Heart Of Darkness - Magic Hat Brewing Company

Chas58

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a growler filled at Joe Canal's Iselin into my Firestone Walker Nonic Pint Glass

Appearance: Pours a jet black, almost sucks the light around it into the glass. A frothy head of two fingers grows on top an persists, leaving a nice lacing

Smell: Coffee is the first aroma that hits my nose, and as my second favorite drink, that is good. You are also aware of a Cocoa and Chocolate aroma that enters subtlety behind the initial coffee aroma. A subtle vanilla was apparent after several sips ( I do not like most vanilla, but this was well done) .

Taste: Delightful with a richness and complexity that delivers the coffee, Cocoa and some hint of hop. The taste is not sweet, this has a hop bite more reminiscent of a porter.

Mouthfeel: A very tight carbonation that accentuates the coffee and provides for a nice feel

Overall: The beer lies somewhere between stout and porter and that will delight lovers of both. I found this a nice sippable beer, but without any hint of alcohol, very quaffable. I think the complexity will satisfy the lover of Porters, and a stout drinker will clearly enjoy the richness. This is not Winter Aleor a spiced ale by any means, but a really solid hopped stout.

Serving type: growler

12-05-2012 00:56:28 | More by Chas58

nUgZ

North Carolina

4.29/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 ounce bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a very dark brown/black color with a half finger head and some lacing.

S: Really nice blend of roasted malts, dark chocolate, and espresso. Sweet and inviting!

T: Very much like the smell, with the addition of some smoke and a touch of bitterness.

M: Medium bodied with ample carbonation. Pretty smooth.

O: This is a very enjoyable stout. It's well balanced, tasty, and easy to drink. I prefer Imperial Stouts, but this is a great example of an English Stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 00:54:15 | More by nUgZ

dwarbi

New York

4.28/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Light brown/khaki head. The beer itself is jet-black. Great lacing. Smells incredibly smoky. I heard the bartender tell someone this was a "smoked porter", and it's easy to believe. It tastes pretty light, and heavily of toasted oats. Great, tingly mouthfeel. Feels light, and is highly drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2003 18:02:25 | More by dwarbi

Brad007

Vermont

4.28/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

It appears that this beer has been resurrected.

Color: Dark black color with one-finger head.

Aroma: Smooth and malty with coffee and vanilla overtones. A bit of chocolate as well. Pretty sweet.

Taste: Smooth and malty upfront. Oatmeal shows in the middle. Smooth and coffee-like in some ways. Some chocolate as well. Coffee shows up mainly at the back of the throat

Mouthfeel: Smooth and dry. Oatmeal and coffee in the finish. The aftertaste lingers quite a bit.

Verdict: I didn't even realize that this was supposed to be an oatmeal stout. It's not bad but not the best I've had. Still quite solid.

Serving type: growler

02-09-2008 01:29:47 | More by Brad007

silverking

Florida

4.28/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

pours almost pitch black, but it is a very very dark reddish brown. Nice frothy tan/mocha head that diminishes to leave a nice thin layer of foam with very nice lacing. It smells of roasted and burnt malts with a hint of chocolate and hops. There is a lot of that burnt malt taste up front that fades to coffee and cocoa, and finally bitter hops. It is moderately heavy on the palate with low carbonation. mouth feel is creamy, then dry as the hops dominate the palate. Overall, very good. It was a pleasant surprise in the magic hat winter sampler pack.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 21:45:14 | More by silverking

Bucktron18

Illinois

4.26/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

A little late for a winter seasonal, but for a dollar a piece you can't go wrong.

Pours black with a good thick head that lasts. Smells of dark roasted malts and slight hints of burnt coffee. No hop aroma to speak of. Hits first with a strong roasted malt and dark roast coffee. Slight bitterness evens out the maltiness in the middle. Finishes dry with some lingering dark malt and slight roasted fruit flavors. Great mouthfeel. Light carbonation just barely tingles with each sip. Very smooth and drinkable.

