Wacko - Magic Hat Brewing Company

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

2.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bottle poured into a tulip

A: Pours a pinkish, peach color with a fizzy, white head. It’s a strange color, a lot like a rosé wine.

S: Aroma is a bit tangy with raspberries up front, a tad spicy with the bubbles and maybe some citrus zest, followed by some lingering bready malts and peach fruitiness. It smells light and refreshing.

T/M: A medium to high amount of carbonation and a light grape flavor along with some honeydew and watermelon flavor. It’s all very subtle and leaves almost no aftertaste.

As a summer beer, it’s suitably refreshing, but it could be more flavorful. For this summer, it would be great if it came with a frozen glass, or person with a giant fan-shaped leaf, or winter.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 23:49:58 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

Durge

Connecticut

3.15/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A peculiar rosy amber color, with a weak, slightly pink scattered head that spreads to the edges after a few minutes, and little or no traces of laces. The aroma is a peculiar mineral/minty-evergreen and bubblegum. Just hard to describe. Not immediately alluring but okay. The flavor follows suit but brings in more evidence of malt and maybe even what I might call a hint of clove and sweet grass hop. There’s a dry bite to it at the front. It has quite a bit going on but at the end of the day it’s an odd sort of lager that’s a little too bubblegum sweet for my tastes in this sort of style. It’s medium-light bodied with a tiny bubbled, fizziness in feel. Refreshing, an alright summer beer, drinkable enough but not something I will rush back for.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 17:03:01 | More by Durge

mdunman

Texas

3.4/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Orange-tan beer with a decently sized white head that has some linger

S: Light maltiness with a heavy musky scent that dominates

T: Sweet malty start finishes with an orange and wheat mix with some slight dryness

M: Light body with good carbonation.

Overall: Wacko has a really good taste to it, very refreshing on a summer afternoon. I wouldn't drink this regularly all year long, but I can see myself getting more of this next summer.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 00:18:17 | More by mdunman

callmeclemens

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First of just want to say I'm a huge Magic Hat Fan.

Drank straight from the bottle, definate smell carmel maybe a hint of chocolate and beets. Taste pretty much the same, alot of Caramel and chocolate to my palate but thats alright,a hint of beets that ins't my favorite ( i think they taste like dirt) pretty thick (for a summer for me), not really what I'm interested in when I think of a summer seasonal, I would enjoy this much more in the winter of late fall, all in all pretty solid, just not for the summer.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2011 15:53:39 | More by callmeclemens

Ahoyhoyindeed

New Jersey

2.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

This beer is bright red in color, which is concerning off the bat. It is colored with beets and you can certainly taste the sugar right off the bat and it follows through the whole beer experience, which is a bit much even for someone who likes a sweeter beer. First taste impression is sweet, followed a feel of having a sugary drink in your mouth and then leaves you with an aftertaste of sugar. Had it both in bottles and on tap. On tap was at least a bit better as it seemed to balance the sweetness a little more throughout but still was a bit much. Would be good to those who like a super sweet summer beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-14-2011 16:18:07 | More by Ahoyhoyindeed

DirtyPenny

Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

There's a part in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein where the monster ends up living beneath the house of a poor French family. It does all their chores at night, and privately they thank God for the angel that performs these miracles. Then they see the monster and are so revolted by him that they beat him until he runs away.

My point is, I poured a Wacko out of the bottle tonight, into my official Wacko pint glass. Holy Christ, Wacko, you are one UGLY beer.

A: If you wanted to be kind you'd call it cranberry. Reminds me of nothing so much as the meat juices you see sloshing around a package of ground beef or pork. Reddish pink or pinkish red. Revolting.

Head sees what lurks beneath it and quickly commits suicide.

S: A musty basement root cellar scent. Earthy and mildly offensive to the nose.

T: Crisp, nutty and a little bitter with a nice toasty finish. Faint tastes of roots and the smell of raw potatoes. Why is this so good?

M: Medium bodied. Just dances marvelously on the tongue.

