Step right up and don't be shy: Magic Hat Circus Boy

With the summer months fast approaching, it is now time for a kind of beer that will quench your thirst. One of my all time favorite beer styles in the warmer months is a South Bavarian style known as hefeweizen. These beers are brewed with up to 70% malted wheat, sedimented with yeast and are known for their tart, thirst quenching character. I love the classic German examples of this style, as well as the fantastic domestic examples. That being said, I also like new and innovative twists on beer styles, and Circus Boy from the Magic Hat Brewing Company of South Burlington, VT is a great example of what I am talking about.

If you want to be a beer geek and split hairs? This beer technically isn't really a hefeweizen. It is indeed a wheat beer sedimented with yeast, but is very unique in the fact that it is also brewed with a portion of lemon grass. For me this is a real stroke of genius. The lemon grass really works in this beer, giving another dimension, and making all the more delicious and refreshing.

Circus Boy pours to a hazy, golden color, with a thick, tall, creamy, white head and a vibrant carbonation. The nose on this beer is interesting, with pungent lemon grass aromas with hints of estery banana and clove. The palate is firm, with good, tart malted wheat flavor, estery fruit, and some lemon grass sourness. Circus Boy finishes with more good tart wheat character up front, then ends with some sour lemon grass and citrus flavors that linger.

I understand how this beer could be hit or miss for a lot of beer lovers. I don't think there is any middle ground on a beer like this, you are either going to like it, or you won't. I for one like this beer, and it is a natural with Thai cuisine. I could see matching a few bottles of this with papaya sald, or coconut lemon grass soup. It would also work well with the ubiquitous pad Thai, and red and green curries. It is a great summer refresher, and a great beer to have on its own to quench your thirst. Available year round, I enjoy this one in the summer months. For more information visit: http://www.magichat.net/