Hex - Magic Hat Brewing Company

mikeg67

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap. Pours orange with a short lived white head and nice lacing. Aroma is of earthy hops, caramel and biscuit malt, some hints of cherry. Body is medium and crisp. Earthy, herbal hops dominate bready malt and caramel on the palate. Long hoppy finish. Tasty brew but too hoppy for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2012 19:30:06 | More by mikeg67

paulginva

Virginia

3.48/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

APPEARANCE: This beer, poured from a tap into a pint glass, produced an off-white foamy 1" head that dissipated slowly leaving good head lacing. Carbonation was soft in a cloudy amber body.

AROMA: Rich maltiness with a good caramel sweetness; light hops aroma as well. Pleasant aroma for sure.

TASTE: Solid moderate malts with a moderate caramel sweetness; light hops. There's supposed to be a bit of smoke in there but I couldn't taste it. The taste was a little bit of a letdown after the smell.

MOUTHFEEL: This beer has a light to medium body with a smooth texture, soft carbonation

and good body lacing that dissipates slowly. The initial flavor is a light sweetness with just a slight touch of bitterness with a lightly bitter followed by a very slightly dry finish that lasted for a moderate length of time.

DRINKABILITY: Repeatable and easy to drink, there was still something about this brew that bothered me: the discontinuity between the aroma, which was impressive, and the taste, which was pretty pedestrian. I just can't figure it out but it's quite off-putting.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2012 18:13:54 | More by paulginva

BigPlay1824

New York

3.18/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Enjoyed in a mug

A: Pours a clear amber to brown color with a miniscule amount of head that does not linger long and leaves virtually no lacing on the glass
S: scents of nuts as well as a slight sweet note similar to molasses
T: similar to the scent, nutty and yet sweet with a nice depth through the finish
M: heavy on the carbonation but moves smoothly overall across the palate and leaves a slight nutty aftertaste
O: a decent brew, a bit complex but not really standing out in any respect, pretty typical for what Ive come to expect of magic hat, don't love it and don't hate it, pretty indifferent here

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2011 21:35:55 | More by BigPlay1824

9InchNails

New Jersey

2.75/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Light khaki head that fades quickly. Copper color body -- almost of that as of a Apple juice.

Not much of a aroma at all but doesn't smell bad.

Crisp clean taste like a lager would have with caramel. Slight pepper, brown sugar and some cloves. It's better than the aroma.

Carbonation medium. Body is light. Very boring mouth feel.

This is like the coors light of octoberfest. Bland, boring and meant for the macro beer lovers. What a shame, Magic Hat used to be a decent brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2011 06:19:52 | More by 9InchNails

gabedivision

New York

2.38/5  rDev -31.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Got this beer poured from the tap.

Pours a deep reddish orange with a thin white lace on the top. Smells grainy, toasted malts , hints of caramel maybe? toffee? something odd. The first sip for me went down alright, the second was a harder by third it was nearly impossible. A toasted grainy malt bed hits the tongue first, followed by a strange fruity metallic finish, hideous flavor. This is light to medium in body. I did not enjoy this beer one bit, will never go near this monstrosity again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2011 16:19:19 | More by gabedivision

maddogruss

New Jersey

2.98/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got this at the Cloverleaf tavern.

A: Pours an amber body with a small, white head with decent retention and lacing until the finish.

S: A fairly sweet, roasted, malty smell with a slight hint of sourness or tartness in the undertones.

T: A fairly earthy, roasted malt taste. Not much of a taste. A slightly, bland, earthy aftertaste that was nothing overly impressive. I was hoping for a bit more malt character in this beer, but it did not quite hit the mark.

M: A fairly, light-bodied beer overall that was pretty refreshing and pretty nice for the style.

