ATC 3.2 - Magic Six
Six°North

330ml bottle into a Magic Rock-branded stemmed Schooner. Paid £4.25 for a single.

Pours a translucent, dark golden-yellow body with plenty of fine, streaming carbonation visible. A light, frothy, one-finger in height, white coloured head with excellent retention slowly reduces to a thin cap, leaving behind small amounts of spotty lace.

The faint and simple nose primarily consists of grapefruit peels and lemony citrus. Traces of tropical fruit and a vague peach or apricot-like impression follow, while touches of grass and floral hop profiles become perceptible towards the back-end. Taste follows almost exactly, leading upfront with the lightly bitter flesh, pith and peels of yellow grapefruit and lemon. Mid-palate, subtler traces of mango, pineapple and a peachy yeast profile are briefly suggestive of tropical fruits, before grapefruit begins to rebuild towards the back-end. In the mouth, a light to medium body feels reasonably smooth and crisp, despite an initially overzealous presence of carbonation. After the swallow, hints of resinous pine, grass and floral profiles join lingering grapefruit peel to dry the palate, finishing with a clean lingering bitterness and moderate hop-driven astringency.

Overall this is a good, but unremarkable beer. Both well-crafted and well-balanced, it’s clean, crisp and refreshing, but not as adventurous, interesting or innovative as past Magic Rock collaborations. Ultimately it’s solid and plenty drinkable, but not worth seeking out specifically to try.