For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be profiling another brew from the Magic Hat Brewing Company located in Burlington, Vermont called the Magic Hat Blind Faith.

Let’s go ahead and jump right into the description of this IPA from the website, magichat.net.

An ale of enlightenment created to aid in deciphering the puzzles along life’s road, and to interpret signs in the voyages of the spirit.  Blind Faith is an extremely well-balanced India Pale Ale with a crisp, refreshing hop bitterness and a deep malt body to match.  

Sounds good.  Let’ pour.

The Blind Faith IPA has an ABV of 6.2% and it comes in a 12 oz. bottle.

The beer poured a very murky, amber/copper color.  Some burnt orange and yellow highlights were present around the bottom and sides of the glass.  The head was off white in color, full, soft, fluffy, rocky and soapy in texture.  The retention time was mostly average and the lacing was so-so, but it did settle to a very attractive skim right on top of the liquid that lasted for the duration of the drink.

The nose had a significant aroma of caramel and toffee malts.  A very liberal amount of “earthy” hops were to be found along with yeasty and bready hints, which gave it a very “round” bouquet.  Deeper into the fragrance I detected hints of apple butter, which I thought mixed well with the overall aroma profile.

The taste was similar to smell.  Plenty of “earthy” hops gave it a slight bite.  A worthy amount of bitterness was shown on the tongue, but the flavor seemed to be a bit more heavy on the malts than anything else.  Sweet caramel and toffee intermingled with over-ripened apples and a faint nuttiness.  Above all, it was a very smooth and well-balanced taste.  Not over-the-top or “loud”, but rather very pleasant and agreeable.

The mouthfeel was medium, soft, creamy, slightly chewy and smooth.  Only an average amount of flavor coated the tongue and roof of the mouth.  It wasn’t bad, however I was wishing for a touch more.

Essentially, this is an “ok” beer.  It’s relatively easy to drink and it has plenty of characteristics that are worthy of interpretation.  It’s a little more forthcoming on the malt than most IPA’s I’ve had, but I still enjoyed the drink and wouldn’t mind having a few more if they were offered.  This brew was nothing excessive or outrageous, yet I think it could be enjoyed by craft beer enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike.  I would say that if you saw this on the shelf at your liquor store….. sure, give it a go, but I wouldn’t expect an IPA that has been the norm of the craft beer world for the last several years.  It’s not a “hop bomb” or anything.  Just a solid beer that stays interesting throughout the entire drinking experience.

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone.  I really appreciate it.

Remember, if you would like, hit me up on Twitter (@BeerApprentice or @shrews824) and Google+ (Scott Shrewsberry) to discuss craft beer in more detail.  I love the interaction.

Until next time.   Cheers.

Score:  3.55 out of 5
Grade:  B