Encore - Magic Hat Brewing Company

bobhits

Kentucky

1.78/5  rDev -51.2%
look: 5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Magic hat seems to have the head/body thing down pat. Active body, creamy thick almost ice cream dense looking head. The aromas are light but this smells like a darn good IPA without the kick I'd like. The flavors however just aren't right. It is a melon dominate fruit flavor with pineapples adding their two since. The malt lacks the balance to fix these two not for me flavors. The finish on this is just awful, almost a dry cardboard like element.

Magic hat just seems to miss things time after time. I can see some IPA fans enjoying this one, but even those who this was made for I believe will feel this is average IPA at best.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2011 23:05:12 | More by bobhits

beerthulhu

New Jersey

2.05/5  rDev -43.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A: A murky oxidized orange with a dirty bone covering shows little reistance and lacing. Small presence of carbonation. Was expecting a wheat ipa to be more pale in coloring but thats okay.

S: Nose was a bit of soapy oranges and citrus. washy delivery very weak in strength. Encore aroma is en-hiatus.

T: Again the flavor mirrors the nose with some washy, soapy, and detergent like flavoring. (he checks but finds no bottling info). Washed out oranges, bitter but not in a good way, more musky with a catty hint of greenery and moldy orange grinds. Starchy content, old mushy apples and citrus with some wheat and sweat (yeah you read right). Small warming of toasted grain and sour moldy hops leave an unpleasant aftertaste.

M: Wow no surprise here, washy mouthful, detergent like alkaline feel. A bright tart mention of oranges appears out of nowhere to turn to a sour moldy fade.

O: A total washout overall. Feel good about a solid 2.0 unimpressed rating here, has about as much wheat and hop character as i do sympathy for this. no encore sampling here.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 23:11:28 | More by beerthulhu

PDXHops

South Carolina

2.2/5  rDev -39.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

12 ounce bottle of indeterminate age poured into a La Chouffe tulip. Hazy amber with a nice soft and clingy head. Digging that lace.

Fresh bready malt and wheat aromas up front with subdued fruitiness in the background. Plenty bitter, almost to the point of astringency, but with little in the way of hop flavor to provide interest. Some faded leafiness and citrus. Rather lively in spite of being on the thickish side for an IPA, aided in part by the tang of the wheat and in part by zippy carbonation. I've run into a few wheat IPAs I liked pretty well, and I'm inclined to try this one again if I can be guaranteed of freshness. This particular sample, though, missed the mark.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 16:04:47 | More by PDXHops

claspada

New Jersey

2.65/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Aroma is straight citrus and grassiness from the hops mixed with a hint of clove and wheat.

The taste is all bitter, not detecting much malt (barley or wheat) The citrus and grassiness of the hops with only a hint of clove from the yeast. Really not enjoying this one, too much bittering hops and not enough balance in my opinion. Hard to stomach for some reason.

The mouthfeel is full of lingering grassiness and sticky resin. This beer lingers far too much for my taste. It shouldnt be a struggle to finish a 12 oz bottle, but this was...

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2010 20:19:02 | More by claspada

searsclone

Arizona

2.83/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

bottle into a globe glass

opaque butterscotch color with a grayish whit head and good lacing

smell is pine and followed by a touch of butterscotch

taste is hops and that's about it.

watery mouthfeel with thin finish

overall, just average. for me, the only thing the wheat did was cause it to be hazy.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 02:19:33 | More by searsclone

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

A-cloudy golden yellow. very thin white head

S-very hoppy and very citrusy. i smell a lot of grapefruit, very strong. i'm impressed with this.

T-hits with a good amount of hops that quickly subside in to a bitterness followed by a citrusy after-taste. grapefruit tastes are in there as well. overall its not a bad IPA but its just mediocre...nothing incredible.

