Howl - Magic Hat Brewing Company

oberon

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into my Moncshof schwarzbier pokal a deep chocolate color with a ruby tinge,a thinner but well sustained light tan colored head atop.Chocolate aromas really stand out with a roast uderneath.Earthy and dry on the palate with some roasted coffee notes intertwined with unsweetened chocolate,again not much sweetness to be had here.Much dryer and more earthy than most I have had of the style but I like it.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 21:21:17 | More by oberon

kylehay2004

Florida

4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: single finger head with nice circumferential lacing on a very black body with light passing through

S: sweet, little roasted malts. Nothing overwhelming here.

T: More roast in the taste which is semisweet and very smooth. Cocoa notes.

M: medium to full body and moderate to high carbonation. very smooth

Overall this one is very drinkable. The taste isn't amazing but its a nice beer to enjoy without any off-putting flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 02:43:21 | More by kylehay2004

RTEdmunds

New Hampshire

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

poured from 12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

very dark, with a nice creamy looking (albeit smallish) head.

smells malty and roasty. can't really detect hops in the aroma.

tastes smokey and sweet. light on the hops

feels a bit thin, with average carbonation.

overall a pretty good brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 23:53:30 | More by RTEdmunds

kaufmaal

Alabama

4.08/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Not as black as the bottle claims, but it is still a bit darker than some black lagers. Light tan head that fizzles to 1/8", plenty of carbonation. Deep red hues. Some coffee, a bit of vanilla on the nose and a hint of smoke. Grainy, smokey metallic taste; woody charcoal, toffee, coffee - all really interesting.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 05:08:49 | More by kaufmaal

mattbk

New York

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap and liked it, picked up a bottle in a craft pack to review.

A- Black but not opaque. Appears light in body, not very much carbonation.
S- Some light lager yeast character, mixed with sweetness and some light chocolate and roast. Not a big aroma, but wouldn't expect a big aroma out of this style.
T- The roast hits first, its a very smooth roast, definitely not overpowering, but nice. There is some chocolate right after that. I get a bit of hop bitterness in the back of the tongue. Very, very drinkable.
M- Medium to medium-full mouthfeel, not very carbonated, has some body too it, definitely not filling though.
O- This is a nice, drinkable beer, not mindblowing, but easy to drink. I can have a few of these no problem. A find this to be a good example of this style, I've definitely had worse schwarzbiers.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 02:14:08 | More by mattbk

jneiswender

Massachusetts

2.65/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured out of a 12oz bottle into a perfect pint. Served cool.

Pours a reddish black body and a thick beige head. Clean lager yeast smell. Faint chocolate and metal. Light herb and flower. Smoked malt surprises you. Burnt toast. Very subtle chocolate. Faint hop flavor in there too. Well carbonated. Somewhat dry. Complex. Interesting. But I kind of like this style being smooth. Have more of a chocolate feel to it. A bit too coarse for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 16:54:31 | More by jneiswender

tdm168

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours pitch black with a half of an inch of brown, soft, dense, head that has great retention. The nose smells of roasted malt and faint coffee. The taste is similar to the nose. Tastes primarily of deep, roasted malt and coffee. There are very faint chocolate notes in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, smooth, and rich, and the carbonation gives it a little crispness.

This is a solid beer. It's definitely one of the better offerings from Magic Hat. I have this beer every winter.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 01:35:12 | More by tdm168

aranheaney

New York

3.53/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a DFH Snifter:

A-Black, a bit of head that's gone quickly, no lace

S-Roast, a touch of hops, a bit of cocoa

T-better than the nose, it started out as pretty mild, but finished with some good hops and malt

M-maybe a bit too over carbonated, but it was decent overall

O-it's ok, just not memorable, which I should have remembered from when I had it before

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 00:39:42 | More by aranheaney

burnerfinger

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

poured from the 12 oz bottle into my new belgium goblet:

A: pours dark as cola - builds up a cafe colored head that settles all to quickly.

S sweet, malty to the nose

T and the taste follows the nose, with a hit of bitter hops at the end

M - a bit on the lite side, but not too bad.

D - VERY drinkalbe, owing to the lite body and slight sweetness.
not bad at all but not as hi -end as I expected....

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 13:51:15 | More by burnerfinger

McNealc31

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

black as night, just like it boasts. With the creepy eyes of Bela Lugosi's Dracula on the label. Roasted malt and licorice dominate the aroma. A creamy smoothness starts the flavor, but it's quickly cut with a reasonable amount of hops and a dry finish. The roasted malt and anise flavors continue with the addition of wood and grapes. It's not a big and bashing beer, but it's got plenty of flavor.

