Pistil - Magic Hat Brewing Company

brentk56

North Carolina

2.3/5  rDev -29.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25

Appearance: The load pffft when I opened the bottle was a giveaway that this beer was going to have a lot of carbonation and it pours out almost all foam though though the liquid buids with a slightly hazy honey color over time; of course, the flip side of overcarbonation is typically great head retention and plenty of lacing

Smell: Grassy and herbal with a cooked vegetable character

Taste: Rather neutral malt flavors, up front, but then the lemony herbal and rather medicinal dandelion flavors take over; tart finish with the cooked vegetables underneath

Mouthfeel: Watery and overcarbonated

Overall: I'm really quite disappointed with this beer and find it hard to take another sip

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 01:56:25 | More by brentk56

ianjsullivan

Maryland

3.33/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

ST: 12oz poured into a pint glass.

A: Cloudy gold with a towering white sea foam head.

S: Oat, malt, vague grassiness.

T: Malt with some flavor I cannot identify, grassiness (most likely the dandelions).

M: Medium

O: An easy drinking beer for summer. Decent body, some grassy flavor, a bit of oat, good malt backbone, and a slight bitterness in the finish. Overall, the flavor is not that interesting considering the ingredient.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 00:42:41 | More by ianjsullivan

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.21/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Served on tap in a pint glass

Appearance - Served a light golden orange colored brew with a one finger fizzy head. The head has a lighter level of retention, fading to leave a moderate level of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma is a bit grainy and musty with some notes of a bready like smell. Mixed with these aromas are floral and grassy smell (dandelion?)l as well as a bit of light fruit aroma.

Taste – The taste begins with a more crisp bready taste with a decent level of graininess. As the taste advances a floral and grassy flavor comes to the tongue more toward the middle with them growing stronger to the end of the taste. Along with this an almost hay-like flavor comes to the tongue combining with the rest to leave an odd wild field taste with grass, hay and grain.

Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is rather crisp with a carbonation level that is on the medium to slightly higher side. It is nice for the style and makes for a nice crisp feel on the tongue.

Overall – Nothing all that fantastic here. A little unbalanced with too many grassy and herbal flavors and not enough other flavors to mellow them out.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2013 00:03:23 | More by Darkmagus82

Utica_Brew_Review

New York

4/5  rDev +22%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Golden yellow color with sediment and mild carbonation with decent head. Herbal, dry, hoppy aroma. Very hoppy like an IPA without an ashy aftertaste. LOTS of herbal notes with a hint of sweetness. Drinkabilty is great. Finishes with a bit more sweetness and herbal notes.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 00:24:59 | More by Utica_Brew_Review

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

3.25/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

P: Cloudy golden apricot appearance with bubbly carbonation and a airy off white head.

S: Seems odd but smells like diluted Victoria's Secret Love Spell body spray...my wife wears it that's how I know.

T/M: Honey suckles, lots if floral flavor, pale malt, salt and herbed tea. Faint peach and Bartlett pears hindered in the bitter floral base. There is a touch of metallic towards the end of the swallow. Nice subtly acidic mouthfeel with bubbly prickliness.

O: A nice floral ale that really brings the floral to play. I really like this but probably not one I would seek out.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 21:34:22 | More by Hopswagger

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.39/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

"Stop and smell the petals". Magic Hat's Pistil is a wheat ale brewed with dandelions. Previously made as a summer 2012 Seasonal one-off, this has returned to Spring seasonal variety packs.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to my Magic Hat pint glass. Served above 53º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a sudsy white head that recedes rather hastily. Body color is a hazy pale yellow with a touch of gold, chock full of light and dark pulpy sediment. Carbonation is moderate and spritely. Head quality and lacing both suffer in this beer. Those who are not fond of chunks in their beer may be wary of the appearance. 3.25

(Smell) Biscuity pale and acidic malts up front with grassy hop notes and a mild bitterness. Fruity yeast tones of banana and white grape are also evident. Aroma has a potent acid-based tartness to it and is very cider-like. This is very different from last year. 3.25