Overall a very nice stout. Not to aggressive. A very good stout for someone who normally drinks lighter beers and wants to try something new.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 17:45:48 | More by Bucktron18

xXTequila

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

inky black with a great dark roasted coffee flavour. I love this beer. The only bad thing i can say about it is that it's not a year round.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2001 13:25:20 | More by xXTequila

Todd

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice opaque black colour with a tight & patchy cream/foam head. Aromas include roasted, day old coffee/coffee beans, black liquorice. Tight lively carbonation. Smooth, creamy and robust with an astringent roasted barley flavour, smoked malts, wood, black liquorice and molasses. Sweetness is mild. Hop bitterness is thin with a limey backbone that peaks and puckers for a brief moment. Dry, crisp, grain and raw on the edges of the palate. Finish brings some dryness to the mouth, as well as some lingering burnt flavours.

Dry, complex and damn tasty ... a real nice stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2002 19:40:15 | More by Todd

CharlesRiver

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very tiny 1/4 inch head that did not last more than 10 seconds. Dark as night. The smell is coffee and chocolate malt, very nice. The taste is very unique. Dry, complex yet well balanced. The finish is dry with a bit of malt. I would love to try this on tap.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2002 15:40:04 | More by CharlesRiver

Thrasher

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Wow, a lot of people have reviewed this beer in the past few days. Opaque black with ruby edges. Head was small but did not vanish. Appealing aroma of roasted barley, chocolate, coffee, grasses. Sharp tasting, like many of MH's brews, with a bold assertive flavor that informs the drinker, hey we are not dicking around here. Roastiness takes a while to settle in, very warming and invigorating. Some light smokiness in the background, a little bit of greasiness too but not repugnant. Hops are grassy, drying, and refresingly bitter. A perfect balance between bitter and sweet. Other reviews have talked about creaminess but I'm not getting it. I would say this is a bit slick for a stout, maybe even a little thin. Stickiness is appropriate and delightful. Each sip requires another, a very drinkable beer. An exquisite beer for a snowy winter's day.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2003 19:27:12 | More by Thrasher

Hibernator

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this out of a 12 oz brown bottle and served in a tulip pint glass. Cool looking Magic Hat label design. Freshness date is notched to be enjoyed before February 2005.

Jet black color with a nice, fluffy 1 inch tan colored head. Sticky lacings are clinging all over the sides of the glass.

Aroma of licorice, roasted coffee and molasses.

A very soft bodied stout that blends roasted malt flavors and a minor hop bitterness. Flavors of chocolate, creamy butterscotch, and roasted coffee.

This is a great stout and one beer that I am glad to see on the shelves. I didn't realize until recently that this was a Magic Hat Winter seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2004 00:31:53 | More by Hibernator

Hopfenpeter

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer poured pitch black and produced a finger high tan creamy head. It stays arround and leaves some lacing.
The smell is of roasted malt, dark chocolate butterscotch, toffee.
Tasting the beer the roasted barley notes, dark chocolate and malt is up front, being met by some toffee and butterscotch in the middle. The finish is bittersweet with typical stout notes.
A medium bodied very complex Session Stout, which I only can recommend!
Great job!

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 03:46:31 | More by Hopfenpeter

Alextricity

Michigan

4.23/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: It's your typical stout. Pitch black, a nice little cinnamon colored head ... the lacing is pretty great as well, so maybe it's a little bit better than "your typical stout".

Smell: For some reason, I'm getting a rusty smell. Almost like blood. I'd say it's the glass, but this hasn't happened with any other beer before. Underneath that rustic aroma is the coffee and chocolate. Probably the lowest point of this beer.

Taste/feel: Glorious. The bottle doesn't lie: This is a unique stout, and I really enjoy it. The main reason it's so interesting is the sourness I actually get on the front of each sip. It's not strong, but I get it. The carbonation goes with that sourness very well. The rest of the taste consists of quality dark chocolate and coffee, but they don't dominate the palate too much. This is a stout I'd have again any time, and that's saying something. The reason why I think I find it so appealing -- besides the awesome subtle sourness -- is that it's not too thick/rich/sweet, which makes sense now, as I see it has a reasonable 5.7% ABV, and the calories in this are apparently around 175.