D: A decent mouthfeel and taste combination makes for a decent session beer, but I felt that the roasted malt flavors could have been a bit stronger. Not much of a flavorful tasting beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-23-2010 05:18:45 | More by maddogruss

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.22/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a pretty clear golden amber with a substantial off-white fine-bubbled head. Crisp, malty aroma has a strong fruity-sweet tone, mainly apricot and pear, as well as a hint of powdery lemonade. Flavor is fruity, again mostly apricot and pear, with a malty undertone and a hint of hops. Texture is smooth, fizzy and a little dusty - truly unique, and pleasing.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2010 22:57:48 | More by Cyberkedi

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a hazy amber to copper color with an off white head. In the aroma, a small earthiness. In the taste, a sweet maltiness and a hint of earth. A smooth and medium to small bodied mouthfeel, with a clean, sweet earth in the aftertaste. A bit sweet and small earth, nothing too exciting.

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2010 16:08:12 | More by OWSLEY069

Fieldzy27

Florida

3.3/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

"Beer reviewed from notes"

A-Poured into a pint glass from the tap. Pours a light amber with flecks of red. decent amount of speckled lace head is Bone white.

S-I am not sure whats up with the scent of this beer. It smelled very musty. Not sure why but the scent of something close to wet towels killed all other scents in this beer. Almost to the point of me questioning drinking it.

T-Taste is awesome. Lots of malty sweetness with a very mild amount of bitterness at the end. Good complexity with nothing clashing terribly.

M- Mouthfeel was also dead on for the style.

D-This was a decent beer if you can get past the scent. Not sure why that happened but it was a first for me. I wont be getting this one again.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2010 21:05:50 | More by Fieldzy27

mactrail

California

2.84/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Slightly hazy amber in the Duvel tulip. No sediment in the botle. Bought at Texas Wine in Fredericksburg in the 12 oz bottle. Light grainy aroma.

The malty sweetness seems to be cut by a slight sourness. Caramel and fementing apples. A touch of hoppiness at the ending with some bitterness and an earthy aftertaste. Not the most refreshing amber I've had. I am just not a Magic Hat enthusiast. Everything I've tried seems kind of murky and odd, but not an interesting sort of oddness. At least it wasn't reviewed as an Oktoberfest, which it doesn't resemble.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 05:45:45 | More by mactrail

UnderPressure

South Carolina

2.9/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Copper colored beer. One finger head.

Tea like, Sweet sugary aroma

Grainy roasty flavor. Somewhat bitter

Crisp mouthfeel light to medium bodies. Lasting bitter finish.

It's ok, but I probably won't be looking forward to this one when it comes out again next year.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 14:12:44 | More by UnderPressure

GossageBrewery

Missouri

3.86/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured this Amber Ale from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Poured a hazy amber color, produced a average off white head, average retention and left below average lacing on the glass. Aroma of malted grain, rye, and caramel. Medium boded, very much dominated by malt, spicy rye, gives way to sweet carmel and then to bitter hops. C

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 18:11:00 | More by GossageBrewery

superspak

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled on 8/23/2012. Pours slightly hazy golden orange color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense off white head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of caramel, pear, apple, golden raisin, toast, toffee, bread, light grass, and herbal hops. Pretty nice aromas with good strength and balance. Taste of caramel, apple, pear, toast, toffee, nuttiness, bready grain, light grass, floral, and light herbal spiciness. Minimal bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, light fruits, toast, toffee, bready grain, nuttiness, and light herbal spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Nice balance and robustness of flavors; with zero cloying sweetness present on the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a creamy and light slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a good Oktoberfest style. Nicely robust with good balance of flavors; and very smooth to drink. This was a nicely enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 05:33:05 | More by superspak

VALIS666

New Hampshire

3.43/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very pleasing, even rusty orange color. The taste is very strong at first in a skunky/malty way, but like most beers with an initial strong taste, that fades by the third or fourth sip. Hard to get much of a smell from. Way better from a glass than the bottle, but aren't they all? A solid, smooth, slightly above average beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 04:58:24 | More by VALIS666

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.78/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance- Pours a lightly hazed orange amber color with a fizzy white head. The head has a moderate level of retention fading to leave a moderate amount of lacing.

Smell- The aroma is quite light overall but consists of a light roasted malt and some toffee sweetness. Mixed with these aromas are some lighter notes of a citrus and herbal hop smell.

