounds more interesting than Porter). I had a similar experience with Sam Adams Dark Depths. It is labeled as a Baltic IPA, but I thought it came across more like an Imperial Porter (like Flying Dog's Gonzo).

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Ed
Thursday, May 10, 2012 at 1:31 pm

Yep, pretty disappointing. I emailed them and heard nothing. I thought there was a mix-up....guess not. It's a porter in my mind.