Elder Betty - Magic Hat Brewing Company

jwc215

New Jersey

3.08/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours hazed gold with a thin head. Some lacing sticks then fades off.

The smell is of some fruit juice - elderberry and a hint of grain. Has a bit of the "artificial" juice aroma.

The taste is on the bland side. Some elderberry juice with a hint of wheat tang and yeast. Not too sweet.

It has a smooth, light body (fuller side of light body).

This is pretty much your typical American fruit wheat beer (perhaps a little less fruity and less sweet). A rather bland brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 16:57:35 | More by jwc215

MeowTom

3.1/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- Foggy golden yellow with a huge head that goes away relatively quickly.

S- Wheaty with fruity and slight hop overtones.

T- Fruity(orange, raspberry, elderberry) with that strong wheat flavor.

M- Lightly carbonated and refreashing on a hot summer day after mowing the lawn.

O- Not the most out there with flavor beer, but a nice refreashing summer beer after you have been working outside all day.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 22:56:16 | More by MeowTom

yesyouam

New York

3.1/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Magic Hat Elder Betty is a hazy golden ale with a thin white head that quickly turns into a thin splotch. It has a faint aroma of malt extract. It's a little fruity. In the mouth, it's medium-light bodied and smooth with a pretty clean finish. It's lightly flavored with some wheat, sweet malt and elderberries. There's a very slight bitterness that seems leafy. It's very light all around-- a little sweet and quite feminine.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 14:23:50 | More by yesyouam

DirtyPenny

Massachusetts

3.1/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Hazy light amber with only a few millimeters of eggshell head. Lacing quickly slides its way back down and joins the brew again.

S: Fruity, slightly tart berry scent hits a cloud of musty vegetation/grass. Maybe it's the yeast Magic Hat uses? I swear I get that same scent out of every beer they make.

T: Berries on the forefront lead into hints of citrus and wheat. Marred by a somewhat astringent finish.

M: Creamy at first but the carbonation gets a little prickly.

O: Well, alright. I give Magic Hat props for trying new things, but despite a nice bouquet there's nothing much special going on here.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 00:48:20 | More by DirtyPenny

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

3.1/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - a hazy light honey color with a faint glimpse of a white head that rings almost immediately

S - I can smell the fruit from a foot away. An extremely pleasant fruity, very berry-y aroma. One that is supported with a nice wheat backbone. Not too much of a "tastes like added fruit juice to beer" quality.

T - The taste backs that up, a very strong berry flavor with a a nice wheat/yeast foundation. Not much else to it.

M&D - not impressed, a bit fizzy, and the fruit isn't blended as well as some other fruit beers. A decent beer that I might try on tap.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 01:58:45 | More by sinstaineddemon

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.13/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Received a slightly hazy yellow/orange brew with a foam white head. No real retention, but maybe a slight skim, no lace.

Wheat brew at it's most pedestrian. Grainy, with a level of sweetness and some musty yeast notes. I guess there is a hint of fruit aroma, but I have a hard time finding it.

Sweet wheat grain, some yeast and a little husk bitterness. Some berry in there somewhere, but very very mild. Light bitter grain in the finish.

A little more body than most of this type. Good carbonation.

Another dud from this brewer. Middle of the road, no thing to make you want to recommend or try again. Not hateful, just not worth chasing.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2012 19:54:01 | More by OtherShoe2

zeff80

Missouri

3.13/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - Poured out a hazy, golden yellow color with a small, fizzy white head that receded quickly. Minimal lacing.

S - It smelled of berries and light wheat notes. Nothing overpowering. Good balance.

T - Nice sweetness from the elderberries. Light wheat taste. Very little bitterness.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light bodied ale with a clean finish.

O - This is an okay fruit/wheat beer. Not overdone or overly sweet. Nice summer ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 13:21:51 | More by zeff80

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.13/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Consumed 6/5/12

Appearance: Hazy, light orange/golden, starts with a small, white head, leaves a few wisps and spots of lacing

Smell: Extremely mild - some light, vaguely sweet berries - faint wheat funkiness and some light grains - lightly sweet, definitely inoffensive, but overly subtle

Taste: Also mild, but more interesting than the aroma - pale and lightly toasted wheat, and some light grains - crackers - slightly tart, nicely sweet - the berries work pretty well

Mouthfeel: Light body, smooth, nicely carbonated, undeniably quaffable

Overall: Not bad, but not really good, either

This beer has berries but it lacks balls. Seriously. The smell and taste are good, but they are excessively mild. This would be a good beer to give to someone that doesn't really like beer. I personally believe that Magic Hat can make a better wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 05:47:36 | More by angrybabboon

ToddT

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Hazy light orange with a fluffy off white head. Head fades quickly to a ring but leaves little lace on the glass.

