Vermont's funky Magic Hat Brewing Company brews good beer, and they've got a really friendly, participatory way of going about their business. I'm a longtime fan. So it was with great anticipation that I cracked open their Encore I.P.A., one of four great seasonal beers being offered in Magic Hat's Winterland Variety 12-pak. And what a delightful end to an otherwise ho-hum day that I.P.A. was.

The Encore is what you might call a "bittersweet" brew, being that it is the offspring of a union between two diverse styles: an American wheat beer (sweet) and an India Pale Ale (bitter). It is brewed with Pale and Cara Vienna malts, the latter imparting a caramel aroma and taste that lingers on the finish. The hops used are beer-geek faves - Apollo, Simcoe and Amarillo. It gets its kick, though, at the end of the production process when it is dry-hopped with the Simcoe and Amarillo. Dry hopping is when hops are added to the fermenter or keg after fermentation. It lends the brew some pop. Not that this beer hits you in the mouth like a thug or anything. On the contrary, Encore is an extremely well-balanced sipping beer. And at 6.4% ABV I really do recommend you sip it. Again and again.

The Winterland Variety 12-pak also includes: Ravell, a big porter brewed with vanilla beans and chocolate malts; #9, a dry crisp English ale; and Howl, a black winter lager. For more visit http://www.magichat.net