It’s common knowledge that I’m a big fan of the New England Patriots. Sure, I live in Georgia, but I was born in Rhode Island, lived my first 5 years in Massachusetts and the next 31 in the Ocean State. New Englanders take their sports very seriously, and there was no way I could even think of switching allegiances when I moved down south. I never miss a Pat’s game, and luckily I don’t have to, since I can hop on over to Taco Mac to watch the games that are not on TV.
Less well known is that I used to be an equally avid Boston Red Sox fan when I was a kid. The strikes in the eighties soured me on baseball and I lost my enthusiasm, but back in the seventies I watched Red Sox greats Fred Lynn and Jim Rice get their starts at Pawtucket’s McCoy Stadium (I was born right around the corner from the stadium) and thrilled to every moment of the classic 1976 World Series with the Cincinnati Reds. Probably the best ever.
Here it is October of 2013 and lo and behold, the Red Sox made it to the World Series again. Could they possibly break the Curse of the bambino and win a series at home this year? One could hope so, and I decided to hold a Séance to try and lift the curse: a Magic Hat Séance to be precise. Like the World Series, Magic Hat Séance is great in October, and it’s also from New England.
I poured my glass of Magic Hat Séance into a Boston Beer Works Fenway American Pale Ale pint glass for good measure. The Sox were playing at home, and of course Boston Beer Works is right across the street. So perhaps this would only enhance my manna in breaking the curse. Well, not that night: the Red Sox lost to the Cardinals, 4-2. But they did go on to win the Series, and at home. Did my little Séance help them in any way? I will leave that up to you, dear reader, to decide.
Regardless, I did enjoy my glass of Magic Hat Séance. Here’s some info from the Magic Hat Website:
Séance is a dark, complexly concocted Saison, rich with earthy hues and flavors. A mild tartness begins the journey, and an underlying hop bitterness sweeps the senses through a newly opened door of the mind, where you will soon find subtle hints of ripe fruit, bringing you to a place few dare to roam.
Malts: 2-Row Pale, White Wheat, Victory, Carafa, Flaked Oats, Crystal 80L, Cherry Wood Smoke
Hops: Goldings, Hallertaur
Yeast: Saison II
ABV4.4%
IBUs27
SRM23
Magic Hat Séance pours to a dark brownish color with a thick creamy tan head formation and a soft chocolate nose with hints of yeasty phenols and spice. A thick layer of Brussels lace clings to the sides of the glass and follows the liquid all the way to the bottom. Taking a sip, it doesn’t take long for the malt to jump out as the main component here. Sweet, slightly roasty, but very chocolaty. There’s a bit of cookie-like malt here too that makes this taste a lot like a chocolate chip cookie in a glass. Dark fruits and some spice emerge in the finish but they are very, very subtle. The finish has just a touch of hop bitterness, too.
This is a very interesting beer indeed. At first from the fridge I mostly got the sweet chocolaty malt and Séance seemed a lot more like an English Mild (the 4.4% ABV would be in line with that) than anything else. As it warmed, the spice and yeasty phenols started to emerge, especially in the finish. Then it began to play more the part of the saison, albeit a black saison.
Magic Hat Séance gets pretty low scores on Ratebeer, but I attribute that to the geek factor. They don’t seem to be too fond of the brand for some reason. The price is average these days at $8.99 for a six-pack.
I loved it, and I think you might too.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft