#9 - Magic Hat Brewing Company

Utica_Brew_Review

New York

3.86/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Golden color with moderate to heavy carbonation and a decent head. Hoppy fruity aroma. Sweet, herbal, with a hint of spice flavor. Slight bitterness to balance. Lacks a complete full body however. You can definitely feel the carbonation. Finishes a bit weaker than it started. Overall, a good beer that pleases the palate with a unique flavor.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 06:32:45 | More by Utica_Brew_Review

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

2.4/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.25

P: Clear slightly foggy golden apricot body with a 1/2 finger of thin white bubbly head. Leaving behind a white halo.

S: Ginger, artificial apricots, and buttery grains. Very odd aroma that I just can't pin down but it's not good.

T/M: The odd aroma follows into the taste and has a unpleasant profile. The taste is like old snow cone apricot syrup. Light-medium zesty body. Finishes wet with the linger of the odd apricot taste.

O: Not a fan of this at all. It's just odd and displeasing. I get the apricot presence but its just not a good apricot. This would be much improved if the apricot taste was real and not a syrupy fake. Glad this is my last one.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 22:07:55 | More by Hopswagger

JMScowcroft

Vermont

3.53/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Magic Hat Brewing Company - #9 - 12fl oz can

Look - Pours a clear golden amber tint with a fizzy dissipating head. Sticky lacing. Minimal carbonation. It has the look of a domestic but the freshness of a micro, therefore above average.

Smell - Aroma is malt, heavy apricot, and smooth faint hops. Bready and rather sweet. Low-profile.

Taste - Malt and breadiness come in first. After that the sweet fruity apricot approaches and sits next to very faint hops.

Mouthfeel - Slight bitter hops with apricot rests comfortably but a little sweet. Super smooth and drinkable, not boozy at all.

Overall - This is how Magic Hat got to where they are. Makes sense, this is a decent fruit beer that represents almost like a crossover between domestic "reds" like Coors or Bud and into the micro scene through fruit flavor. I give it between a 3 and a 4 because my under 3 is reserved for domestics and other brews that I consider "below-average". This brew is slightly above-average, so I have rated it as such.

In general there are not a lot of good fruit beers, these are sweet, quite specifically flavored dessert beers that are not for everyone. That being said, buyer beware, but if you like apricot, give it a shot, just be warned that this is not an organic apricot beverage, these are likely artificial flavors.

Serving type: can

05-05-2013 13:07:08 | More by JMScowcroft

BurgeoningBrewhead

Pennsylvania

2.71/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5

Poured into becker. Clear light fizzy yellow, with a thin white head even from a vigorous pour that goes away fast, but leaves some nice lacing. Smell is of clean malt and some sort of artificial-seeming scent, perhaps this is the apricot I keep reading about. Taste is smooth and clean, not as crisp as I'd like a pale ale to be. That odd sweet flavor comes in and blurs things around, seeming to change places every sip. First it's in the front, then it's in the aftertaste...this beer is drinkable, but I don't know what it's trying to be. I can understand the cult following it has though; it must seem like a super-complex ultra-craft beer to macro drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 00:04:07 | More by BurgeoningBrewhead

ElderBeagle

Maryland

2.68/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

A: Middle of the road clear amber, Decent 1 finger of head.

S: Smelled faintly sweet and not a whole lot much more

T: Ugh..its just not working for me. The sweetness tastes very artificial, like hard candy maybe. It has a decent dry beer flavor in the middle and end, but damn the sweetness. Its not mingling well with the beer, its like it just doesn't belong.

M: Feel is fine if not a little watery

O: I just cant get behind this one. The sweetness is too overpowering and artificial. It doesn't mix well with the beer. Even the beer behind the flavor is average at best. Most likely will not drink again.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 20:13:56 | More by ElderBeagle

pkalix

California

3.94/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

why is it classified as a fruit/vegetable beer?
orange colored, nice head. interesting aroma.
taste is a tad malty, enjoyable; but the left side of my brain is still asking why it's classified as a fruit/vegetable brew... i'm uncomfortable.
it's okay. it's alright. nothing special. so how do you keep an a$$hole in suspense??? exactly... great marketing. take your average product, give it a certain amount of mystery, and wait to see the results. guess i'll need to taste some others from this brewery to determione if they/re viable.... i gave it a 4 in taste, though, because it did have a firm, discernible taste....