M-medium to high carbonation with a dry finish

D-hmmm not the most drinkable IPA. the taste just isn't that wonderful. its a bland forgettable attempt at an IPA that i'll most likely never want again. the tastes stay but who cares.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2011 19:24:19 | More by AdamBear

Haus

Wisconsin

2.88/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Color is a medium gold with an orange-ish tint. A little hazy with a white head that dissipates quickly.
S – Smells like grapefruit/tangerine…some pine notes.
T - pleasant grapefruit/citrus punch coupled with a sweet malty finish, not terribly overwhelming “hopped up” which is to be expected at the lighter end for IBU’s…I think it said 45 on Hat’s website. A bit more fruity than expected.
M – Smooth, medium-light body
O – Pretty good flavor profile going on here, refreshing. However, if you are looking for a blast of hops in an IPA this is not the one.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 17:53:13 | More by Haus

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

2.9/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes.

A. Hazy orange amber with some minor sediment particles, one finger of foam that lasts a minute, no lacing left behind.

S. Straightforward herbal and citric peel hopping aroma, I'm having a hard time picking up on any wheat malt aroma underneath.

T. Oily hops and grapefruit pith, some minor lemon and orange peel notes, malt is almost completely obscured and comes across as a poorly balanced attempt at a Gumballhead sort of flavor profile to my palate. Its a shame that the wheat malt isn't really allowed to shine through as much as it needs to in order to provide a proper equilibrium.

M. Medium body and carbonation, very crisp and dry throughout.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 20:15:17 | More by WastingFreetime

JoeAmerican77

Colorado

3/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a deep hazy orangw with a hint of blood, one fingr of head clings to the top...The nose is Sweet pale malts, alcoholic piney hops, and slight citrus peels "orange".

The flavor is like three stages of orange skin; sweet orange oils on the front, a fleshy wheaty citric bite in the middle and a slight aftertaste of the skin's bitterness at the end. Absolutely some hop bitterness in there, not very balanced. Just bam orange, bam bitter. Medium light bodied, a little watery as it gets warmer, nice amounts of small bubble carbonation.

Overall a nice direction, interesting notes with the IPA citric wheat thing going on. I wouldn't really puch this to a friend though.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 22:23:49 | More by JoeAmerican77

Beaver13

Colorado

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

12 oz bottle. Pours cloudy orange with red tint and a big meringue like white head that retains well and laces the glass.

The aroma is a bit subdued - wheaty malts, some fruity melon and maybe some rye.

The flavor is sweet bready caramel/crystal malts and some melon with a light to medium rye-like hop finish. The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied and kind of watery.

Overall, it's OK. Seems more like a pale ale than an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 04:18:06 | More by Beaver13

AdamPenna

New York

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

Served in a Duvel glass because I am alone here today, finally, and so I can. Nice foamy head--about three fingers, which lingers--perhaps the beer's best attribute. Lacing ok. Amber orange in color. Cloudy, murky as I expected from a wheat beer. Smell some hops, pine, not much citrus. Taste the hops, but not too strong. Watery on the tongue, but can sense a little little oiliness. A dry finish I like even if I don't entirely understand the beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 18:10:09 | More by AdamPenna

bourbonbock

New York

3.05/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I took a 12 oz bottle and poured into a fresh pint glass.

A. Cloudy reddish orange body with two fingers of sticky whitish head.

S. Grapefruit up front with fresh malts and co2.

T. Sweet fresh body with citrusy and tangy aftertaste.

M. Thick and cloying sweet mouthfeel with refreshing aftertaste.

Overall a decent ipa made with wheat. Too citrusy for my taste but rather too much for regular drinking.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 00:25:45 | More by bourbonbock

ColdWaffles

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

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

Appearance: Cloudy, almost syrupy looking. Gold, almost orange looking. Had a head, didn't stick around for long.

Smell: Didn't pick up anything at all, to be honest.

Taste: I don't get any wheat without letting this sit around in my mouth for a little bit. Even then, it's scant. Hoppy, but not really hoppy, and not floral or anything... interesting. Just hoppy. Little bit of citrus on the back. Pretty average.

Mouthfeel: A little overcarbonated, otherwise not bad. Medium bodied.

This was pretty boring, and I don't think I'd pay to have another. I'd drink it if given to me though.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 03:58:27 | More by ColdWaffles

mattsdenney

Tennessee

3.1/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Purchased as part of the 2010 Winter Sampler pack.

