Howl

Beer Name: Howl Winter Lager
Brewery: Magic Hat
ABV: 4.6%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown (but only because I forgot to check)

Magic Hat's Howl is their winter seasonal beer in the schwarzbier style. Schwarzbier, if you couldn't tell by looking at the word, is German, and it means "black beer." You might be thinking that means that they're similar to stouts and porters, but they aren't. Schwarzbiers, also known as black lagers, have a much milder taste, so you should try them even if you haven't enjoyed dark beers before. Be adventurous!

Although I drank it from the bottle, I could still tell that Howl was a dark brown color. However, there's not really any way for me to have measured the amount of head produced, its retention, or any lacing on the glass. Sorry. I'll try to do better in the future. Howl has an aroma of roasted malt and also faint scents of chocolate or coffee.

The flavor of this beer matches the aroma. It's got a nice roasty flavor that feels like a perfect fit for a winter night. There's also some faint flavors of chocolate and coffee and maybe nuts or something like that. Basically there's a whole lot of flavor going on in that little bottle. There is not a lot of carbonation or aftertaste here, so the beer is very smooth and easily drinkable.

Final thought - For whatever reason, Kate doesn't like this beer, which means they all go to me. And that's just fine, as I enjoy them very much. I think I'll grab a winter mix-pack before everyone switches over to crappy spring white ales.

-Jon