O: I am never, EVER pouring one of these out of the bottle ever again. How does a beer that looks like meat juice and smells like raw vegetables taste this good? A beer with a wonderful personality, but it looks like Steve Buscemi.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2011 03:35:32 | More by DirtyPenny

perrymarcus

Massachusetts

1.88/5  rDev -34.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

12oz bottle served in a standard shaker pint.

pours a slightly cloudy pink grapefruit/amber tone while yielding a very short lived, spritzy 3/4" head; no lacing. some points for originality with the color (i guess) but overall not the most appealing presentation.

not much doing in the nose. grainy, some muted malt characters.

flavor isn't an abject failure. unfortunately that's about the nicest thing i can say about it. grainy, vaguely malty, and bitter. just not very tasty. borderline drainpour; i could choke it down, but what's the point of that? thin, light mouthfeel with average carbonation.

overall, well, i covered that in "flavor"... not one i'll be looking for again.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 01:01:17 | More by perrymarcus

schmidtn

Michigan

2.83/5  rDev -1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This brew has a creepy color, indeed a fitting name.

Not a lot of head. The thin white head disappears quickly

Has a nice clean smell, acidic and grain smell.

Carbonation is low, or the beer may be too bitter. No strong lingering taste.

Not my favorite but at least is a different summer brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 01:52:18 | More by schmidtn

TheBear11D

Michigan

3.3/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle

Pours a sunset red with a fairly thick pearl head with a trace of light red coloring. Leaves some lacing, but not much.

Pretty light aromas in the nose. Seems somewhat fruity.

Light fruit flavor and it is rather odd, but still fairly enjoyable.

Pretty light body but has plenty of carbonation that fits the style well.

Overall this is a decent summer beer. I like that it is something different.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 21:59:40 | More by TheBear11D

BEERMILER12

Maine

2.8/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Best By Aug 31 2011

A: Pours a golden color with pink/purple hues throughout. About a fingers worth of the same pink/purple color head sticks around for a bit

S: Some floral hops with beets and some malts. Not too much, but it isn't that bad

T: Same as the smell, although the beet sugars make it a little sweet. It is a sweet that, for me at least, becomes grossly astringent and garbage-like when it is given the chance to warm up a little

M: Light bodied with moderate carbonation

O: I'd say that it's an average fruit beer that NEEDS to be drank cold, almost like almost all AAL's if you want any decency out of them. If it's not cold, this becomes a nasty drink that can be hard to down. As long as it's in a cooler, this is an easy-drinking summer beer

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 02:30:18 | More by BEERMILER12

drabmuh

Maryland

1.38/5  rDev -51.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Beer purchased on a lark for 1.50 at a local beer store. Beer is pink and kind of clear, thin white head, no lacing, low carbonation.

Aroma: OH GOD NO. Bitter...Grainy....Gross.

I should note that this beer is not currently on the top 50 Fruit / Vegetable Beer list on beeradvocate. And for good reason. This beer taste like shit. It is a drain pour for sure. Harsh and bitter, sweet and a horrible lingering grainy aftertaste. This beer kick me in the nuts, beat up my wife, aborted my child and asked me "Is this your dog?" before kicking her and leaving the front door open upon its exit (to waste the air conditioning). This is a disaster of a beer. BEWARE AVOID AVOID AVOID.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 02:03:52 | More by drabmuh

dtivp

West Virginia

2.25/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a hazy pinkish red with a half a finger head which faded rapidly, no lacing.

Aroma was weak of a slight malt sweetness.

Taste was slightly grainy, a little sweetness, probably from a fruit or vegetable I could not identify.

Mouthfeel was very thin almost watery, moderate carbonation a slightly dry after taste.