Taste – The taste begins with a bready and sweeter caramel flavor up front. A light roasted malt flavor comes to the tongue soon after. With it is a light lemon and orange citrus hop flavor. A light earthy hop flavor comes to the tongue and the end and when mixed with the rest of the flavors leaves a lightly roasted and semi-sweet and hoped flavor to finish out the taste.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is average in terms of creaminess with a carbonation level that is average to just above average. Neither are bad for the sweeter flavors of the brew with the lighter citrus and earthy hop flavors being decently complemented by the body and carbonation.

Overall – Pretty easy drinking overall. A good blend of roast, sweet,and hop make it a nice beer to try and possibly try again if you agree.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 02:54:55 | More by Darkmagus82

jsisko01

Michigan

3.78/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a hazy, orangish/amber color with a thin, creamy white head. Dissipates instantly leaving a very nice lacing.

Smell - Orange zest, caramel, and hops.

Taste - Very sweet, caramel, bready, mildly hopped, very herbal, orange zest, and slightly smoky.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

Overall - I've never seen an amber ale labeled as an Oktoberfest.. lol. This isn't exactly what I was hoping for but I'm not saying it's a bad beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 01:20:27 | More by jsisko01

Dcor

Florida

3.98/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this in a sixer from my daughter, bottle poured into Sam Adams sensory glass

Darker amber color, not much of a head, light lacing

light caramel hint, not much of an aroma

caramel marzen base, hint of spices, hoppy finish, hint of citris

smooth, not much carbonation, clean

having at least a case of SA Octoberfest in the beer fridge when I got this, I took a plunge and tried Hex and was surprised how muck I liked it. Will get this again come next August Pretty good marzen with a hot brat, would be great for a fall session beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 02:44:18 | More by Dcor

BottleOfPills

West Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Ok so I'm sitting here reviewing this beer I just purchased from a neat little beer store in here in Morgantown WV, in my Hotel Room.

So let's dive right in:

Appearance - I guess it's average or better - I don't have a glass as my employer is too cheap to put me in a nice hotel that puts actual glasses in your room - so I just have styrofoam cups. Plus I'm lazy and am drinking straight from the bottle. Call it an average - hell beauty is in the eye of the beholder right? However, after pouring into one of those said cups - it looks reddish - kind of like a high vitamin'ish pee. I really didn't get no large foaming head, and what small head I did get quickly disappated. Now only large bubbles cling to side of my cup - probably due to the styrofoam. It's no concern though as I'm on my second one, as the beer is quite tasty - getting a head of myself ...or as they say in literature terms - that's a bit of foreshadowing.

Smell - I'll be quite honest - I can't smell a damned thing. I do have a screwed up nose, but really there isn't much smell - a small hint of what may be malt. Is this due to the cheap paper cups or is it due to that it's mid november and the Magic Hat site says the quit brewing this around Sept 15th (explains the no freshness label). I'm going to go with average. It doesn't smell bad, and it doesn't smell good.

Taste- is malty and what I would call lightly sweet - not so much a caramel sweet but more like a tangy bbq sweet. I doubt that makes any sense. I like it though. There is no lingering aftertaste and that "malty slightly sweet" taste still manages to stay - but it's a welcome stay. Let me pause while I get number three. Same on this one, however I must add that for me mouthfeel and taste go hand in hand....which brings me to... (ohh... 4.5 on taste)

Mouthfeel - CRISP - I'm giving it a 5, it's the way I like a beer to feel. It doesn't feel like I'm coating my mouth with something.

Overall - I'm going to give it a 4 as I'm not sure about the smell or the appearance but at the end of the day it's all about taste so I'm going to weight it that way.

Doubt this review was helpful, but at the same time it's my review and my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 02:24:30 | More by BottleOfPills

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Samuel Adams pint glass. Purchased at Nikki's Liquors in North Providence, Rhode Island.

A- Pours a golden-orange clear body with a generous 3" head that reduces to a white film and leaves a little lacing.

S- Nutty and malty with a vanilla-caramel backbone. Fresh and inviting.

T- Starts with a sweet vanilla caramel malt flavor and ends with a nice citrus hoppy finish. Tasty and balanced.