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into globe glass.

A: Pours a cloudy gold/orange color with a thin head. Some lacing.

S: Fresh smell of citrusy hops. Grapefruit, grassy.

T: Unfortunately not as good as it smells. It has an odd bitter taste that stands out even above the hop bitterness. Muted tastes of citrus and hops.

M: Thin, watery, not very fulfilling.

D: Overall not bad in a pinch but there are numerous IPA's that I would select over this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2011 03:20:42 | More by mattsdenney

Morey

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bought this for a buck 75 at local Giant Eagle. Best by date of Jan. 31st 2011.

Pours a very hazy orange-copper color. Lots of carbonation bubbles floating upwards towards an off-white colored head that has settled to a thin lace after about 5 minutes or so. Pretty good head retention.

The aroma leaves a bit to be desired. I'm not getting much hops at all. Not getting much from the wheat either. Smells more like an English ale than anything, only milder.

Taste is slightly hoppy up front, but the wheat malts quickly come rushing in making for a English pale/ipa type of beer. There's also a metallic/earthy aftertaste that I'm just not that fond of. There's some lingering bitterness on the back end.

Medium mouthfeel with a carbonation level that sits a bit on the high side for my taste.

I could drink a couple, but only if someone else paid for them.

Morey's Bottom Line: Not a big fan of supporting Anheuser-Busch, but I had a chance to try a single bottle for a cheap price. It's not the worst beer that I've ever had, but It's not very good either. Reminds me a bit of Yards Ipa...only not as good. To be fair, this beer is at the end of it's shelf life, but I'm not really a big fan of this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 22:14:29 | More by Morey

Zorro

California

3.15/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Chill hazed orange with a small white colored head, pretty average.

Smell is malt and hops with a distinct citrus edge to it. Scents of wood, tea and grapefruit. Smells a little woody.

Starts out semi-dry with a tea and wood after taste. Gets a little sweeter as you drink it but the flavor is mostly tea and wood with grapefruit oil, drinkable but could be more complex.

Mouthfeel is good.

Overall an OK beer but not one I would buy often, better beer is out there.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 03:10:11 | More by Zorro

mactrail

California

3.15/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Quite lovely in the tall Peroni glass, with plenty of head and a golden amber cloudy color. A nice mouthful of carbonation with a pleasant watery mouthfeel.

This stuff does indeed taste like an IPA, to the detriment of what start out as nice wheaty flavors. There is a fleeting hint of warm malt. The fruity esters get lost in the bitterness. The hops seems to be pretty much just the bittering variety. I can't get much aroma from this. This would be a workmanlike IPA for those who like the straight hop chaser, but to me, this blending of styles would work much better if it was like the Belgian-style IPAs where the yeasty and malty flavors are allowed to come through the bitter taste.

12 oz bottle from Bine & Vine in San Diego.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 05:10:51 | More by mactrail

matty

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy orange beer with a rapidly fading head.Aroma and taste are grapefruit and pine needles.A drinkable smooth feel for a beer with average taste.This tastes just like the other 1000's of IPA's that are out on the market.This beer is not terrible it's just average and has been done many times before.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2010 11:43:43 | More by matty

EmergingZymurgy

Kansas

3.2/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle, hazy light orange with minimal head that dissipated quickly but with decent lacing. Smells slightly citrusy, but more fruity. Tastes clean and finishes semi-dry. Has an apricot/nectarine flavor mid-taste. Feels slick. Not bad, but a bit fruitier than expected.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 17:51:10 | More by EmergingZymurgy

psuKinger

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle given to me by my neighbor Brian as a Christmas gift, poured into a standard nonic.

A: Appears to be relatively low on carbonation. Perhaps my pour was too tentative, but head is relatively thin. A very hazy golden color underneath.

S: Muted citrus and earth tones. A touch of cotton candy sugars. Maybe I'm stuffed up, but I'm not picking up much here in the nose.

T: Bitter-sweet and earthy, a touch of pine-cone. I'm finding more sweetness than I care for; my typical complaint for most East Coast IPAs.