Overall, I tried it once and that is enough.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 19:25:59 | More by dtivp

coalcracker

Pennsylvania

2.35/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Pours with soda-like carbonation that quickly resolves. Unusual in its off-red hue.
Smell: Strong on fruits and beet- very unique.
Taste: Beets and slightly sweet fruits predominate. A little funky aspect in there as well (yeast strain?). Flavor quick to leave the palate.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, but feels a bit watery and definitely on the light side.
Overall: Unique flavor and aroma though this beer itself feels like 'carbonated water with flavoring'. Not terrible, in fact unique in itself- but it just doesn't work for me.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 02:36:15 | More by coalcracker

fltmedic

Missouri

2.05/5  rDev -28.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours a very translucent light rose color with a light bubbly quickly fading slightly pink tinged head.

The nose is very flat. There are no standouts here except for an idea of something earthy at the end.

Taste is again very one dimensional . Nothing really greets the palette for an notable entry. The body is smooth, lacking any real flavor. No fade to note.

Light carbonation here would work nicely for a summer beer (as it is self-billed) but without any taste underneath it just seems like a tease. Otherwise, thin and watery.

The color is beautiful, but the gimmick of beet juice is its hook and there isn't anything to keep me there. This tasting resulted in a drain pour of about the last 3 inches of the pint. Sad, I know, but life is short.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2011 18:42:03 | More by fltmedic

GossageBrewery

Missouri

2.15/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured this mystery beer from Magic Hat out of a 12 oz bottle, into a pint glass. This ale poured a pink, yes pink color and produced a light pink head. The head retention was only average and the lacing was below average. The aroma of the beer is fruity. The type of fruit, i cant put my finger on it- Its some sort of cross between a watermelon and a raspberry flavor.
The taste of this beer is just as the name suggests- Wacky. I assume that the color of the beer and to a degree some of the taste has to be attributed to beats or beat sugar. Whatever this flavor is, ill call it beats and some sort of funky yeast taste comes through. Overall- I don't like this beer- It s to Wacko for me- I guess someone likes it.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 20:31:06 | More by GossageBrewery

gskitt

New York

2.53/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

This beer poured a light rose color, clear, offered little head. Scent was undetectable. Taste was minimum. I'm not sure what Magic Hat was going for here. It does not have an off-putting taste, just not one that is well, tasty. Mouthfeel was eh. Overall, not my choice.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 01:18:06 | More by gskitt

david18

New York

3/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Here is my review from a couple of years ago:

Once again, having no idea what style of beer this is when I bought it, I'm a little frustrated by the experience of trying to figure it out. Color is very interesting, an orangish gold that's a little lacking in carbonation. Flavor is intersting but not really anything special. It's worth a try but I'm not all the enamored wtih this brew.

----

I got a growler of this at Whole Foods, where it was listed as an amber ale, certainly not a great characterization. Again, an average beer. Magic Hat house flavor but not great.

Serving type: growler

06-20-2011 18:57:20 | More by david18

UDbeernut

New York

2.17/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle poured in a cheater pint

A: strange cherry red color, little head with almost no retention

S: not much nose, slight malt sweetness

T: malt sweetness, tannin, not sur e what fruit is in there because its not even faint

M: light bodied, lingers in the mouth

O: swing and a miss, not worth the money or the time.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2011 16:36:44 | More by UDbeernut

bnes09

Illinois

2.75/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Strange bright red color. Some head with poor retention. Minimal lacing. After ten minutes, this stuff looks like cherry Koolaid. Wheat and fruit juice aroma, odd. Flavor has a weird sweetness from the beet sugar. I don't know why they would add that to a beer. Medium-bodied with adequate carbonation. This stuff is definitely innovative, however, in this case I'm not so sure it's a good thing.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2011 03:29:20 | More by bnes09

mrseano

Minnesota

2.17/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A: Cool, hazy reddish appearance. It's an odd color, first thing I noticed is that I couldn't figure out exactly the way to describe the color of this beer. Fairly opaque.

S: Not much going on in the scent department. Smells like sweet grain/yeast. Veggie scent as well, not really that good. Smells like an off golden ale.

T: Very subdued, sweet grain taste. No alcohol or hop presence, tastes more like a flavored soda water or flavored malt beverage. Taste disappears very, very quickly; no aftertaste is very odd feature.