World-class stout right here.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 23:15:31 | More by Alextricity

BeerPhan86

New York

4.23/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cool to see them bring back another blast from the past, I have not been very impressed with the new beers this company has been making for the last couple of years. Poured into a Magic Hat pint glass for novelty's sake.

A - Black as the Vermont night with about a finger of light brown head. Lacing isn't too sticky but there is good retention on the head.

S - Coffee dominates the nose, but there are hints of chocolate and dark fruit. Very smoky/roasty smelling.

T - Roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee up front. Signature Magic Hat yeast and a little alcohol in the finish, which has a slightly smoky flavor. A little bitter and dry in the finish. Really well balanced and pleasant flavors during cold weather months.

M - Smooth and creamy with moderate carbonation.

O - Just a really nice, well rounded stout that makes a great replacement for Howl. Hopefully it will stick around for a while, I think that beer nerds will be happy that it is back. It was certainly nostalgic for me to finally buy some Magic Hat again.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 01:01:18 | More by BeerPhan86

purplelizard29

4.23/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

An absolutely stellar stout by Magic Hat. Growing up in the Northeast, we were constantly looking for that one beer that's so hearty that it warms you up quickly, but that one can enjoy for the taste during the summer; we found that beer in this.

A- A thick pitch black. Head is a finger's worth of cream colored foam.

S- Initial smell is an almost vegetal malt, that smells roasted. A bit of fig in the smell as well.

T- Chocolaty, with a bit of malt flavor mixed in. Didn't get hoppy to the point where it was overwhelming.

M- Immensely creamy. This was arguably the creamiest beer I've ever had. It went down so smoothly that it was shocking. Sat on the front of the palate mostly, and not too much any aftertaste. A light hop coating on the back part of the mouth.

O- An absolutely excellent stout that I recommend everyone give a try. It's not insanely strong, there's no alcohol taste, just beautiful creamy, coca goodness. I don't always like Magic Hat, especially their ales, but this one was spot on to my taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 04:21:01 | More by purplelizard29

JohnFatAss

New Jersey

4.21/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Dark brown in color with a creamy tan head.
The smell is of sweet roasted malts and dark chocolate.
It tastes of roasted malts, dark chocolate. There is a touch sweetness in the middle with a little milky creaminess that I love. It finishes dry with a little bitterness.

Overall, a fantastic stout from Magic Hat.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 03:38:12 | More by JohnFatAss

MJR

Missouri

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

My first Magic Hat brew...I've been looking forward to this!

Underneath the cap says: 'Come to the Night...of the Living Dead.' Nice cheap advertising for their annual Halloween bash!

Appearance: Pours an incredibly dark brown with reddish highlights. A light tan head starts thick and shrinks down to a thin cap.

Smell: Has an aroma of heavy roasted coffee with just a touch of bitterness. There's a touch of an earthy smell too, perhaps from the oatmeal?

Taste: Lots of coffee character with a smooth flavor that bounces back and forth between roasted and burnt. There's a nice general hop bitterness that is present the entire tasting, but get's a bit stronger in the finish. A touch of chocolate is buried in there too. Overall, the flavor is a bit grainy. Nice...

Mouthfeel: Somewhat dry and crisp, but the body is 'way' too thin for an oatmeal stout. They should thicken it up for a more chewy mouthfeel. Oatmeal stouts could be one of my favorite styles, but I can't seem to find one that's thick enough for me!

Drinkability: Very good. I could drink this brew all night. The finish is just dry enough to warrant another pint.

A 'thank you' goes out to Mike (kunzbrew) for sending me this one in a beer trade!

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2003 12:40:24 | More by MJR

taez555

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

"Don't Rely on those who won't Try"

Truly words of wisdom.

Anyway. This beer poured a dark dark black/brown body with a lovely white head that died down quickly, but no quicker than your average beer.

The nose was a beautiful sweet, malty, roasty, chocolate mesh with what I could have sworn to be even a few hints of smoke or meat.

The intintial taste was very very smooth and clean. Lots of dark roasted flavors. With a dark stout bitterness brought on more by what tasted to be a dark roasted barely more than hop bitterness. It just had a very roasted barely flavor, like a fresh roasted coffee bean or something.