M- Medium-heavy body, medium low carbonation. Smooth.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. Balance was the big winner here. You get a big malt character typical of octoberfests, and just enough hops to compliment the malt.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 20:33:53 | More by gcamparone

VoodooBear

Puerto Rico

2.95/5  rDev -15%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: 12 oz. brown bottle with no freshness date. Bottle cap reads: "Be True. Be You." Served in a steidel.

Appearance: Very clear, dark amber color. Almost a finger of head, that quickly fizzles out into a thin ring. No lacing on the glass.

Smell: Not aromatic at all. Slight hints of malt and hops, but that's about it.

Taste: Quite malty with a helping of hop bitterness. A bit of sweetness in there as well with an overall smoky taste.

Mouthfeel: Not that much carbonation. It's medium bodied and creamy.

Overall: Not the best seasonal out there, but it's not like Magic Hat was out to knock everyone out. It's certainly one of the more interesting ones available. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 18:40:56 | More by VoodooBear

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.35/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- pours a light amber color with a small creamy head that retains a thin layer with a good bit of lace.

S- caramel, sweet biscuity malt, faint herbal hop and a bit if cereal grain.

T- sweet malts with a bit of a rye kick, and just a touch of herbal hop.

M- medium creamy body with medium carbonation. High drinkability.

O- this one is deceiving as it isn't nearly as malty as an oktoberfest. It's very drinkable but the flavors seem to be a bit too subdued. I would have liked to see a bit more of a malt backbone.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 02:33:47 | More by Treyliff

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

3.45/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A- Pours clear deep orange. A one finger of an off white head.

S- A lot of caramel malt in this beer. A slight lemon grass and dark fruit. A tiny bit of grain.

T- A caramel sugaryness up front. Sweeps over with a German marzen style malt flavor. A slight sour bitter grain flavor. A light flavor profile but it still makes an impact on the tongue in a bitter stinging way. Not bad but pretty so so.

M- This beer has a very light feel. It is very drinkable which is to be expected from this beer but personally I find it a bit light.

O- You could do worse if your in the market for an Oktoberfest.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 22:56:44 | More by TwelveOunces

mynie

Indiana

3.98/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hex falls somewhere in between a marzen and a red. That's not a bad place to be, but I kind of wish they would try to explain as much on their bottles so I don't get my hopes up for a full-blown marzen. I'm weird like that. Marzens excite me.

Anyhow, yeah, the reviewy stuff: it pours dark brown with a nice white head. Smells of sweet bready malt with distinct nodes of Magic Hat's dry, fruity yeast. Tastes much the same. Very sweet bread up front moving into slightly less sweet bread and biscuit in the middle and ending on nodes of differently sweet, yeasty fruit and spice. Very well balanced and competently brewed.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 20:37:33 | More by mynie

mnrider

Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. brown bottle. No real freshness date.

A: Pours a semi-clear light orange. Fast forming fast dying white head.
Medium carbonation and no lacing to be found.

S: Thick caramel and toffee. Faint herbal hops.

T/M: A crisp medium bodied start leads to a creamy smooth feel. Strong
malt taste with sweet caramel. A bit of smokiness comes through as the
hop taste begins to appear. The finish is pretty clean with a hint of
sweet malts lingering.

O: Not exactly an Oktoberfest, but a fairly similar style. Magic Hat has
always been a hit or miss for me. I would put this one as a hit. An enjoyable
and easy to drink Ale. Well worth a try.

Cheers!!

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 00:03:57 | More by mnrider

Alextricity

Michigan

3.6/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: I got lazy and enjoyed straight from the bottle, but I Googled me a pic ... doesn't look much like an Octoberfest. A bit light. Nice lacing in the bottle.

Smell: Well, it's an amber. Not shy, and gets you with the malts. The hops are certainly in there, but you can get an idea of what kind of beer this is just from a quick whiff. Pretty good stuff.

Taste/feel: As an Octoberfest, it's average. As an amber, it's average. To me, this tastes quite a bit like Boston Lager, but missing a certain "oomph" that Sam Adams puts in that beer. This is still a pretty nice beer, and I wouldn't mind having myself another. A nice bit of malts, and a refreshing beer all the way. I dig it.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 02:09:20 | More by Alextricity