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 23:32:17 | More by pkalix

mfnmbvp

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle with no apparent bottled on date present, just a code. Part of the summer sampler variety twelve pack. Poured into a Firestone Walker pint glass.

A - Pours a little over a finger of bone white head on top of a clear amber orange colored body.

S - Smell is of pale dusty malts, peaches, citrus fruit, coriander and other floral smelling notes & some corn husk adjuncts.

T - Taste is crisp, fruity apricot / peach flavor, some pretty intense floral characteristics like coriander or lavendar, and some corn husk adjuncts. Not the best or most ideal or the most typical pale ale, but it is tasty enough.

M - Feel is crisp, fruity and floral. Bit of corn kernel adjuncts, and some off-putting alcohol astringency. No real lingering flavors or taste of any kind.

Overall, definitely not the most complex or traditional of beers as far as pale ales go, but it goes good on a hot summer day. I haven't enjoyed anything from Magic Hat recently, but this will definitely be a beer I revisit over the summer, and most of these beers are good introduction beers for people new to craft beer.

Magic Hat #9---3.5/5

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 20:47:22 | More by mfnmbvp

lordofstarside

Nevada

3.09/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Picked up almost three months ago from total wine. More than likely expired by now, which I'll keep in mind as I review. Bomber to snifter

Pours a cloudy golden orange with almost no foam- a half finger of head which receded immediately. Little lacing and carbonation- if this beer was a woman she would not be pretty. The color was alright, the rest needs to be improved

Smells of cranberries, grape, peach, apricot, pine apple, with a touch of piney hop and a sweet malt. I don't really know what to think here- there's a lot of different aromas in the beer, but they don't come together too well

Taste is for the most part on the nose, heavy cranberry followed by other fruit notes- apple, some citrus, and tropical fruit. That's about when it hit me- BAM! Super skuny malty finish. It's probably the age more than anything, but this straight reminds me of weed, sort of like in Hienekin or Corona. I really like weed, but not in my beer

The feel is light bodied with tingly high carbonation. Terrible finish as mentioned above, drinking this isn't much fun.

Overall I understand this beer is old, but goddamn was I caught off guard. It's like taking a hit off a bong filled with cranberry juice. It's unique and tolerable, but the poor things I hear about it are true. Honestly if you gave this to me blind I'd think it was a bad cider

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 00:34:39 | More by lordofstarside

SHODriver

California

3.34/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: pours a light orange with a one finger ivory head that fades to a small mat into a nonic pint glass
S: fruity on the nose with hints of apricot and wheat
T: tastes of apricots on the palate with some creamy wheat flavor slight tinge of noble hops on the back end with more fruity apricot flavor. swallow brings a bit more wheat with apricots
M: surprisingly heavier than the 5.1 ABV let on. medium mouthfeel on the palate with slightly prickly carbonation. slightly drying finish
O: For an ale allegedly cloaked in secrecy their secret ingredient isn't much of a secret. It isn't bad but it isn't great. drinks pretty easy but it isn't what I normally go for.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 03:41:16 | More by SHODriver

BrianJohnson

South Carolina

4.01/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

This is a beer that I have loved since my first taste! Very light, definite apricot/fruit smell and taste. Very light on the hops, very light mouthfeel. I would recommend this beer at a summer picnic or in warm weather, which I find surprising coming from Vermont. Overall, a very enjoyable, refreshing beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 00:54:28 | More by BrianJohnson

doktorhops

Australia

2.93/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Magic Hat sounds like a brewery composed of magicians secretly toiling away with batches of beer using esoteric ingredients... that being said it says clearly on the bottle: contains gluten, apricot essence - mystery solved! If this is just beer with an apricot taste I for one will be disappointed.

Poured from a 355ml bottle into a nonic pint.

A: This brew presents with a clear apricot (I clearly couldn't resist mentioning it) body with a cream coloured head that sticks to around half a centimetre.

