Batch 369
Magic Hat Brewing Company

Batch 369Batch 369
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From:
Magic Hat Brewing Company
 
Vermont, United States
Style:
American Amber / Red Ale
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
83
Avg:
3.55 | pDev: 18.59%
Reviews:
21
Ratings:
23
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 11, 2012
Added:
Oct 01, 2004
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by beachbum1975:
Photo of beachbum1975
Reviewed by beachbum1975 from Ohio

3.83/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Got this in the MH "Feast Of Fools Winter Variety Pack" while visiting family last week in Trumbull, CT (8-26-2006). Not entirely certain why this considered reitred at BA (?)

This gorgeous dark ruby ale had immediate hints of hoppiness and a wonderful sweet smell that my friend and I deemed to be raspberry. Poured slowly into my pilsner, the beer created an impressive 1/4 -1/2' white foamy head.

I would consider the taste to be a medium-bodied pale ale with hints of hops, but with a complex fruity-flavored sweetness. A very unique flavored beer.

After about 15 minutes time, the head remained and the fruity flavors faded slightly, bringing the pale flavors to the front. I don't recall a strong finish, but it was surely my favorite "batch" style beer that MH has offered. Buy a 12'er, test your luck and try it for yourself.

B+
Aug 31, 2006
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.5 by bonbini26 from New Jersey

Jan 11, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by Burt from Rhode Island

Nov 18, 2011
Photo of brewandbbq
Reviewed by brewandbbq from New Hampshire

2.7/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Pours dark copper with a thick, light tan head and light haze.
Buiscuity malts and english hops in the nose, with a slightly burnt toast hint.
Aromatics finish up with roasted malt and butter, light chaulk.
Crisp on the pallet and medium body.
An english slant makes its statement, leaning twords a big irish red.
Bitter and a bit acrid. Too much roast for my taste.
Dry malt, burnt toast scrapings and lingering harsh bitterness.
Not my bag, baby.
Aug 28, 2005
Photo of Citadel82
Reviewed by Citadel82 from New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
This is an exceptional session beer. I like it.

Pours a clear copper with two fingers of dense white head leaving lots of lace as it withdraws. Head remains as a thin layer as the beer is consumed.

Smell is earthy and fruity with a strong impression of the smell of fresh baking bread. Very comforting...comfort beer?

Taste is well balanced malt and slight hop bittering. Kents? Goldings? definitely not Cascades. The balance is wonderful.

Medium to light bodied and very drinkable.

A true session brew.
Feb 24, 2005
Photo of taez555
Reviewed by taez555 from Vermont

2.98/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
This beer poured a small off-white tan head with a clear ruby/amber body.

The nose was a mix of biscuit malt, light fruit, flowers and touches of that classic magic hat ringwood yeast.

The taste was sort of along the same lines. Very light bodied with an almost honeycomb type malt mouth feel. Quite an interesting bitterness, it’s really nestled in the background. Biscuit and cracker type malt flavor. Very clean and crisp tasting. There’s a very English style, earthy hop taste. Present but very mellow.

Please Magic hat, bring back 622. This is just a dull session beer.
Feb 14, 2005
Photo of Brent
Reviewed by Brent from Kentucky

3.7/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
This struck me, overall, as being more of a pale ale along the English line of interpretation. Poured a bit ruddy. Aroma was tart and hoppy, however the level of hopping in the beer was less than I expected from the aroma. More reserved in the flavor profile from other MH beers I've had the chance to sample. Some dark bread in the malt, and the hopping was a touch fruit-citric, as though a drop of apple cider vinegar had been added. A pleasant beer, but it never seemed to quite figure out what direction it wanted to go.
Jan 30, 2005
Photo of Kookiekwan
Reviewed by Kookiekwan from Florida

2.95/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
This beer pours amber/orange has a 1/2 finger head with no retention or lacing to speak of. The aroma is malty sweet and cider-like. The taste is slighty bitter and has the taste and mouthfeel of apple cider with a tart finish.