S- Sweet fruit, grapes and elderberries and the dominate notes.

T- Follows the nose, elderberries dominate the taste with a few notes form the wheat to round this out. Not very complex but a nice refreshment on a hot summer day. The finish is mostly sweet and lingering without any counterpoint to the berry taste.

M- Medium in body and with decent carbonation.

O- I would want a lot of these but it was a nice diversion on a hot day. No real character of a hefeweizen in this but it was still a pleasant beer to drink. The 5.5% ABV is low enough to make it a session beer but it is a little sweet for me to want do so.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 23:32:13 | More by ToddT

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.15/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a hazy to cloudy dark yellow to orange in color. There is a half finger tall white head that reduces to a thick layer over the entire surface of the beer with a thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate lacing is observed.

S: Mild aromas of light wheat as well as some light aromas of berry as well.

T: There is a light wheat flavor along with a stronger presence than in the smell of elderberries. The berry flavor is almost artificial in nature.

M: Light to medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: Light and easy enough to drink though the slightly artificial berry flavor is a mild turn off. Nothing special about this beer and I'm not sure that I would get this one again.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 23:26:39 | More by dbrauneis

poop_brew

Vermont

3.15/5  rDev -6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A - A 12oz. can...drunk from the can. (3/5)

S - Smells like a cheap watery beer with a hint of wheat & fruit. (3.25/5)

T - Hits your palette with that cheap beer aroma but then finishes with a hint of elderberry. Fresh aftertaste. (3/5)

M - A thin drinkable feel with minor carbonation. (3.5/5)

O - I'd recommend this to anyone looking to drink a portable festival ready/beach beer. It's a little on the pricey side for what it's worth, but it's a cheap beer for classy brew drinkers. (3.25/5)

Serving type: can

05-22-2013 01:08:30 | More by poop_brew

barczar

Kentucky

3.18/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy orange peach with a dense one inch cream head that dissipates somewhat quickly for a wheat beer and leaves no lacing.

Aroma begins with wheat, bready sweet malt, and blueberry. I've never smelled an elderberry, so I'm assuming that's what it really is. There's a lemon zest note at the finish.

Flavor is somewhat more subtle than the aroma, with sharp berry tartness and wheat opening at the back of the mouth, leading to a light bready malt backbone, and a subtle berry fruit flavor at the finish, which is a touch dry. The malt detracts a bit from the berry and wheat character. Apply esters emerge as it warms.

Body is moderate with fairly high carbonation. The finish is fairly crisp.

Overall, more subtle fruitiness than I expected in the flavor. Lacks the banana and clove esters of a typical weiss beer, but the elderberry adds enough character to keep things interesting.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 02:07:34 | More by barczar

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.18/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

"Remember the Dinosaurs", in what used to be fun quips and infinite wisdom of Magic Hat, but even that seems like it's fallen off the cliff. That's a pretty lame quip.

The beer pours a fizzy white head that attempts to hit 1 finger but fades fairly quickly and keeps it from doing so, over a hazy honey orange colored beer, fairly hefe looking though.

NOse is fairly light but not bad, plenty of hefe like aromas, full of wheat, citrus, banana, clove, light floral spices like, and a light floral elderberry bittering aroma.

Taste starts OK but quickly turns to an almost fake extract and artificial flavored beer. Starts with light hefe wheat, hint of banana and citrus, touch of clove like flavors, and just a hint of elderberry bitterness. Then fake syrup flavors, and an overpowering artificial fruity and floral taste like they added fake elderberry flavoring and some weird fruity extract things. Finish is weird bitter extract, sticky, hint of lingering wheat and DME flavor.

Mouth is lighter bodied, decent carb but less than expected for a hefe.