M: Dry mouthfeel due to fairly high carbonation. Effervescent and similar to a champagne-like beer.

O: Not really impressive at all. Below average, cheap feeling beer with no lasting impression on scent, taste or mouthfeel. Color is cool (beet juice added), but is more of a gimick. I like #9 by Magic Hat, but they missed on this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 23:35:57 | More by mrseano

Duxx

Missouri

1.93/5  rDev -32.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

My daughter works at a brew pub in Co MO and one of the brewers left this in her apartment.

A: Hazy and rosy pink with no signifcant head.

S: Slightly acid or tart like a wit but with no spice or hop aroma. Pretty bland really.

T: Sugary sweet not malty sweet at all. No hop flavor. In fact no real flavor at all.

M: Thin and watery

O: I was expecting something interesting if a guy who brews beer for a living is drinking this, but no. Really the most bland beer I've ever had. Just pink fizzy water with a little sugar. Oh wait, that's diet soda??? This is my 2nd magic hat beer and so far they are 0 for 2!

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 00:18:59 | More by Duxx

thebrood1987

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +36.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours that beet color with smells of the typical Magic Hat yeast smell with a sort of odd sweet smell and a touch of fruitiness. The taste has that crispness of a pilsner or pale ale with the sweet grains rolling across the tongue mixing together from the sweetness of the beet sugars which is subtle and not disgusting at all. Some people would think because beets are in it that it would have an off taste...this is not the case. It's actually a very mild taste it reminds me of their Single Chair Ale but with a fruitier sweeter taste. You do get some spiciness and bitterness from the hops but its very subtle.

This beer is a subtle beer and I could tell they didn't want to go overboard on the beet taste so that it wouldn't maybe turn people off when they tasted it. Yeah its a safe beer for such an outlandish one and I think this is what peoples main problem with it is. They are expecting this unique knock your socks off dare I say off centered ale but instead get a very subtle flavoring profile which I think when recognized is pretty damn good. This is a really good sessionable beer as well as its light in the mouth and alcohol. Is it the best summer beer? no but is it worth getting a six pack of this summer? I'd say so.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 00:57:08 | More by thebrood1987

DCon

Missouri

2.33/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Bought a Bottle of this that reads "3/4 pint" from Lukas Liquor in Ellisville, MO for $1.49. Poured into my iTap Passport Pint Glass and Does not have a B.O.D.

Aroma- Almost no aroma at all except grain! An extremely mild beet juice, if anything but not special.

Appearance- Pours a Dark Pint color body with 2 fingers of pink head that die down immediately. No lace on the glass either... Is this a beer?

Flavor- Grain, a bit of beet juice, and sugar are the only things evident. Very sweet and no hops or bitterness? Sorry Wacko, but not doing it for me.

Mouthfeel- Light Bodied, Sweet, Crisp, but nothing left after the drink. Weak and watery when it comes down to it.

Overall Impression- Besides the awesome artwork on the front, this beer is only appealing by the label and name... Not even a beer in my book, more like a malt beverage with a pink colored body. I was hoping to have a great beer from Magic Hat with the cool body, but seems its just for show...

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 02:41:45 | More by DCon

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

2.48/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle, best by date on the neck.

appears pink in color and clear, with thin white head. but once the head dissipates, it looks like a glass of white zinfandel. not much aroma, but odd smelling. not much taste either, just maybe a hint of sweetness. bland. body is thin and fizzy, clean aftertaste.

pretty tasteless, and the pink color seems like a gimmick.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2011 02:07:03 | More by jmdrpi

AleWatcher

Illinois

2.38/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Served in a pint glass.

A pink grapefruit hued orange body with one finger white head. Nice legs, but pour retention and head.

Smells of mild English yeast and watered down vegetables. Weak nose, but not offensive.
The flavor is a little worse than the nose. Very mild sweetness up front, with vegetable/beet notes, and a crisp mild yeast finish.

The body is medium-light with lots of carbonation. It feels kinda thin.

Overall, I am not impressed. I will not buy this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 16:22:52 | More by AleWatcher