#9 - Magic Hat Brewing Company

jjamadorphd

Florida

3.59/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

I've had this as both on tap and out of the bottle, and I definitely enjoy it out of the bottle more.

Magic Hat #9 was so much better out of the bottle. It didn't look as nice, but it smelled and just tasted better. Truly a good brew to partake from and one that I'll be enjoying from for, thankfully, quite some time.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2013 00:15:47 | More by jjamadorphd

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.2/5  rDev -35.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Copper color, 1/2" head on it, mostly white, small bubbled head. Aroma was a weird, but inviting fruitiness and pale cracker malt smell.

Taste, whoa, what is this, like some of the bad virgin islands brews? The fruit aroma now tastes like perfume! Even the alcohol part! Shit what is that, a mix of fake apricot, peach and $5 a gallon perfume? Overpowers anything resembling yeast, malt or hop flavor. Really distracting and not enjoyable.

Of course, if the taste is bothersome, then the mouthfeel isn't gonna be much better. This beer truly wasn't for me. I like fruit beers, I really do. But this? No. Hell no. I'll look at it, I'll smell it, but I doubt I'll ever drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 02:56:25 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Lazy_Genius

Florida

3.6/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours an amber, maybe yellowish brown color. 1.5 finger head that dissipated in a minute or two with a little foam still wandering around the surface.

S: The smell is complex for sure. It has strong hoppy tones with notes of fruit and vegetables.

T: A nice smooth taste. Malty, grainy... Not very bitter. Has the subtle flavor of vegetable chips. Complex, sweet, and almost a little savory.

M: Smooth, creamy mouthfeel.

Overall I like this beer. I agree with the tagline that it is "Almost" a pale ale. It doesn't have the crispness that I like in a pale ale, but it is quite satisfying. This would be a great session beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 01:43:10 | More by Lazy_Genius

pjkelley82

New York

3.56/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Overall a very good beer. There is a lot of hype to this beer but it very clean tasting and crisp. Maybe I just like the style better than most... I don't think it's the greatest beer ever but for a fruit beer it is light and not overpowering, and a great summer beer. It is definitely a good beer if you haven't tried craft beer yet...

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 00:56:42 | More by pjkelley82

TeamMathis

West Virginia

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

Appearance: Copper. Yellowish orange. Barely a lace of head.
Smell: Apricot.
Taste: Smooth apricot. Honey?
Mouthfeel: Creamy and carbonated.

This is one of the most enjoyable, lackluster beers I've ever had. It really isn't exciting by any stretch, having only a pleasant apricot smell and a slightly fruity/apricot taste, but it is intriguingly enjoyable. It's almost like a smooth, light, apricot-flavored lager. This is an easy summer drinker. I probably wouldn't get this again.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 03:52:44 | More by TeamMathis

CloudStrife

New York

3.6/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

22oz bottle split and poured into a tulip. Bottled Feb 25, 2013.

A: Pours a hazy golden orange with a 1 finger white head. Some visible carbonation is visible in the body. Doesnt leave much lacing.

S: Standard ale aroma with an addition of apricot. A touch on the sweet side, has a dominant fruit characteristic. Hops do make an appearance in the background

T: As the aroma suggests there is an apricot flavor to this brew. Doesnt stray too far away from the normal flavors you expect from an ale but can tell its different. Hops are mild and dont add much bitterness just flavor. Hints of malty/bready/cracker at the end.

M: Medium body with ample carbonation. Smooth and creamy mouthfeel to it overall. Has a clean and refreshing feel.

Overall always a good standby and non-offensive beer. Good for bringing somewhere or ordering a lot of to share.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 19:35:51 | More by CloudStrife

TastefulNudity

California

3.51/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

First review, so here goes:

Poured from a 22oz bomber in to a tulip.

Appearance: Golden orange. Can see almost completely through it. Head builds up to a one finger that quickly dissipated. About what I expected to come out of the bottle, maybe a little head retention would be nice.

Smell: Poured really cold and had that funky adjunct smell, at first I was really put off by it. Let it breathe for a while and it had a different character. Pure, dense apricots. Citrus, orange, sweet grapefruit on the back end. Very fruity.

Taste: Taste was an extension of the smell. Holy apricots. The more it warmed, the more apparent the taste became. Extreme sweetness on the front end followed by a hoppy bite on the end. Touch of malt sweetness in the middle. Honestly not terrible, thicken this stuff up and turn it in to pie filling.

Mouthfeel: Sharp fruit attacks the front of the tongue, hops in the back keeping it dry and not too cloying. Lots and lots of carbonation. Thin. Doesn't linger at all.

Overall: Not bad, I definitely wouldn't classify it as a pale ale though. I'm glad I knew it was a fruit beer before I cracked it open, I would have been a little upset if I was looking for something more sessionable. The label doesn't say anything about the flavor. I'd drink it again on a hot day but I wouldn't run for it.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 07:18:46 | More by TastefulNudity

Bosoxfan20

Missouri

2.83/5  rDev -17%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

A- Pours a hazy light copper with a 1.5 finger near white head. Impressive lacing and retention. Says its not a pale ale, but sure looks like a good one.

