Séance

+

For no particular reason, Magic Hat beers aren't really on my radar. However, when I was poking around my local beer store for some fall beers I was attracted to a particularly interesting label. That beer just happened to be Magic Hat Séance.

I didn't realize it at the time, but Séance is also a Saison. Saisons are cool because they aren't really any particular style and open to some many interesting possibilities.

Needless to say this brew just got more, uhm, interesting to me.

So, I popped that bad boy in the freezer for a quick chill and twenty minutes later I was sipping a Séance. This beer was, indeed, quite interesting.





Seance is a very sessionable 4.4% ABV.

It pours a rich mahogany with a small head that thins into a mysterious wisp of spume across the top of the beer.

The aroma is roasty malts, a whisper of something sweet like caramel or brown sugar, and cracked pepper.

The taste isn't quite what I was expecting, although admittedly I don't really know what I was expecting.

It is roasty with a sweetness that is suggested more than actually tasted.  A touch of spicy pepper and what I can only describe as woody campfire smoke that add character and complexity. There's an underlying tartness that is kind of weird, but in a good way. There's also a nice earthy hoppiness that brings some bitterness into this strange (but delicious) brew. The finish is dry, mildly bitter and a bit smoky.

The mouthfeel is kind of loose and thin with moderate carbonation.

I wasn't sure if I liked Séance at first. But after a few sips, I decidedly like this brew. This is a good fall tasting beer; however, I think it's one of those love it or hate it beers.

Overall: good