Overall again tastes like Magic Hat went from craft beer to artificial gimmicky beer. The beers all taste forced, extract and artificial, bland, and just like they're not cared for as much as they used to. Even the words of wisdom from the cap seems to have faded as this one was fairly lame. [sigh] Magic Hat was my gateway beer, and I even had a keg of Fat Angel at my wedding, but they really just die more and more every time I try them.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 00:59:47 | More by jlindros

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.18/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light gold color, with a large white head that fades slowly and leaves a thin but spotty lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains berries, citrus, light caramelized malts, wheat and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out sweet with flavors of berries, citrus and a touch of spice. Then some breadiness comes in from wheat and a thin malt character. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings a little bit of balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: A little tasty, goes down ok, not too filling, mild kick, decent representation of style, seems very much like any other berry wheat beer out there.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 02:21:04 | More by TheManiacalOne

cousineddy

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Very hazy tan/orange color 1.5 fingers of foamy white head that dissipates quickly

Smell: Smells a bit like welches sparkling grape juice, very sweet smelling.

Taste: Starts off somewhat bland, but i get backnotes of the elderberrys which i find very pleasant. I wish there was more hops to balance out the sweetness of the berries.

Mouthfeel: lots of carbonation somewhat thin

Overall: I was definately interested in trying an elderberry hefe. Not the best fruit hefewiezen ive ever had. I suggest trying it, but not buying it.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 00:39:19 | More by cousineddy

Immortale25

Florida

3.19/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Poured into a pint glass. No readable freshness date.

A- Pours a somewhat hazy orange-ish amber color with a 1/4 inch head that retains OK before becoming an 1/8 inch ring around the edge of the glass and plentiful surface foam. Fluffy, resilient lacing.

S- Light, fruity aroma with a hint of sulfur. A bit sweet.

T- Sweet fruit in the onset gives way to a soft wheat flavor. Light malts and equally light hops. Has that "give" in taste that I always speak of but is hard to describe. Notes of apricot (surprise, surprise), orange and peach.

M- Slightly watery with medium-high carbonation and a light body.

O- Not as bad as expected. Magic Hat is just one of those breweries who can't be taken seriously anymore.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 00:47:56 | More by Immortale25

drabmuh

Maryland

3.2/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Hefeweizen? Really? This beer is GOING DOWN. Tick shared by the other Matt, Huhzenbendah, thanks!

Beer served in a snifter, beer is yellow and mostly clear with a lazy white head, low retention, low lacing, not a good looking head.

Aroma is sweet, a little yeasty a little elderberry-y.

Beer is medium to light in body, nothing about this beer is elderberry, it has this mild sweetness, mild fruitiness, I wouldn't have guessed this was a hefeweizen. Not a repeat.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 03:21:32 | More by drabmuh

mactrail

California

3.23/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Nice amber color and head in the tall glass. Really pleasant carbonation. I guess the flavor grows on you a little. Rather alarming at first sip. Fortunately it's not overly sweet, though it is plenty malt. It would be interesting to compare with Éphémère Cassis to see if the Unibroue product is really that much better.

I would still quibble with the High Powers who called this one an American Wheat. If Magic Hat #9 is a Fruit Beer, then this one is a Fruit Beer.

From the 12 oz bottle in the 12-pack sampler from Trader Joe's.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 02:46:44 | More by mactrail

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.23/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A- goldish-orange in color With a bit of a haze, small head, no lacing.

S- Berries, grains, wheat, very fruity.

T- Wheat and artificial berries. A bit of yeast and light hop bitterness at the end.

M- smooth and light bodied, medium carbonation,

O- I can see the intent with this one, but the berry taste came across artificial to me. Wouldn't be bad on a hot summer day but I can think of better options.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 21:09:44 | More by Treyliff

berliner07

New Hampshire

3.23/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I wss really excited about this one. An elderberry beer. Great idea. Also, great packaging. Poured a pretty non-descript color. Not too interesting in the aroma. The elderberry shows up in the taste, but not too interesting. Light and refreshing, but nothing too complex here.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 12:45:07 | More by berliner07

RickS95

Indiana

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

Pours a cloudy, milky golden color. Very opaque and hazy. The head is a soft white pillow of mostly tiny bubbles. Looks like foam. Good retention.

Smells of tangy wheat with a slight berriness. I couldn't pick up any malt nor could I find any hop presence.

There are good flavors there, they just aren't pronounced. Again, tangy wheat and a berry flavor are present, just not enough of either to stand out.