(Taste) Pale, biscuity malts with a mild grassy flavor and a dry, somewhat vegetal bitterness on the finish. If it's the impact of dandelion, it doesn't come far from low-alpha grassy hop varieties. Overall it is mildly bitter over sweet; drinkable but not as unique as one may hope a beer with dandelion is capable of. Biscuity yeast and a mild faint lemony finish, yet not much emphasis on the acidity nor the fruit notes perceived in the aroma- both fall flat. Overall the beer has a decent drinkability but nothing sets it apart from the large repertoire of pale ales with mild, accessible flavor profiles geared for high drinkability. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Slick, oily texture with subtle prickly carbonation. Some pulp but not enough to impact drinking quality or make a significant difference in the overall impression, just impacts dryness a touch. Low alcohol presence. Light/Medium body for the style and light body overall. 3.5

(Overall) While it had good drinkability and there were no big off-flavors, I felt very let down by the depth this one had. The dandelion didn't create nearly as strong an impact nor a unique flavor character to the beer like I had hoped, only managed to dry the finish out with a vegetal bitterness. As a stand alone pale ale, this one does a decent job but doesn't integrate the dandelion petals quite like I had expected. 3.25

Magic Hat Brewing Company's
Pistil Brewed with Dandelion
3.39/5.00

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 00:18:11 | More by Jadjunk

GilGarp

Colorado

3.59/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

3/4 pint bottle served cold into a shaker pint glass.

Pistil is a slightly hazy golden yellow with about an inch of white head. It has good retention and nice lacing as it settles.

Aroma is mildly hoppy is a floral slash grassy kind of way. Not much in the way of citrus or pine.

Flavor is sweet like honey up front but bitter like dandelions from middle to end. I think we've established that hops are the best way to bitter a beer and I'm all for experimentation but, if you've tasted the foul white liquid from this weed, you know it has no place in beer.

Mouthfeel is light in body and nicely carbonated. Well balanced but rather unpleasant to drink.

Overall it's a swing and a miss.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 00:09:06 | More by GilGarp

RickS95

Indiana

2.7/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5

12-ounce bottle

It's a nice looking beer, looking more like a wit than anything. Golden straw color with a haziness to it. The head is brilliant white, a finger and a half thick, and has great retention. As it finally falls, it leaves a nice, sticky lace behind.

The smell is nothing more than a bit player as it's anything but overwhelming. What's there is slightly acidic and faintly herbal...Earthy.

A swing and a miss in taste. Very spicy, though I can't pinpoint which spices. Pale malts dominate with the spices, and it tastes very pils-like. I don't know what dandelions taste like, but I can see it in this beer. A little bit of mint in the finish.

It's bitter from beginning to end. The herbal spiciness lasts the whole sip as well. It's light bodied and has almost no alcohol presence at all. Moderate carbonation produces a fairly dry, crisp finish.

I've had this beer in the fridge for a couple months now, a bit scared to drink it. Unfortunately, it's about what I expected. It's bitter like an IPA, just not in a good way. Not sure how I'm going to get through five more to finish the sixer.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 03:16:23 | More by RickS95

cjgator3

Florida

3.39/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle

A- Pours a slightly hazed golden yellow/orange color with an off-white head.

S- The aroma is very floral and citrusy, it feels like I should be drinking this outside in a meadow under a tree in the spring time.

T- The taste starts out with some malts with some citrusy acidity and peppery spiciness in the finish.

M- The mouthfeel is light bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

O- Overall, Pistil was a unique beer that I'm glad I tried but it is not something that I would purchase again.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 02:28:41 | More by cjgator3

Neorebel

New Jersey

3.2/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Pours a slightly orange tinged yellow. It's not exactly clear, and has a fizzy white head. There is next to no lacing following the rapid depletion of the foam. The aroma is quite good, mostly consisting of citrus esters, as well as herbs, honey, and yeast. For the flavor, bready grains dominate, with buttery hazelnut, tea leaves, and some subtle hops. There's a very bitter backbone and sour, dry finish. Definitely a bit of a grassy, vegetal aftertaste. This is very easy to drink however and none of the flavors are very loud. Average beer - more of a novelty but not a very bold one at that.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 01:11:49 | More by Neorebel

AlexFields

Tennessee

2.93/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Pours a bright, thick orange, looks like orange marmalade or something, has almost a pinkish tint as it pours, small to moderate sized head.

