Short's Brewing released the Magician a few days ago, which the brewery describes as a dark London-style red ale. I picked up a single 12-oz. bottle, and now I want six more.
To me, it felt almost like a welcome new take on a brown ale, like a cousin to the oh-so-tasty Short's Bellaire Brown. But the Magician is quite different, too, and there's more than ample room for both in the Short's stable. As a quick aside, the Bellaire is Short's terrific take on American brown ale, bursting with a toasted flavor (that's the main similarity to the Magician) that's complemented by a roasted bitterness that lingers into the long, smooth finish.
The Magician pours a cloudy, light brown with amber highlights. It had a tan head that dissipated quickly. The aroma is toasty and buttery with a fruity touch, and the taste follows the aroma closely. There's buttered toast with a nutty dryness in the finish, reminiscent of lightly toasted pecans. There's an earthiness, too. The Magician is rich with a silky quality on the palate. The diacetyl buttery/butterscotch tones work terrifically well in this beer, richly supported by the silky mouthfeel.
Good stuff, and it's exciting to see it on the shelves.
A follow up to this mini-review. I drank another bottle of the Magician two nights ago and noticed less of the buttery quality, more straight-up, lightly-roasted malt, with a nice toasted and nutty quality. Perhaps it was the batch, or maybe it was my tastebuds - though my wife also noticed the buttery quality in the first bottle, which was bought separately from the 6-pack I now have. Great brew either way.
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