Demo - Magic Hat Brewing Company

Ljoreilly

Georgia

3/5  rDev -12.8%

01-28-2012 06:22:50 | More by Ljoreilly

Celtics76

Rhode Island

3.75/5  rDev +9%

05-19-2013 14:30:21 | More by Celtics76

twenty5

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -5.5%

05-15-2013 15:30:13 | More by twenty5

Herky21

Iowa

3.25/5  rDev -5.5%

05-12-2013 05:30:28 | More by Herky21

blknikon

Massachusetts

2.5/5  rDev -27.3%

05-07-2013 22:44:07 | More by blknikon

slavall

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%

02-24-2013 01:33:57 | More by slavall

Kelp

New Hampshire

3/5  rDev -12.8%

02-10-2013 14:12:45 | More by Kelp

rorjets

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +23.5%

02-10-2013 14:09:46 | More by rorjets

alysmith4

District of Columbia

2.75/5  rDev -20.1%

01-22-2013 00:51:23 | More by alysmith4

iemailjack

Florida

3/5  rDev -12.8%

01-08-2013 03:58:19 | More by iemailjack

Lukass

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +23.5%

01-03-2013 01:21:07 | More by Lukass

LambicPentameter

Kansas

4/5  rDev +16.3%

12-27-2012 16:26:12 | More by LambicPentameter

Orange

4.25/5  rDev +23.5%

12-23-2012 07:57:33 | More by Orange

cliff1066

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%

12-22-2012 03:37:10 | More by cliff1066

grahamboudreaux

Tennessee

3.75/5  rDev +9%

12-19-2012 21:16:00 | More by grahamboudreaux

mrmitsui29

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%

12-13-2012 06:38:34 | More by mrmitsui29

kegmans

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%

12-05-2012 19:50:38 | More by kegmans

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -12.8%

12-01-2012 03:42:02 | More by ejimhof

ScorpyX

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a very dark brown, nearly black with little head to it. Lot of sediment floating around, which I wasn't sure about until I read a few reviews here. That's comforting, I guess.

S: A little smokey with a few coffee notes. Smells more like a porter than an IPA, but then again, I don't have much experience with Black IPAs.

T: Smokey on the taste with mild coffee notes. Tastes like a porter, but kind of watery. Has that roasty malt taste that one might expect from a porter, though this beer oddly isn't supposed to be one. A little thin, but the taste overall is pretty good.

M: As I noted in the taste section, thinner and waterier than I would expect, for both an IPA or a darker beer like a porter or stout. It's a little distracting, but not so bad that it diminishes too badly from the overall experience.

Not at all what I expected. There's not a hop to be had in the taste and it tasted much like the dark beers it resembles. Not the most balanced beer and a little thin, but not a bad taste and makes for a surprisingly solid brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 06:39:16 | More by ScorpyX

micahmye

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +23.5%

11-22-2012 00:12:09 | More by micahmye

TheRuss9585

Vermont

2.75/5  rDev -20.1%

11-20-2012 01:55:37 | More by TheRuss9585

h4ger

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev +9%

11-18-2012 03:30:18 | More by h4ger

CraftBeerGuild

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -27.3%

11-16-2012 06:10:35 | More by CraftBeerGuild

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.58/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Demo is one of Magic Hat's newest IPA on Tour offerings, brewed in the black IPA style. This is the second year it has been released. I managed to get a good deal on a six pack at Smokerise Bottle Shoppe recently.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to my Magic Hat pint glass. Served at 42º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a chocolatey medium brown creamy head that retains well, receding at a below-average rate and thickening with time. Body color is dark brown, near black. Surface lacing is medium-thick and nice overall. Appearance is substantial. 4

(Smell) Smell is very interesting, with a waft of oatmeal cookie and raisin, some chocolate, roasty malts and a faint hoppy bitterness. Much more malt-forward than anticipated for the style but the aroma, despite a hop shortage is very pleasing. Potency is high with roasty characters dominating the nose. 3.5

(Taste) Smokey, burnt malt flavors, some faint bitter cocoa nibs up front. Bitterness is a key to rounding out the flavor, but the hop flavor is quite vague with earthy tones and a tiny burst of pine on the finish, but not enough overall hop character to adequately balance the flavors of the roasty malt body. As such, it falls short in a couple of spots and in balance, but this is certainly a pleasing Black Ale, with tons of malt character, really bridging the gap to the drinkable dark ales. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) A tingly level of carbonation sharply combats the creaminess that existed for a moment at the beginning of the drink. Body is medium-high for the style and medium overall. Alcohol presence is light, well masked by the full malt body. Carbonation is a bit frisky for the style, a bit more than needed to remind me that there should be a hoppy presence in this beer, but since hop presence is limited, the texture should be far more relaxed and creamier to boot. 3

(Overall) As far as Black IPAs go, this one is relatively mild on the hop scale, while quite forward on the malt body. Despite the hoppy shortcomings, the overall result, while predictable for a drinkable porter, come off as quite enjoyable for a black IPA, and I haven't had many quite like this one. It's a very drinkable and accessible black IPA for the hop-fearful, but worth a try even for the earthier hop loving crowd, especially as a sessions option for the dark and roasty-loving bunch. 4

Magic Hat Brewing Company's
Demo Black I.P.A.
3.58/5.00

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 02:41:26 | More by Jadjunk

gtermi

Texas

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%

11-15-2012 08:07:31 | More by gtermi