Short's Brewing Company- The Magician: A No Trick Pony

Damn that was one hell of a storm that just blew through the area.  We just got blasted with some hardcore storms and there are trees down throughout the neighborhood.  Wow, I’m in need of a brew to calm my nerves…hopefully I’ll find that one that’ll do the trick.  So I gazed into the fridge and was captivated by a brew from this northern Michigan brewery, Shorts Brewing Company.  Will their "The Magician" dark red London Style prove to be a David Blain or your 3^rd grader’s talent show magic trick?

Shorts Brewing Company classifies this brew as a Dark Red London Style Ale and their website describes The Magician as, "A lustrous dark red London ale. Rich malt complexities lending notes of toasted caramel, raisins, toffee, and slight roast chocolate. Very light hop additions let the true malt characters promenade throughout the tasting enjoyment this beer offers.  It’s a new member of our beer family and has gone over so well, we’re making it year round."

The Magician pours a thick, syrupy reddish/brown color with a ¼” light brown head with a sour fruit & weird malt aroma and is 6.0% ABV.

The Magician really should rethink his career.  It is classified as a Dark Red London Style Ale, its official; I have no desire to ever visit London if this is what beer is like over there.  I think that this brew is more of a street hustler than a magician.  There is something so wrong with the flavor that I cannot even begin to describe how awful it is.  It’s a sour fruit & bitterness bomb of nastiness.  I am really disappointed as I thoroughly enjoyed their Huma Lupa Licious but The Magician is downright disastrous.  I rarely dump a beer but this one couldn’t guess my card.

ABV: 6.0%

Consumed: Nonic Pint Glass

Verdict: Bum One From A Friend

Shorts Brewery- The Magician: Should the rabbit go back in the hat?

So last weekend I made a trip back home to Northern Michigan to attend a wedding. All my Chicago friends asked me the same question. No not, “who is getting married?” But rather, “Can you get some Shorts?” Shorts Brewery is all the buzz in Northern Michigan. It is located out of Bellaire, Michigan and has all the craft brew bastards buzzing with beer benevolence.  My little brother (a barkeep) and his buddies have been flaunting it over our heads for years, since we cannot secure any in Chicago currently. Needless to say, I used this awesome wedding, congrats Nick and Ashley, to get my greedy little hands on every six-pack of Shorts Brew that I could cart back to the Chi.

Tonight’s journey has brought me to The Magician Dark Red London Style Ale. The Magician pours a dark ruby tint with a very light head. My first impressions were that this beer pours very thick and flat, like an evil sorcerer’s potion. It is strangely foreboding and has a unique boutique. The scent of The Magician wafts into your nostrils with hints of sweet raisins, roasted malt and buttery rye bread. A very strong and unique brew for certain, that I could not easily draw any comparison too.

The Magician has a few tricks up its sleeve as well when it comes to flavor. The more I drink this beer, the more I can see how it earned its name. I have never had a beer that manages to be so light and heavy at the same time! There is a strong red ale here but also a toasted malty sweetness. Even a slight coffee undertone creeps in toward the end. There is even a little nuttiness that kept reminding me of a brown ale…

I have tried this beer numerous times in the last few days and I still cannot make a final decision. There are so many different flavors going on that I can’t really nail this brew to the wall, so to speak. The Magician definitely earns its name as it remains an ever changing shape shifter from first pour until your last quizzical shallow. This brew is going to divide people more than the age old debate of fate versus free will. Every craft brew junkie owes it to themselves to try this beer at least once. You can decide for yourself whether Short’s Brewery’s The Magician is Merlin or David Copperfield? Just remember, as you try to figure this one out, make sure your car keys disappear.

ABV: 6.0%

Consumed: Globe Glass

Verdict: Buy a Twelve Pack