Pretty nice schwarzbier here. Complex and balanced flavors, smooth to drink, and at only 4.6% ABV, it's nice to have a few on a long winter's night. The best thing I've had from Magic Hat.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 04:04:21 | More by McNealc31

Misfit138

Tennessee

4.2/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass

A- Nice dark chocolate color with a fizzy head that went away quickly

S- Sweet toffee and caramel malt with hints of roastiness

T- Nice flavor, more roasty than the nose-perhaps almost like coffee, with some hints of toffee and caramel

M- Medium in body with fair carbonation

O- Solid black lager, certainly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 03:28:42 | More by Misfit138

GossageBrewery

Missouri

4.1/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured this Schwarzbier from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Poured a black color, produced a nice tan head, decent retention and nice lacing left behind on the glass. The aroma had hints of chocolate, coffee and roasted malt. Medium in body the beer had a nice roasted malt backbone, with flavors of chocolate and coffee shining through. There is a a bit of a bitter hop bite at the end, very impressive beer. This would make a great winter session beer. Hats off to Magic Hat on this one! Prost!

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 01:46:30 | More by GossageBrewery

stckhndlr

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- very dark with black cherry highlights. Minimal head maybe a finger, sandy colored that dies down quickly.

S- Coffee hit me as I was still pouring this one. Roasted coffee and chocolate notes fill the glass. Good strong smell.

T- Taste is just like the smell but it has a can kind of taste. Like a metallic bitterness. Roasted malt aftertaste. Also getting some faint dark fruit flavors in there as well.

M- Good smooth beer. Decent carbonation

O- Not a bad beer. Drinkable but nothing over complex about it. It's just simple. A nice change from the bigger, heavier complex beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 00:17:07 | More by stckhndlr

alexgash

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle.

Very dark maple syrup brown. Thin finger of creamy, tiny-bubbled, shady khaki head. Some lacing. Roasted coffee, dark chocolate, some fruit, tobacco, and earthy peat notes. Very nice.

Toasty roasty malt notes up front. Light metallic twang. Dark chocolate and coffee bitterness sits over faintly sweet vinous malts. Hops become woodier and slightly tannic. Roasty, dry finish. Moderate body. Pretty tasty and sessionable to boot!

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 22:06:18 | More by alexgash

KajII

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

[Best served in a Dimpled Mug]

The pour was a dark brown with a mahogany hue and an average sized (1-2 finger) creamy light beige head that was mostly diminishing and had decent streaky lacing.

The aroma was of s roasted bread malt and a dark doughy yeast with notes of milk chocolate, coffee and mild scent of milk.

The taste was very lightly sweet and malty with a touch of milk chocolate at first and then became mildly bitter with a decent dose of coffee and cream at the end. The flavor lasted a little longer than average with a mild bitter coffee ending.

Mouthfeel was right between light and medium in body with a slightly oily texture and a soft carbonation.

Overall a decent light bodied dark brew with a nice milky feel to.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 17:31:38 | More by KajII

BeerNoobNC

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark black color. Didn't get much when I smelled it. The beer is lighter in body than it looks, which is typical of this style. This dark beer is actually very smooth and drinkable. The taste is good. There is a malty taste with a hint of chocolate or coffee and maybe a hint of hops in there. Overall, this might be the best I have had in this style. I have only had a few, but they have all been good, so that actually is a good thing. I recommend giving it a try, though you might want to avoid the variety pack and get just a 6-pack of this.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 02:21:14 | More by BeerNoobNC

Frozer

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A-Poured in t a pint glass...Very dark brown, almost black but you can still see a dark brown tint along the edges of the glass. About 1 finger of light brown head sits atop. Virtually no lacing as I sip this one.

S-Heavy malty smell, cannot trace any hops aroma

T-An "in your face" amount of smokey flavor up front, almost overwhelming. I spicy after taste that surprisingly overpowers the initial smoke flavor.

M- Good amount of carbonation. I was expecting a little less based solely on the dark appearance of this beer.

O-Overall I enjoyed the beer. After drinking about half a glass I became accustomed to the smokey flavor. It is complemented quite well with the roasty/spicy finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 01:02:05 | More by Frozer

ajaxivan

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

An acquaintance of mine gave me a case of this for doing him a favor. This is something I wouldn't have bought for my self, here it goes.

A: Nice and dark with a good looking tan head.

S: Nothing to write home about, slightly sweet dark fruit, touch of spice with some chocolate.

T: The slight hop bitterness works well with the subtle smokiness. A little chocolate comes through with some spice.

M: A little thin, carbonation is spot on.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I haven't had many Magic Hat offerings in many years and this is not bad at all. I'm also not really one for lagers and this is a good change of pace for me. I would recommend this especially if looking for a beer with alot of flavor and low abv.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 20:51:40 | More by ajaxivan

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours akin to Pepsi. Bigger frothy head is born. Head is consistent and leaves lightning bolt lacing patterns. I can barely see through this beer.

S-Smells like a Porter. Roasty and surprisingly quite smoky. Light chocolate as well. I think the smoke is the most noticeable aspect of the nose. Certainly more brawny than I was expecting. Actually a bit excited to try this.

T-Chocolate comes out more in the flavor. Underlying smoky character. Roasted coffee beans strictly in the finish. Good dose of coffee at the end to be exact. Definitely has more flavor than I expected.

M-Medium body with enough carbonation. Not too much lasting feel.

