American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
Magic Hat isn’t the first brewery that comes to mind, when one thinks Vermont. They’re a heritage brand that’s been around since the 1990’s and like so many breweries from that era they’re sometimes unfairly overlooked.
But that doesn’t mean they aren’t doing cool things and their new uber-small batch pilot program is one of them!
Bringing creative flair and innovation to the national beer scene has always been important at Magic Hat Brewing even before craft beer became “a thing.”
And this year, the brewery has launched a program that is doubling-down on delivering some of the region’s freshest and most daring beer ideas yet – and providing them exclusively to beer drinkers in their home state of Vermont (and the devoted now crossing state lines to get to them).
Each month Magic Hat is releasing one experimental small batch creation – we’re talking only 20 kegs max, moved to special outlets around the state, plus one exclusive for the brewery’s Artifactory tasting room – and they’ve fast become Magic Hat’s highest-rated beers ever.
“When it comes down to it, we wanted to have some fun with our pilot brew system and share the result’s with our home community,” said Head Brewer Chris Rockwood. “Magic Hat has released more than one hundred unique recipes since opening its doors in 1994, and it’s gratifying to know that the beers released in this series sit atop the list of our most highly rated beers.”
And, it’s true, while Magic Hat has always brewed decent beer over the years…they’ve never been doing things like this.
Recent additions to their pilot program include…
Fancy Grade, a 7.8% ABV Doppelbock, not a “go-to” craft beer style to begin with. And it’s brewed using real Vermont Maple Syrup.
Local Rocker a 6.4% Farmhouse Saison that leans heavily on Cara Vienne, Saaz, Hallertau, and Golding Hops.
Wee Heavy Champ a massive 9.3% barrel-aged Scotch Ale that celebrates Lake Champlain, and the legend of Champ the Lake monster (they have a lake monster?), and is brewed using a unique chocolate malt.
So another reason for that road trip….no?
