Magic Hat Brewing Company- Vinyl Lager: Spring Sensation

Wow.  Today has been one of the nicest days here in the Chicagoland area in a long time.  Spring showed up with a touch of Summer as it reached a high in the low 80’s.  Seeing that I am on a self-imposed IPA sabbatical, I thought that I would try a Spring seasonal of the lager variety.  Wes tried this one a while back and it has been sitting in the fridge just waiting to be consumed.  So I reached for Magic Hat Brewing Company’s Vinyl Lager Spring Seasonal.  I have high hopes for this Vermont based brew as I have yet to be disappointed by the folks at Magic Hat.

Magic Hat Brewing Company classifies Vinyl Lager as Amber Lager and their website describes Vinyl Lager as, “Vinyl sails in on her shining wings as the spinning sun returns.  She is the season-shifter, bursting from her cocoon to sing the ancient song of vernal yearning and to summon spring's sweet green return... Her metamorphosis becomes our own.  Her thirsts are shared by all.  Drink in her mysterious elixir as the revolution blooms again...Visit Vinyl!”  In addition, the label artwork is second to none as Magic Hat, in my opinion, has some of the best label art out there.

Vinyl Lager pours a slightly hazy amber color with subtle golden edges with a 1” khaki colored head with a faint malt aroma and is a sessionable 5.1% ABV.

Once again, Magic Hat Brewing Company does not disappoint.  I could not be happier that the weather is starting to change and baseball season is only a few short days away.  This is a lively & refreshing lager that is certainly a perfect way to end a day as nice as today.  There is a moderate carbonated feel throughout with understated malt sweetness and a brief hop finish.  Vinyl is simply a super spring sensation of a lager.  So as you’re getting ready to dust off the grill and bust out your first batch of spring burgers, reach for some Vinyl and enjoy.

ABV: 5.1%

Consumed: Sam Adams Sensory Glass

Verdict: Buy A Case

Magic Hat Brewery- Vinyl Lager: Lager, I hardly knew her!

A big part of doing this website is keeping an open mind, that and fixing Jason’s grammar. I have really been trying to find a brew that could change my perceptions about what a lager could be. I shuddered at the thought of downing another pale flavorless beer. My assumption was that the cold brewing process of constructing a lager simply forced the production of dead and lifeless beers. Lagers always seemed to be “grandpa” beers to me: safe, indiscreet and afraid of change. Imagine my shock when I uncapped this beauty.

 When I first poured a Vinyl Lager, I actually ran back to the kitchen to make sure I read the label right. Holy schnikes this really was a lager! It is brown and full of body. Not the usual lager pale and bland. It had a great foamy head, while retaining the traditional crisp and clean lager scent. It has a robust and earthy taste. I checked the label again. Damn this is a lager, damn, I mean, well… damn.  Few beers can change your perception of an entire beer genre, this is one. Vinyl Lager deserves repeated spins on your dusty old turntable.

 If you’re looking to find the cutting edge of brewing today, you need to visit this beer. Colorado, Michigan and Vermont seem to have the market cornered on style and innovation in the emerging craft brewing universe. If you’re like me, you may have written lagers off long ago. I implore you to drink one of these and reevaluate your assumptions. I just realized that I am long over due to book another trip to Burlington and ride the awesome slopes of Killington again. Between these three great states, I am starting to believe there is a mythical connection between winter sports and great beer. This is the perfect brew to crack open while watching Shaun White beat some ass at the Olympics. Even if by some stupid fluke he loses, after four of these, I won’t care.

P.S. This beer has a kick-ass stop motion website, you need to check it out...

ABV: 5.1%

Consumed: Pint Glass

Verdict: Buy A Case