Demo

Brewing on the shores of Lake Champlain, Magic Hat offers a huge roster of tasty, often quirky brews. Demo is a Northeastern riff on the black Cascadian-style IPA, yet doesn’t stray too far from the classic profile. Rife with aromas of dark coffee, unctuous Belgian chocolate and plums, Demo still manages to retain some IPA character with shades of bright citrus. Rick enjoyed the “intense espresso notes balanced by a faint pine perfume,” dubbing the aroma “Roast-A-Rama.” The appetizing tendrils of cocoa and faintly herbal hops impressed Pete, but he felt the “dark fruity notes fall a bit short.” A dense, Stygian black beast of a brew, Demo still manages to throw off hints of copper and garnet. Not unexpectedly, this beer is chock full of cocoa, semisweet chocolate, and Turkish coffee flavors, each expressing itself in turn as the others recede. The flavor profile struck Tom as “more American Stout than Black IPA,” but he did find firm hop bitterness and “slightly chewy toffee notes” underneath the prodigious roast malt. Lee pronounced the beer “Big all around. Big hops. Big roast. Big and in your face.” He delved deeper to find traces of lemon zest and caramel hiding beneath the aggressive roastiness. As summer approaches, Demo’s big flavors are the ideal accompaniment to a late afternoon on the lake (or, possibly breakfast, if that’s your style).