The wheat provides a bit of thickness and viscosity to the flavor, but I also think it serves to dampen the bittersweet punch of the IPA. As it stands, since what I am finding here appears to be long on the sweet and short on the bitter, with a lack of citrus/grapefruit, perhaps I should be greatful, as I feel like that might be improving drinkability for me.

M: Thick and heavy in the mouth, which is expected for a wheat beer. Some sticky goodness left behind on the finish, which is expected for an IPA. Overall carbonation is a touch low, but otherwise mouthfeel is a bright sport for this brew.

D/O: Although it's not a terribly "remarkable" IPA, it touches on several of the right notes in a reasonably balanced and very drinkable manner. I was surprised at how quickly I finished the glass. Repeatable.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 01:30:49 | More by psuKinger

Jason

Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz brown bottle with a freshness date.

LOOK: Good frothing, hazed pale amber

SMELL: Leafy, spicy, hop oil, tangerine, fresh cut grass, bready, yeast, kiwi, esters

TASTE: Bitter, smooth, medium bodied, hop oil, herbal, tobacco, jasmine, earthy, mint, citric rind, grainy, yeast, vegtal, bitter semi-dry finish.

Decent, a bit unbalanced. The hop flavor takes over a bit too much. Sure you get your hop fix but it is a bit of chore to sip.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 02:46:59 | More by Jason

Brad007

Vermont

3.35/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This is likely the final beer in their "IPA on Tour" series, hence the name "Encore". This is actually a cross between an American Pale Wheat Ale and an American IPA. It could have been classified as either since there is no hybrid style.

Pours a light amber-gold color with a thin-head into my glass. Interesting color mix but nothing out of the ordinary.

Aroma is full of light citrus and grassiness from the hops mixed with a hint of clove and wheat. It's what you'd expect from combining both styles.

Taste leans more towards the grassiness of the hops with only a hint of clove. Hard to stomach for some reason.

Mouthfeel is full of lingering grassiness and wheat/clove.

I can't fault Magic Hat for trying to experiment. I just don't think this beer is a viable experiment. It causes too much confusion for the palate. Interesting but only in small quantities.

Serving type: growler

09-08-2010 01:33:33 | More by Brad007

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.35/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a clouded, amber-gold body with a foaming, off-white head giving a lasting wispiness.

Smell: Modest malts, pale and wheaty, beneath fragrant hop notes of grapefruit, tangerine, pine blossoms, and a bit of pineapple.

Taste: A lightly bready, lightly sweet taste of tangy malted wheat and pale malts. I gotta say, even right at the beginning, the mouthfeel starts thinning out at a record pace. Hops yield citrus fruits, leaning towards tangerines, with some minor florals and ample bitterness giving this wheat ale an IPA leaning.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Essentially, it's a passable wheat with a decent IPA hop profile. Maybe not a home run, but at least a well-played single.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 19:16:06 | More by ChainGangGuy

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.35/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: cloudy orange body, trace off-white head, ok lacing

S: wheat, mild grassy

T: lemon peel, firm wheat middle, mild piney bitter finish

M: med body, light oily mouth

O: Better beer by MH, not my fav.
Would not seek out again, but solid.

SOLID; NOT MUST HAVE!

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 18:19:41 | More by BeerLover99

mdaschaf

Washington

3.43/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to connecticutpoet for this one!

A: Pours a hazy amber/orange color with a nice two finger off white head. Nice retention and leaves nice sheets of lacing.

S: Nice combination of citrus and pine. Definitely some grapefruit and a ton of orange and orange peel.

T: And this is where it falls flat. The flavor is ok, a little bit of citrus, some bready malt, and some wheat, but it goes to nothing very fast. It almost taste like juice, and not in a very good way. The flavors are fine, but very weak. Based off the aroma I had expected a little bit more.

M: Light bodied with good carbonation. At first it seemed like the mouthfeel was going to be pretty nice, but it goes thin very quickly.

O: Its ok, I had high hopes after the appearance and smell, but the taste didn't live up to it. Decent.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 00:57:17 | More by mdaschaf