O/D-Better than I was expecting. A pretty good glass. Magic Hat will come up and surprise you every-so-often. Hard to find fault with this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 04:27:55 | More by VelvetExtract

psuKinger

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle given to me by my neighbor Brian as part of a Christmas 6-pack. Many thanks to him for that.

Bottle poured into a standard nonic.

A: Pours a dark shade of brown with an off-white head on top, half a fingers worth, that stuck around for a while.

S: Strong notes of cocoa and a touch of spice, with "roasty" charachter underneath.

T: Nice roasty charachter here, lots of flavor for such a low ABV beer. Notes of cocoa and roasted malts, with a nice twang of dry bitter hops and a touch of grapefruit on the back end.

At 4.6%, there's considerably more flavor in here than I would have anticipated. Good balance, and more than just a 1-trick-pony, too.

M: Normally I'd like a little more CO2 in a lager, but this isn't a typical lager. Carbonation is appropriate. And a nice amount of hop residue on the finish. A little light and thin, but that's to be expected at 4.6% ABV.

D/O: A surprisingly enjoyable beer. When I hear "Magic Hat" and "Lager", my expectations are immediately lowered. But this far-and-away surpassed that. A very drinkable beer, and overall, a treat. I look forward to my next one.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 01:30:03 | More by psuKinger

CBlack85

South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a DFH shaped pint glass.

Beer pours a deep dark brown (nearly black) with lots of ruby highlights when held up to the light. About two fingers worth of tan head recedes into a thin crown fairly quickly, leaving behind a small amount of lacing.

The aroma is mild, but enjoyable. It is comprised mainly of roasted malts, chocolate, and a mild coffee aroma. There are also an earthy quality. No real hop aroma to speak of.

The flavor is fairly well balanced between the roasted grains, caramel malts, coffee and chocolate. To a lesser degree there is a faint smokiness, and a light hop presence that is barely noticable. Medium bodied and moderately carbonated. Very easy to drink.

One of my favorite styles, and this one doesn't disappoint. I went into this beer with low expectations, but was pleasantly surprised.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 13:02:54 | More by CBlack85

tzieser

Arizona

3.78/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from a 12oz bottle into a standard pint glass.

a: black in color with a fluffy white head that settles into a thin lacing.

s: roasted malt. not much more to say

t: lots of roasted malt flavor with notes of burnt grain, bittersweet chocolate and hints of tobacco. finishes clean.

m: good mouthfeel.

a solid black lager. reminds me of Full Sail's Session Black Lager and brings back fond memories of Buzzards Bay Black Lager (though not nearly as delicious IMO).

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 02:03:44 | More by tzieser

Arithmeticus

Maryland

3.6/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured chilled in large dessert glass

A: solid black; good sized head drops down pretty quickly; black; good carbonation
S: toasted grains, doughy malt
T: nice balance of (prominent) toasted grains, (prominent) malt, and (light) hops; semisweet; not bitter; not complex; very drinkable

Not bad; good sessionable beer

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 23:57:19 | More by Arithmeticus

Corpsehoagie

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

After.being very disappointed with a magic hat variety pack.(my first and last magic hat experience) I was reluctant to try this one. Black lager was right up my alley but my previous magic hat scars were still there. It wasn't until the town drunk came into my work and insisted that I try it.
My first sip was a huge surprise, it didn't suck. Not only that but it was an excellent beer, I sucked down that six pack in no time.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 02:20:34 | More by Corpsehoagie

BeardedRiker

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

You know, I think this might be my first Magic Hat beer. It seems that most of their beers are pretty good. A friend left a six pack of these so I took one for me to review. I used to not care for black lagers/schwarzbiers at all but over the past few years I'm starting to like them a lot. Locally, Rahr & Sons makes their Ugly Pug black lager and I think it's one of their best. I think what I like about the style is that it is easy to drink and has the roasty flavors I enjoy so much in porters and stouts.

This schwarzbier looks black, and it does look like that, but when held up to light it has more of a dark brown, slight ruby color to it. It's also a bit murky as well. I think there's some sediment in there as well. I hope that's not a bad thing. :P The head looked nice. It formed a little slowly with the surface looking pretty creamy and underneath it was more bubbly. It was about a finger and a half high and tan.

I get mostly mealy, malty, and nutty aromas. The roasted coffee and cocoa aromas are underneath, as is a sort of burnt sugar sweetness. The smell becomes easier to notice as the beer warms.

The roasted coffee and chocolate flavors are more pronounced in the taste than in the smell, although they show up in the middle and linger the longest. Up front is minimal hop bitterness and the mealiness I got from the smell. Sweetness is pretty strong, like caramel or brown sugar, and it stays on the tongue for awhile.

Carbonation is medium and it keeps alive what overall is a smooth beer that is just barely sticky at the end from the sweetness. It's definitely drinkable, as it should be. Nothing bad but nothing great.

This is another black lager I've enjoyed and now I can say that the only Magic Hat beer I've had is one I've enjoyed.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 04:55:14 | More by BeardedRiker