Howl - Magic Hat Brewing Company

MNJR

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Kind of a boring beer with not too much going on. Thin, lifeless carbonation, sweet maltiness with a prune or raisin-ish flavor resolving to a sticky, caramel aftertaste. For a dark lager it covers all the bases, but offers nothing special or rewarding enough to merit much consideration. It's drinkable, low ABV, plainspoken dark beer. Not bad by any means but needs a bit more attention to detail and less of a generic flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2010 23:34:50 | More by MNJR

Pencible

Virginia

3.05/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This poured a dark semi-opaque mahogany with moderate tan head. It smelled like bready yeast and cocoa powder, with some roasted barley and light lemon hops. It tasted like rusty copper hops with bready yeast and earthy chocolate, and a bit of burnt barley. It was watery with some carbonation, and had a metallic aftertaste. Overall this just wasn't a very good beer. Neither the scent nor the taste were clean at all or very enjoyable. The body was ok, but a bit weak. I don't have a lot of experience with this style, but I imagine this beer is a poorly executed attempt at it.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2010 15:54:01 | More by Pencible

billybob

Massachusetts

3.05/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

pours a very dark brown almost black with a one finger head and minimal lace. smells of roasted malt taste was same but weak and watered down and with a slight after taste. light mouthfeel. not something i would buy again from magic hat. i am sure the import style of this beer would be much better.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2010 23:34:57 | More by billybob

bierslaaf

South Africa

3.05/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours dark brown with almost no head. Slight lacing left on the glass. Coffee and roasted malt aroma with no distinctive hop present. Fairly low bitterness for a dark beer. Light body. I'd prefer this in summer. Flashiness lingers in the finish. Fairly average beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2011 18:24:17 | More by bierslaaf

thomasdidymus55

Michigan

3.08/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

dark brown cola color that has a strong coffee or even chocolate smell with the same flavor of chocolate coffee and toffee. this beer has good carbonation and medium to good lacing and retention. This beer has quite a bitter after taste that stays on the palate. Definitely not a fast drinking beer. Not a big blackbeer fan and would not buy it again but I could drink another one.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2010 22:37:31 | More by thomasdidymus55

jmvecchio1

Missouri

3.08/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The beer pours more of a dark brown, slightly red color. A thick head accompanies the pour, but fades to a strong lacing that lingers.

The smell is very sweet and with malty notes.

The taste is malty up front, but quickly fades to a sweet caramel that lingers after each sip.

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2011 20:11:15 | More by jmvecchio1

aaronh

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Dark chocolate body with a thin off white head. Body is very clear. Aroma has a hint of bittersweet chocolate but is otherwise very clean. Flavor is roasted malts backed by light biscuit note. A slight bitter edge appears on the finish and it gradually dries the back of my throat. Body is on the lighter side. Carbonation is a litle agressive and combined with the dry finish actually starts making me feel parched. I need a heavier beer after this! The flavor is nice - the finish is not.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2009 22:22:17 | More by aaronh

UWDAWG90

Ohio

3.15/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Purchased as part of a mixed 12-pak. Serving from a 12oz bottle.

A - Jet black typical of German black lagers. Good carbination with an aggressive poor recieved a two finger tannish head. Bubbles tight and good lacing lasting throughout the glass.

S - Definitely smells like coffee and the malts come through nicely. However, there is something in the background that smells sour. Did not discern this immediately but grew as the beer warmed.

T - Roasty... is the best word to describe this beer. Like roasted coffee beans and malt. Not heavy at all. Bitterness at the start, finishing smooth.

M - Appearance hints at something heavy but very light. Carbonation keeps it crispy and very nice.

D - Could drink this all night and seems to get better as it warms except for the sour smell.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2009 01:11:25 | More by UWDAWG90

Minotaur

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Recently purchases so if retired - only recently as of 12/1/10

It pours - predictably - opaquely black but it is still think in appearance. A lingering tan head recedes to a ring and center cap of foam.

The aroma is roasty and just slightly sweet on the nose.

The flavor is dense, coffee-ground like and stout like. There is a stronger smoke and hop flavor than a traditional dunkel lager. There is bitter chocolate note with very little sweetness.

This is not the as smooth as it should be due to the lingering burnt malt taste. however it is offset by a creaminess that allows it to be quite drinkable and have a medium to thick mouthfeel.

