DRAFT Magazine

We don’t believe that crap about good things coming in small packages, but we do believe that good things come in pairs (socks, beef patties, the Coors twins… you get the point). Add to the list Magic Hat’s seasonal offerings; the brewery just released its standby winter seasonal, Roxy Rolles, and the latest in its Odd Notion series, Braggot, in a one-two punch of winter beer awesomeness. The best part? You can get them both in the same 12-pack: Both beers, plus No. 9 and Circus Boy, comprise the brewery’s Feast of Fools, a limited-release holiday variety box.

Dubbed a “hoppy amber ale,” Magic Hat describes Roxy Rolles as “a roasted, toasted sleigh ride of unbridled festivity.” Sounds like a party! Dry-hopped with Simcoe hops, the brew is drinkable with a 5.1% ABV.

Tasting Notes: In the aroma, hops burst with essences of mango and passionfruit. In the tasted, the ruby-hued brew comes off a bit like a new version of an IPA — we suppose that’s where the “hoppy amber ale” part comes in. Well-balanced with mild tropical fruit sweetness and floral hop bitterness, spicy and sweet caramel flavors and a bit of roastiness round out the flavor.

A kind of mead-beer hybrid, Braggot is an unfiltered concoction of three parts ale and one part honey with a solid 6% ABV. Magic Hat adds fresh chamomile during the brewing process, and conditions the brew on French Oak chips.

Tasting Notes: If mead’s not a part of your regular beer repertoire, Braggot will take a few sips to get used to, but if you’re used to the style, Magic Hat’s version is a nice break from dark winter beers. It begins with a huge honey aroma, though the taste isn’t as sweet as the aroma leads you to believe. Light in appearance but more viscous in the taste, Braggot’s flavor is balanced between honey and malt, with some floral notes from the chamomile. There’s also a bit of alcohol warmth, slight hop bitterness, and vanilla-butterscotch tones from the oak.