Reflection: Not a bad beer but it's nothing I would buy on a regular basis.
Jan 19, 2005
Photo of UnionMade
Reviewed by UnionMade from New York

3.83/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
12oz bottle given to me by Happyhour. Thanks man!
The beer pours a beautifully clear, reddish brown, a shade lighter cherry woodstain. A plump, almond colored head forms on the pour, about a finger and a half, maintaining a coating throughout the glass. Large blobs of lace cling to the glass, drying into a haphazard cobweb pattern.
The aroma is a blend of american and british hops, on a piece of whole grain toast, drizzled with melted butter. A mild, heartening diacetyl character, not unwelcome with the malt blend. Dryish biscuit and caramel aromas, with a soft fruity undertone. Perhaps a touch of oak, but that could just be the woodiness to the hops. I'm guessing Willamette, or perhaps Mt. Hood.
The flavor starts out with a smoothened maltiness, dry almost from the start with a cereal, biscuity flavor. Some caramel sweetness lingers throughout, picking up a touch of estery juicyfruit in the middle. A soft brush of buttery diacetyl, ushering in a moderately hopped finish. Woody and earthy, certainly english feeling. A dry finish, with a lingering biscuity malt aftertaste. The woody flavor from the hops adds some earthiness. Fairly light bodied, bordering on medium. Mild, british style carbonation.
Pretty nice stuff. It's certainly a regular-old session beer, unlike the other two Magic Hat "batch" beers, which seemed a little more special. It kind of feels like a slightly bigger version of Humble Patience, but it's been a while since I had one of those. A nice beer for a session, I could put down a few of these. The carbonation and body are really easy going, which helps the drinkability. Cool.
Jan 09, 2005
Photo of scottum
Reviewed by scottum from Vermont

4/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at the brewery...

Served a redish amber color with a nice big full off-white headskie. Tastes hoppyand flavorful. Malts come through well to offer balance. A very decent ale. Very nice fresh and on tap. Don't age bottles of these, or drink them cold. But on tap, or a fresh bottle them's good stuff.
Dec 23, 2004
Photo of feloniousmonk
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota

2.78/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
Clear amber color, to put it simply, but it's an odder shade than that, more apple juice than anything, blessed with a fuzzy, fluffy, off-beige head, nicely sized, though somewhat quick to collapse.
Aroma: odd. fairly shy, showing some fruit, and even a whiff of smoke, but kind of dull...
Taste is fruity, but flat...cherries and berries, but a dud on the palate, really...lies prone, tasting of cardboard. Not good...not sure what they were shooting for, but it fails spectacularly, or succeeds catastrophically.
They can't mean for this to be so utterly bland and lifeless, can they?
If someone knows what the point was for brewing this dud, clue me in, I need closure.
Dec 11, 2004
Photo of lackenhauser
Reviewed by lackenhauser from Maryland

3.77/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Average copper color. Slight head. Very nice lacing. Good aroma. Sweet malt with a nice hoppiness. Ringwood by-product? Malt flavor upfront-somewhat sweet and buttery-Ringwood for sure. Its all well balanced-might be a tad over done but still a great mix. Good body. Actually a very drinkable beer considering the Ringwood thing going on. I like it but its an acquired taste for sure.
Dec 06, 2004
Photo of Erix
Reviewed by Erix from Vermont

3.2/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Poured a little cold from a bottle to pint glass
Appearence: I nice coppery amber color, rather hazy. Moderate, thick head disappeared rather quickly.
Smell: Mostly deep malt with a base bass line of dark fruit. Rather sweet and full.
Taste: The taste is rather sweet and full too, but seems to have an unpleastant interaction with the hops. Finish is suprisingly dry, considering the sweetness. There is also some apparent alcohol in there too. Is this an APA? I don't know what I'd call it. Half the flavors seem to work, and the other half doesnt. Not my favorite beer in the variety case.
Mouthfeel: Kinda coating and astringent. Huh.
Drinkability: I can't really say it would be a beer I'd seek out, but I won't dump any of them. Not a ringing endorsment I guess.
Nov 17, 2004
Photo of ism
Reviewed by ism from New Jersey

3.79/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12oz bottle, got 2 more with this Feast of Fools box.