I believe this is an interesting beer but not overly representative of an English dunkel. It leaves a stronger coffee or smoked porter impression.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2010 23:46:55 | More by Minotaur

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.15/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours out jet black, one finger tan head that fizzled out into nothing in less than a minute, body is somewhat thin and watery, smells of roasted malt notes first and foremost, mild weak bitter chocolate tones and that's really all I get out of this one...tastes of mild roasted malt tempered with a finish of spiced hop tones, overall I just wish the body was a bit more robust on this one for my taste...it comes across as only a forgettably average schwarzbier, there are worse and there are better brews than this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 06:18:31 | More by WastingFreetime

MrHungryMonkey

Texas

3.18/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nose is malty - bread crumb with soft melanoidin-like aromas. Soft diacetyl notions. Smells okay.

Pours deep caramel/brown with some clarity through the darkness, mild head. Looks pretty good.

Creamy smooth with fairly thin body. Good bit of chocolate roast, also a soft, sweet, buttery diacetyl flavors and slick/soapy mouthfeel. Soft caramel and toast. Soft sourness. Tastes okay. Feels pretty good. Pretty good drinkability.

Would be better without the diacetyl.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2009 22:33:09 | More by MrHungryMonkey

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a black color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of malts, some notes of coffee. Taste is rather mild, roasted malts and little else. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and has average drinkability. Overall not a bad brew, but less flavorful than other beers of this style.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2009 17:55:20 | More by tone77

taigor

New York

3.2/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap poured into pint glass.

A - Poured black, almost non-transparent color with medium head that slowly dissipated leaving a lot of lacing around edges of the glass.

S - Malts predominate right away, with hints of caramel, dark chocolate and oatmeal.

T - Malts and caramel sweetness upfront followed by dark chocolate, coffee bitterness later on.

M - Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

D - Ok, very good for winter season and abv is low.

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2009 13:47:15 | More by taigor

deltatauhobbit

Maine

3.2/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark brown color with deep reddish hues when held up to the light, smallish tan head that fades fast, leaves a light cap on top though, not too much lacing on the glass but there are some patches.

The aroma is pretty much all roasted malt with a slight metallic taste, not picking up any hops in the aroma.

Taste is pretty much similar to the aroma in that it's primarily roasted malt, has that tinge of metal which I'm not a fan of, carbonation is good for the style although maybe a bit too lively, slight burnt malt in the aftertaste, the bitterness isn't really from any hop presence (which is lacking) but from the burnt malt.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 23:30:16 | More by deltatauhobbit

bum732

Maryland

3.2/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

S: Light coffee roastiness, light toffee notes, faint cocoa

L: Dark brown with a tan head, decent retention and lacing.

T: Light roasty malt, semi-sweet. Medium-low bitterness leading to some roasty dryness.

M: Medium-light mouthfeel, medium carbonation.

Ok beer, fairly bland. Carbonation is a bit high for style and a little biting.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 01:15:38 | More by bum732

wahhmaster

Virginia

3.23/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a 0.5L Krušovice-branded pilsner glass.

Appearance: Pours a jet black color with a medium-sized tan head that dissipates slowly leaving spotty lacing.

Smell: Has a sweet malty smell to it with a bit of a strange tea-like smell in the background.

Taste: Starts light with a bit of sweetness balanced by a touch of hops. Finishes with a strong roasted malt flavor. Interestingly balanced.

Mouthfeel: Has nice body to it but way too much carbonation.

Drinkability: An average schwarzbier. Makes sense for their winter pack though. It's got that full-bodied roasted taste you expect from most winter brews but is also light, crisp, and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2009 20:00:25 | More by wahhmaster

ImusBeer

Georgia

3.23/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I'll try to update this later since when I tried this I had a bit of a cold.

It arrived in a 22oz mug, very black with a dark tan head and some thin lacing while I drank.

The only real thing I smelled was smokeyness from the roasted malts. The taste only added to the smoke and roasted malt aromas.

The mouthfeel as really thin, some bitter bite at end. A nice beer not very heavy nor too smokey, I could have had another.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2009 16:02:09 | More by ImusBeer

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.23/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Howl begins with a solid to dark brown color, a quick lightly tanned head that fades to an intermitten film and holds true. Some lacing along the way. Fairly clear but with the dark color, hard to tell.

