Magic Hat Jinx, Autumnal Strong Ale ($8.99 U.S./6-pack). Alcohol level: 7.6%. This is a seasonal offering from Magic Hat Brewing Company located in South Burlington, VT. It is fairly widely distributed, east of the Mississippi, into Ontario for sure, and perhaps further. It may be disappearing off the shelf right now, but will be back next fall. We picked it up early in October while looking for an autumn brew that was not made with pumpkin! This was the only one appearing with a way too early batch of “winter warmers.” We’ve been cleaning out the stock ever since.
The ale offers a very dark brown color. It gives you very strong hoppy and tobacco notes on the nose and up front. In the middle you find well toasted malt, pumpkin spices without the pumpkin, and a hint of peat smoke in the complexity. It gives a lingering finish, bringing up visions of autumn bonfires.
We matched it with every kind of food you could imagine. Highly recommended!