What was really amazing about this beer, as well as other magic hat's in general, is how smooth and clean it is. Maybe it's the Vermont water, the secret yeast or something but if you close your eyes you'd be hard pressed to tell this is a stout if it weren't for the roasty flavors.

A great beer. Another gem from Magic Hat. I'll be sad if I ever move out of New England.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2003 02:15:25 | More by taez555

GilGarp

Colorado

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle served cold into a pint glass.

Nearly black in color and with a thin layer of head, it settles quickly but leaves some nice lace on the glass.

Aroma is sweet, like milk chocolate, with a slight roasty quality.

The flavor is balanced with sweetness up front but a good dose or roasty dark malt bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and lightly carbonated.

Overall a nice, robust, roasty stout.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 02:49:57 | More by GilGarp

atr2605

New York

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-pours black with a tan head that leaves a small lace, decent retention
S-roasted malt and unsweetened chocolate
T-big bold roasted flavor with coffee and unsweetened chocolate in the finish
M-medium bodied
O-tons of roasted malt but isn't overwhelming at all. Still well balanced and layered. Really delicious stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 03:52:41 | More by atr2605

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An excellent beer to sip on a December night...

Pours a creamy near-black with only the faintest hints of red after the glass is held up to the light. Coffee coloured head has good retention, with residual small bubbled lacing. Aroma of roasted dark malts has strong coffee and dark chocolate tones - beautiful. The depth of flavour is also a pleasant surprise; a well balanced dark malt body with a robust bittering hop finish. Offers roasted chocolate and espresso with a nice biscuit base plus a warming finish made of more than simple alcohol.

A beer I hope to definitely buy again!

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 01:03:08 | More by hopsolutely

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was one that I was pretty glad that they re-released. The beer poured out as a nice deep brown color with a thin cream colored head on top. The retention is very thin with a bit of lacing on the glass. The smell of te beer has a nice aroma of toasted oats and other roasted malts. The taste has a nice rich roasted flavor to it, the oats shine really well in this beer. There is a subtle chocolate note in there also. The mouthfeel is creamy, not overly thick but nicely carbonated and drinkable. Overall it was a good beer. One of the best I've had from Magic Hat in a long time.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 21:59:24 | More by Knapp85

superspak

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, winter 2012 bottling. Pours lightly hazy very dark brown color with a 1-2 finger moderately dense khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Some nice soapy lacing clings down the glass. Aromas of milk chocolate, roasted malt, toast, toffee, caramel, light coffee, and light floral earthiness. Excellent aromas with great balance, strength, and complexity of roasted malt notes with light hops. Taste of milk chocolate, roasted malt, toast, toffee, caramel, coffee, and floral earthiness. Light coffee bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of milk chocolate, roasted malt, toast, toffee, coffee, and floral earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and complexity of roasted malt flavors; with a good amount of robustness and no cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a moderately creamy and smooth mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent stout! Great balance of roasted flavors with good robustness; and very smooth to drink. A highly enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 04:17:42 | More by superspak

WaltTrombone

New York

4.18/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

My first Hat! A memorable experience, indeed...

It had a black body, with a khaki tan head that went quickly to a wispy lace.

The aroma reminded me of wet autumn leaves, expresso, and chocolate.

It tasted of expresso and tangy citrus, with a hint of dark chocolate as it warmed. The finish was bitter hops and citrus peel that faded to a malty sweetness. The mouthfeel was a bit thin, IMHO, for a stout, with light carbonation.

Not my favorite stout, but a good one. We all need to get in touch with the dark side sometimes. Drink enough of these, and the eye on the label starts to follow you around the room...

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2003 07:49:41 | More by WaltTrombone

ViveLaChouffe

Georgia

4.18/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours an opaque black with a thin brown head. Smells lightly nutty and of oats.

Taste is heavenly. Oaty, smoky and bitter just about sum this brew up. Hints of sweetness in the background and also lightly chocolatey. Mouthfeel is smoky and that bitter chocolate really begins to shine in the aftertaste. Really good, really drinkable.

A fine winter offering from Magic Hat. This one is definitely a hit.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2003 04:12:35 | More by ViveLaChouffe