S: Apricot (of course!) aroma with a touch of pomegranate, a light toasted malt grain base and some vegetable/grassy hops in the background. The apricot really stands out and overpowers the other aromas.

T: Flavour-wise it is a little more interesting with the aforementioned aromas coming in to play and balanced off nicely with a buttery diacetyl, light hopping and dry finish. There's nothing heavy-handed about this brew (which can be a refreshing at times). The after taste however leaves a vegetable matter flavour like other cheaper beers would and this does not bode well for the final score.

M: Quite an English-style mouthfeel; mid to light bodied, light dense carbonation, not normally expected from a US brew.

D: The whole apricotness of this brew cheapens it once you realise that it's a flavouring added to the brew, hell anyone can add flavouring to beer - I could brew a vanilla-flavoured beer using vanilla essence but where is the challenge, and more importantly where is the craft? Say what you may but I am not a fan of beers that add artificial flavouring just to be different.

Food match: It is a refreshing beer to some extent and would match well with seafood, a decent summer salad thrown into the mix, also if we're talking red meat then lamb would go down a treat.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 08:54:03 | More by doktorhops

jjamadorphd

Florida

3.6/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this since it was the only thing at the pizza place that wasn't from one of the big breweries. I was pleased.

Appearance was a dark golden, almost roasted color. The smell had a distant touch of citrus with the taste definitely mixed with a touch of oranges and other flavors. The beer is in the fruit/vegetable category, but it definitely tasted like a pale ale - and a good one at that - to me. The beer was highly carbonated with a thick feel, it went down smooth with little aftertaste. Overall, I was pleased, it was certainly better than anything else they were offering for brews.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2013 22:30:12 | More by jjamadorphd

manemota420

California

4.03/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Appearance: gold and orange in its introduction. Leaves color but still very bright!

Smell:my sense of smell is a bit off but i did get some aromas of toffee very inviting.

Taste: comes as bland at first but gets a kick that had me trying to discover a taste.

Mouthfeel: Carbonated but not to the point of a big brewer. Still had room to enjoy the

Drinkability: A beaut! I had another one and was up to par. A good beer but has its flaws in sense of taste because I found myself trying to distinguish the taste.

Try it! its not a bad beer but some may be happy with another. Its not a top quality one but it is one to consider when you need a beer on a sunny day.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 01:14:21 | More by manemota420

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.46/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Large bottle (pint and 6 ozs) drank while passing through the Panama Canal on 26 Jan 2013.

Slight haze to the light amber body, a thin white head sat on top.

Orange/peach type aromas, so fruity and semi-sweet in the nose.

The taste was more bitter than the smells suggested with a prounced hop presence especially towards the finish.

Fairly spritzy and lively: I enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 15:08:27 | More by BlackHaddock

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a medium, slightly coppery golden amber. Thin off-white head dissipates to islands of foam and a ring around the glass with light lacing. Aroma dominated by apricot and peach with slight sweet malt. Flavor follows aroma, light sweet malt and apricot and peach juice with light hop bitterness. Finishes with residual bittering hops and light fruit juice, very slightly sour. Light bodied. An interesting fruit flavored ale that could use a bit more hop and malt character, but the fruit sweetness is deftly done and it is a refreshing, lightly fruit flavored beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 00:49:34 | More by LiquidAmber

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: It has a nice clear golden/orange color to it. It has a nice off-white head that dies down moderately and leaves nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of apricots/peaches, some breadiness and grainy malts.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has some apricots, grainy malts, and a touch of breadiness. Fairly bland.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium carbonation with a somewhat light overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with decent flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 19:38:44 | More by SebD

Reidrover

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz from "Habits" in S.Salem. $2.79 First time i ever saw any Magic Hat up here. Clear golden ale with a large,frothy eggshell white head. Creamy apricot and toffee aromas..quite similar to Pyramid Apricot Wheat Apricot and semi bitter caramel malts..maybe a touch of hop in the very end. OK. Nice palate Not bad..good summer type beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 17:23:05 | More by Reidrover

TerryW

Ontario (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Pours a decent head that settles to a heavy film and leaves behind a fair bit of lace. Sits on top of a clear beer is appropriately apricot coloured.