S- Herbal earthiness and esters present with crystal malts playing the lead role. Has a Euro style nose to it. Not real sure if it is the malt or the yeast.

T- Hmmm. Not real sure what they were going for here. The look and feel tells me they were aiming for pale, but some confusion ensues on the palate with a discombobulated mix of flavors with the malt profile. Some sweetness kicks in. Just an overall lack of balance with the heavy malt profile.

M- Decent feel. Covers the palate nicely. Crisp carbonation. Fairly smooth with a hint of dryness.

O- Seems to be an lack of direction that leads to the flavors not coming together well. I warmed up to it some as the drink went on, but still a bit of a miss for me. One that I will pass on in the future. When you snag a bottle off the shelf that you are totally in the dark on, sometimes it is a delightful surprise, other times it is a flop. This one was the latter.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2013 01:13:06 | More by Bosoxfan20

CrackerjackNY

New York

3.78/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I feel like they have watered this down over the past 10 years. It is a decent, light, refreshing beer, and I enjoy it outside on hot summer days, but it isn't something I would go out of my way to buy. I think it they made it a little more stronger, or added some additional hops/malt this would be fantastic. When I first started drinking it, it did not taste as light to me. I honestly think they have watered it down.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2013 18:17:13 | More by CrackerjackNY

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

355ml bottle:
Medium amber colour with a clear body and a half centimetre tall, bubbly white head that stays quite steady over the opening minute before reducing some.

Sweet & fruity with some sugar and as expected from what I'd read in advance, there is a strong apricot aroma too along with some medium strength, sweet malts. The smell is a really good one that is more pale ale than fruit beer.

Sweet with apricot from the aroma but it isn't as strong this time round. There is some grain and a bit of spice too. There are a few dry, background fruits making themselves known and I could detect some sweet malts towards the end. The taste was a slightly unusual one and I couldn't quite place.

Medium to light bodied with a pretty sweet taste that is complimented with some spice. The finish is initially a wet one that has minimal bitterness and then suddenly becomes quite crisp and dry.

One of the most unusual beers I've tried in a long time and left me confused on how to rate it. It started very sweet and the aroma was a very good one that had plenty of apricot and sweet malts. The taste had more of the same but wasn't quite as strong then turned slightly bland after that which stuck me as odd.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2013 17:52:23 | More by flyingpig

ranger7

Texas

3.24/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

On-tap from Brewgrrs in Vero Beach, FL.

A - Nice amber color, with a thick and sticky white head.

S - Smells a bit sweet. Some type of fruit, maybe apricot or peaches.

T - Nice and smooth flavor. Not much in the way of hops or malt. Basically, it tastes like a light beer with an apricot finish.

M - Hardly any carbonation, which is good. There is some apricot aftertaste, but it's actually not bad.

Summary - Not my favorite beer, that's for sure. But, it's not a bad pick for a fruit beer. Really, it's comparable to Shiner's Ruby Redbird, but not as harsh an aftertaste.

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2013 13:27:11 | More by ranger7

dougbassett

Pennsylvania

3.34/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

One of the "1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die" -- #25 of the ones I've reviewed here.

An odd beer -- I wish they hadn't been so coy with the label and marketing and just straight up confessed to what this is, an odd attempt to blend apricots into a pale ale. Color is very nice and is best thing about this one, it has a rich golden brown, very reminiscent of a dried apricot, in fact.

Dried apricots are sort of the theme here. It smells noticeably of dried apricots, not high-quality ones but the kind you might buy in a tub in a grocery store. The flavors are an attempt to marry this sort of dried apricot flavor with a basic sort of pale ale -- it's not a happy marriage, there's neither enough apricot nor enough hop flavoring to really make either side noticeable, rather the flavors sort of mishmash together unsatisfyingly, the hop bitterness undercutting the apricot sweetness, the apricot sweetness muting the punch of the ale.

It's not a bad beer, it's drinkable, but if somebody was to ask me to point to a badly-balanced beer, this is the example I would use.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 22:24:55 | More by dougbassett

jeffjeff1

California

3.28/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Appearance- copper color, 1/2 inch head, nice lacing

Smell- malt, hops, for a fruit beer, I didn't smell any fruit at all. I thought it was a pale ale.

Taste- light hops and malt flavor

Mouthfeel- medium bodied

Drinkability- It was ok but it certainly didn't taste like a fruit beer. I thought it was a pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 21:44:13 | More by jeffjeff1

yeahman

Ohio

1.08/5  rDev -68.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Had this from a mixed pack that my wife bought.
Looks hazy.
Smells like a dry apricot.
Flat and uninteresting flavor and mouthfeel.

I thought id give this a try since my wife seems to like it. Maybe her review will balance out my glaringly bad review.

Is the #9 in reference to how many attempts it took for them to get to this flavor profile? Maybe they should have a #10. Just sayin.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 17:54:40 | More by yeahman

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