Our 3rd quarter brew for the Music City Bowl game was Magic Hat's Humdinger Series: Burnpile. I didn't even know that Magic Hat (http://www.magichat.net) indulged in limited release beers of the > 12 oz variety. Shows what I know (which is very little). The bottle came with a cage and cork (ooo, fancy), and I had never dealt with either in a beer before. My buddy had to show me how to open it up. Now I know, and knowing is half the battle..GIJOE!
The beer had a near black pour. Lighter traces at the edges. It had a thin tan head with little retention, although there was a layer of skim that was left in the glass. I've never had a smoked anything before, so I was curious to see if the smoke aroma was subtle or overpowering. On first whiff, the smokiness is very evident. I could also make out some coffee and chocolate smells, but just barely. I could have been imagining things. The first aroma is smoke and everything comes second.
Onto the taste! The smokiness of the porter continues to show itself in the taste. There's a sweetness there that's a little unexpected. If there's any bitterness on the tail end, it's barely there. I found this to be remarkably well balanced from a taste perspective. It is light bodied and I could barely taste the alcohol. If you were trying to measure this against other porters, I could see how this one falls short. But on its own, I found this to be a very good beer. I'd definitely have again.
Grade: B
Price Paid: $5.99 (750 mL bottle)
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