My ongoing IPA quest continues. This week its Magic Hat Lucky Kat IPA. I must admit to mixed experiences with Magic Hat's brews - they are hit or miss for me, although #9 is a good outdoor summer beer.
With some surprise, Lucky Kat may rank as my favorite of the Magic Hat elixirs. Its a little darker than most IPA's, some Munich and Crystal malt is in there to give it a deeper copper color than you see with most IPAs. The result is a thick, fluffy head when poured with nice lacing on the glass and very little haze.
It has a fruity, citrus aroma, but by no means overwhelming. However, its all hops when you're ready for a taste - its starts bitter - with minty, pine notes - and stays that way through to a dry finish. With 58 BUs (bitterness units) from a combination of Amarillo and Crystal hops, Lucky Kat is like taking a bite out of a tart hop apple - a mouth coating experience. The malt balance is ok - clearly the goal is to not interfere with the hops - and the finish is, well, bitter. Overall, a tasty brew and a strong entry in the world of IPAs.
The other good news in the Magic Hat world is the release of their Drupal-based People's Place blog / virtual watering hole. Check out their Sipcode Locator maps on where to find Magic Hat beers, learn about upcoming events and vote for winners in their Spring Fever Haiku contest. The new site looks great, its time to retire the other flash-based beast.
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