Can't stress enough, there's potential, it just lacks execution. Feels too watered down, simply no backbone. There is a certain creaminess to it, but no hop bitterness, just a slight twang from the wheat, with a touch of sweetness in the finish.

It's easy to drink, but lacks panache. There's nothing offensive and the alcohol is moderate at best so you can pound them if you want. I prefer to sip and overall, this is a bit weak all-round.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 01:35:16 | More by RickS95

Jadjunk

Georgia

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

Part of the Magic Hat Summer Scenes Variety Pack, a new Summer Seasonal, replacing Wacko. Elder Betty is brewed in the Hefeweizen style but uses Elderberries for a subtle fruit twist.

Served in a Magic Hat Pint glass at 55º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a crisp soapy off-white head over a mildly hazy golden amber body. Retention is average. Lots of carbonation. Beer looks decent, although not spectacular. The head quality could have been amped up a bit. 3.5

(Smell) A mild fruitiness over a murky wheat base, quite heavy and sweet on the nose. Berries are very forward in the aroma, not too unlike berry syrup extract, although the aroma of the elder berries are a bit more murky and tart. It certainly doesn't bring a traditional Hefeweizen to mind, but it's a pretty decent twist. I just wish the flavor was a bit more subdued and the sweetness was tuned down. 3

(Taste) A medium wheat profile is paired with a subtle berry profile. The berry flavor is a touch fainter here than in the aroma, although mildly sweet with subtle tart undertones makes it a more complex berry for a drinkable dessert beer. A bit heavier bodied than the average hefeweizen, the flavor is enjoyable unless you are looking for a more bare-bones Hefeweizen recipe. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Texture is very mild, little carbonation presence, a mildly chewy presence from the wheat paired with a slightly syrupy slickness from the berry profile makes for a thick, heavy texture. Body is medium-heavy for a Hefeweizen, light-medium overall. Alcohol presence is low. The carbonation is too low, draws too much attention to the sweet heavy flavor profile of this beer and takes away from drinkability. 3

(Overall) An interesting Hefeweizen variation. While the elder berry additions were not overdone, the low carbonation makes the beer harder to enjoy. Suitable as a dessert beer to pair with some ice cream, but not as sessionable as one may think a Hefeweizen should be. 3

Magic Hat Brewing Company's
Elder Betty Elderberry Weiss
3.25/5.00

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 01:33:04 | More by Jadjunk

Maxwell

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a dark blonde with a pinkish hue. Light egg white head with some bubbles and minimum head. A drizzling lacing is left upon the glass.

Smell: Smell is sweet and almost grapey, with an nice aroma of fruity yeast.

Taste: This is cool and crisp. Definitely a summer ale. The yeasty fruits linger and bubble in the mouth and leave a tingle on the tongue. The initial taste is fruity and frothy with an almost biscuit like quality. I suppose the fruit taste you get is elderberrys, since the bottle just keeps gushing about elderberrys, but honestly I can’t place it other than to say it is fruity.

Mouthfeel: This beer is crisp and bubbly with a fair amount of carbonation in the initial swig. With the yeasty flavoring it allows for a slightly chewy quality to it while still being light and summery. The after taste is wet on the tongue tip and tingly on the tongue.

Overall: I’m a little biased against this beer because it replaced the Wacko, which is a beer I love, but I’ll be fair and say it is not a terrible beer. It’s a little fruity with its yeast, which is expected for the style. It’s a mediocre summer ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 19:43:40 | More by Maxwell

tdm168

North Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - pours orange with a fizzy, white head that fades to nothing quickly

S - sweet, tart, raspberries, blackberries

T - tart, faint raspberries, juice-like

M - very crisp, a bit over carbonated, light bodied

This is a rather disappointing beer. It comes across like fruit juice rather than a fruity hefeweizen. It's tart and sweet and has no elements of a traditional hefeweizen. I'll pass next time.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 09:37:58 | More by tdm168

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Murky, cloudy, dark-golden in color...small head, with a ring of lace. The smell is a nice mix of soft, twangy wheat, a little yeast, some banana and grass, and, finally, a generous fresh-berry scent. The taste has a bit of wheat, a tart dryness, and enough hops for balance. The body is sooth and creamy. It's a decent beer, but it didn't grab me.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 21:58:38 | More by Suds