Pours an amber/mahogany with a fizzy offwhite head that leaves little lacing. Citrus hops hit the nose first with a floral note evidencing itself shortly thereafter. Good carbonation upfront. Hops just edge out the malt in an otherwise balanced manner. Going down, a citric tartness rides with the sweet malt, and a pleasant hop bitterness rises in the aftertaste. Just hoppy enough to make it interesting.
Nov 17, 2004
Photo of Todd
Reviewed by Todd from Finland

1.57/5  rDev -55.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
12oz brown bottle. Chill-hazed dark and dulled copper with a slightly off-white lace.

Distinct dusty, musty Ringwood yeast in the nose, with hints of buttery diacetyl, faint roasted, suggestions of chocolate / cocoa, and delicate floral.

Bitty and grainy mouthfeel. Initial flash of carbonation, some citric apple, associated apple sweetness and apple skin feel on the palate. Apple must, dusty and a bit dirty. Tastes like infected (fermenting) apple cider at times. Slight and quick lived roasted malt edge. A very yeasty and doughy finish that’s dry and leaves a very unpleasant aftertaste.

A big disappointment. Nearly undrinkable. Ringwood out of control.
Nov 16, 2004
Photo of necoadam
Reviewed by necoadam from Connecticut

3.85/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Part of the feast of fools 12 pack.

Pours out a amber/copper color with only some slight carbonation that goes to lacing. Looked like this was going to be flat.

Smell consisted of some good citrus and floral hops and some malts to even it out, but the malts seemed to be on the sweet side.

Taste was good. Hops hit the palate first and keeps going for quite a bit. Malts blend in the middle and goes until the end as well. Quite flavorful and this pale ale is more on the hoppy side which was surprising, considering this was Magic Hat.

Mouthfeel got a slight ding though. It did seem a little flat which I didn't like. I would of liked to see some more carbonation in this brew, but other than that a nice pale ale this is.
Nov 11, 2004
Photo of WesWes
Reviewed by WesWes from New York

3.85/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
The beer pours an amber color with a thick frothy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a nice caramel scent with a floral hop aroma. It is very fruity and sweet smelling. The taste is decent. It has a watery malt feel, but the flavor is pretty good. It has a floral hop quality along with a very unique tart aftertaste. This has an extract taste to it. It goes down really easy and refreshes on the finish. The mouthfeel is decent as well. It is a low/medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation. It's a little watery tasting. This is quite a unique brew. It doesn't really fit in anywhere, but it drinks great.
Oct 30, 2004
Photo of WanderingFool
Reviewed by WanderingFool from Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +28.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Not knowing what to expect with this mystery beer I was plesantly surprised. It pours a dark copper color with an off white frothy head that dissolves to a thick ring with large bubbles on the surface.

The aroma is mainly hops; pine, grass, and citrus with a hint of toasted malt. Each sip of this medium bodied brew is smooth and silky on the palate. Hops dominate the beginning of the sip with flavors of pine and lemon. Caramel and toasted malt flavor blend in towards the middle and it finishes with some malty sweetness. A mild hoppy bitterness is left behind.

This is a well balanced great tasting, easy drinking beer. I only wish I could find it outside of the Magic Hat 12 packs and that it was produced year round.
Oct 28, 2004
Photo of kmo1030
Reviewed by kmo1030 from Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
craggy tan head. the nose consists of a lot of citrusy hops, and not much else to tell you what your in for. very interesting taste, consisting of vanilla and rich caramel flavors. fruit flavors become noticable as the beer warms; sort of cidery and citrusy. the hops are not as strong as the smell lets on, coming into play toward the finish as well as a toasted flavor. the mouthfeel is a little on the thin side and a little odd... i'm not even sure i can put my finger on it. another solid offering from a solid brewery in my opinion.
Oct 25, 2004
Photo of littlebibs
Reviewed by littlebibs from New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Really nice mahogney colored ale from one of my favorites
Magic Hat brewers. I'm not a huge fan of hops overpowering my
beers but this has a
nice mix of malts, citrus, floral, fruity, tangy and abit bitter with some
familar tastes thrown in this batch. This is a tastey little batch I found in a 12 pack
I wouldn't mind finding this again, great thirst quenching taste
well balanced, nice change of pace from all the malts floating
around with the Oktoberfest and autumn brews. Would be great
to put out in the summer with an orange slice.
Oct 22, 2004
Batch 369 from Magic Hat Brewing Company
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 23 ratings