Aroma is noticeably fruity. Apricots, a little bit of alcohol, slightly dry, not sweet or candy-like in any way. Tastewise, it reminds me of something like a raspberry wheat beer. Has a drying, metallic quality to it.

Okay as a fruit beer goes. Drinkable, but pretty average overall.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 20:21:28 | More by TerryW

JohnFatAss

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Magic Hat # 9 has a lot going for it.
It is a pleasant easy to drink beer. Slightly fruity. Hints of apricots in the flavor and smell.
The good news is that the fruitiness is not over powering.
On the down side, the beer is a little plain. It is basically a plain pale ale with a little fruit flavoring.
Overall, It is a nice enjoyable beer. Most people should like it, unless you are oppposed fruit flavored beers.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 01:55:11 | More by JohnFatAss

y2jrock60

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A- Golden/Dark Yellow with a mellow haze, it's not crystal clear. The head was bright white about half a finger thick. It dissipated quickly but left behind some lacing.

S- A very sweet aroma with notes of apricot, pear, and celery. It smells very similar to its taste. I didn't pick up any malt or hop notes.

T- Very fruit forward and sweet, almost apricot like. It finished dry, almost tart, with a mild spicy bitterness that lingered.

M- Medium-light bodied with moderate carbonation.

O- Not a bad beer, it's definitely unique. If you're looking for a pale ale that's fruit forward and dry on the finish this is your beer. It's something that I'll continue to drink when I'm looking for something slightly different than your average pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 03:35:41 | More by y2jrock60

flagmantho

Washington

3.36/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Poured from 12oz bottle into a tumbler. I finally decided to give this a try, despite being possibly biased by the Georgetown 9lb Porter dispute.

Appearance: medium golden hue with a haze-free body and a thin layer of ivory head. Not too bad, I suppose.

Smell: light, sweet malt with a light biscuity character. There's also a light, almost strawberry fruitiness. Not exactly my bag, but not too bad.

Taste: strawberry flavor right up front with a light malt behind it. There's a little bit of harshness around the edges; not terrible, but there are fruit beers that handle this a lot better.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with a decent carbonation and an alright creaminess. Not too bad, actually.

Overall: I guess if you want a lightly flavored strawberry-type beer, this might be for you. That said, though it does not suit my palate, it's relatively flaw-free. So, I won't be drinking more of this, but someone might want to.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 14:40:01 | More by flagmantho

SometimesIfart

Michigan

2.48/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.25

A - Pours a clear amber with a moderately dissipating slight off-white head that stands two fingers in height. Left decent lacing.

S - A little bit of pomegranate followed by some malt.

t - Pomegranate up front, quickly followed by malt and some sour cherries.

M - Medium bodied with medium carbonation,

O - Overall, It was pretty bland and artificial.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 00:07:28 | More by SometimesIfart

tomakeanend

California

3.33/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

I strongly suspect pomegranate is in this 'secret recipe'. Honestly, the beer was kind of a letdown. Too bubbly and friendly on the pallet to be truly deep. But, its flavor is somewhat unique. A kind of effervescent fruit ale. I don't see Pale Ale in it at all, but it is... different.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 03:30:30 | More by tomakeanend

rlee1390

Indiana

3.66/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Clear orange, not much carbonation, one finger head.

S-Wheat, orange, lemon, apricots and green apples.

T-Sweet and fruity. Apply, oranges, tad bit of what and no bitterness.

M-Light not much carbonation though.

O-Had it before, never reviewed it until now. It was actually better than I remembered, but still nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 21:57:24 | More by rlee1390

Kelly42

California

3.84/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Not quite pale, for sure. I love the IPA's and and this has allllmost the flavor. My husband doesn't like the IPA's at all, but he likes this one, and I'm hoping this is the gateway. He tastes rasberry, I do not, but a slight fruitiness is present. Pleasant aroma, a little citrus, a little fruit. Lighter body, not too heavy, good flavor! Like alot, would enjoy again!

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 00:40:28 | More by Kelly42