Aromas hold a good amount of roast and nuttiness. Maltiness goes from caramel to roast without a bridge between the two. Light coffees and burnt cocoa seem a bit agressive. No hops.

Flavors of caramel quickly turn to molassas and then to burnt molassas (over caramelized sugars), and eventually into moderate coffee notes and walnut nuttiness. A good mix of malt character gives good variety but still seems empty.

Body is medium with the roasty, toasty notes and lingering sweetness giving an impression of higher weight to the body. Medium-light carbonation also adds to the weight of the beer.

I'm not sure if a Schwarzbier is what Magic Hat is shooting for; the beer is too sweet and doesn't finish with the powdery dry, yet clean finish that make Schwarzbiers so great. This is a roasty Vienna lager that might be better suited for the Fall season- think Halloween.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2010 04:10:46 | More by BEERchitect

FickleBeast

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a Smuttynose pint glass

A - Pours black, with a brownish tinge around the edges when held up to the light. Head is massive and fills the pint glass

S - some malt sweetness, roasted malts, slight vegetal hoppy aroma.

T - husky, grainy, decent amount of sweetness. Lingering bitter aftertaste is a bit off-putting

M - astringent roasted black malt bitterness, moderate body

D - not bad, but not particularly noteworthy either. Could be good to have a few of these tailgating

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2009 03:55:08 | More by FickleBeast

ozzyCobblepot

New York

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I dont know what a Schwarzbier is, but this seems like nothing more than a less bitter American Porter.
A: Pours a very dark brown beer, with red on the edges. The head does not cling well but forms a nice, foamy ring around the glass. S: Doesn't smell particularly distinguished, but I do pick up coffee beans and dark chocolate notes.
T: More coffee, bit of a nutty flavor. Deep toasted malts follow off a slightly sweet note. Not much of a hops or bitter taste to speak of.
M: Good carbonation you don't exactly expect given how opaque the beer is. Smooth, medium bodied. Nothing wrong, but nothing memorable about it.

A fine winter brew. Nothing particularly great about it, but there are no real problems with it either. Basically a safe bet, and I one I'll forget tomorrow.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2009 03:46:07 | More by ozzyCobblepot

mtnbikerpa

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from 12 ounce bottle with freshest by date of Jan 10 on back label Magic Hat style. Poured very dark with almost no carbonation leaving no real visible head. Some malts and a considerable amount of dark fruits in the smell. Pretty drinkable black lager. Malts profile flavor is pretty smooth. Nothing to exciting here. I could drink a few of these with no problem and enjoy them.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2010 18:16:24 | More by mtnbikerpa

madjr80

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a perfect pint glass straight from the bottle. A dark coca-cola like color with little bubbles. Some hints on coffee grinds and chocolate. Very little hop character, but true to the schwarzbier style. Not great head retention as expected, but not terrible either. At 4.6 abv, it is could be a decent session brew, however, it feels a bit on the heavier side on the way down.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2010 17:37:53 | More by madjr80

zander4dawin

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A black beer with a thin head that dissipates rapidly. Smells like black rye bread and chocolatey. Roasted malt taste and a light body. Aftertaste lingers, chocolate and roasted malt coats the tongue. Stings the palette a little bit. Easy to drink. Overall a good beer, not disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 23:53:19 | More by zander4dawin

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a standard pint glass. The beer is a coffee black, with brown coming through when held to the light. A smallish cream colored head dissipates to thin cream film, then nothing. Little lacing. The beer smells of burnt malts. Tastes of bitter chocolates, burnt malts, with a very slight smokiness. The mouthfeel is watery and light.

Overall, This isn't bad, but it just feels too watery. The slight smokey flavor is a nice finishing touch to the burnt, bitter chocolate, but I'm glad i bought only one bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 18:27:34 | More by JuicesFlowing

bob3701

New Jersey

3.28/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had a fizzy white head that did not linger long with minimal lacing. Very clear very dark brown in color but could see through my glass. Nice roasted aroma a little more bitter in taste then I was expecting. I think the are better black lagers out there but this one will do and I thought the lable was pretty cool.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2009 21:01:32 | More by bob3701