First thing in the nose is a bready malt character with a hint of bitterness, followed by very light hops and some odd plant like scent that I assume is the dandelions.

Taste is a fairly sweet, crisp, simple malt character that fades into that odd slightly bitter plant taste again, not much of a hop character at all.

Mouthfeel is odd, a bit watery, moderate carbonation but not particularly refreshing. Not terrible but weak.

I like this, more or less, or at least I don't really mind drinking it, but it's not very impressive.

5.9/10

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 22:58:28 | More by AlexFields

TeamMathis

West Virginia

2.78/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Cloudy gold.
Smell: Flowery and wheatish. Maybe a touch of citrus.
Taste: Tart and tart aftertaste. Some spice.
Mouthfeel: Light carbonation.

There is a somewhat clear smell of flower. My grandmother used to cook dandelions and I tried to link the taste, but it was a stretch. In fact it doesn't seem to have much flavor at all other than a slightly sour carbonation with a hint of citrus. I do appreciate the use of dandelions though. I think that's pretty neat. It's certainly drinkable, especially on a summer day. However, I wouldn't get this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 00:23:35 | More by TeamMathis

Lemke10

Wisconsin

3.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

This pours a semi-clear, golden yellow color with a thin, white head. The aroma has a lot of lemon citrus to it. The taste is thin, light, and very floral/fruity. Overall it’s not the greatest beer Magic Hat makes, but at least this will be an easy drinking beer for those hot summer days.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 04:47:43 | More by Lemke10

MikePags

New York

2.7/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

Bottle poured a pint glass.

A: hazy golden color

S: slightly harsh smell of citrus and flowers

T: could not get to the flower taste over the taste of citrus. Absent these flavors this beer tastes like a slightly sour wheat beer with a rotten lemon in it.

M: smooth, highly carbonated, light to medium body.

O: MH missed the mark with this one and I will be struggling to finish the 6pack.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 01:44:55 | More by MikePags

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

(Served in a bowtie glass)
A- This beer pours a slightly hazy lemon yellow with strands of tiny bubbles gliding to a snow white film that last a few sips.

S- The faint dry papery note has a herbaceous hint to it but is pretty clean.

T- The floral nectar hint has a slight sweetness of pale malt and a soft dandelion flower taste in the aftertaste. There is a soft dry green note of hops that starts to come through as it opens.

M- The light mouthfeel has a scrubbing fizz in the finish.

O- This beer is light, delicate and clean. I really could get a character of fresh dandelion flowers however there wasn’t much else in there which just left it a bit drab after the first few sips. I’m glad to dry it but also glad I don’t have a whole 6 pack of it.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 14:15:25 | More by rhoadsrage

MichaelJosephB

Kentucky

2.96/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

S: Poured from a bottle into a bell shaped coke glass.

A: Bright, golden yellow that mimics a dandelion, with two fingers of white, soapy head.

S: Subtle sent of a fresh cut spring lawn, with no hint of hops.

T: Clean, slightly sour pilsner flavor with subtle overtones of grass. Simple and balanced. Spices? Hops? I didn't find any.

M: Lots of carbonation and kind of watery.

O: Likely very refreshing on a hot summer day, I would not drink this on any other occasion. The artwork is cool, although I wish Magic Hat would spend as much time making their brews as interesting as their bottles.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 18:33:05 | More by MichaelJosephB

circus_cat

Virginia

4.49/5  rDev +36.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A: Cloudy golden hay body with a bright white, soapy head. Looks like a summer beer! Reminds me of a belgian white. Streaming, lively bubbles.

S: Lemon and orange zest, floral hops, very floral in general, lemon grass, wet hay, grass.

T: Lots of lemon grass, green tea, lemon peel.

M: Wow, so refreshing. Very light, crisp, and lively on the tongue.

O: I always hate to give a "crafty" beer, which I now consider Magic Hat brews to be good scores...but I really can't understand how anyone justifies giving this "average." I don't think I've ever had a beer more refreshing than this and that is clearly what the bottle says they're going for. It is so refreshing and still tastes good with the summery notes like lemon grass, even as it warms. I'm sorry, but I'm a fan.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 00:28:06 | More by circus_cat

rlee1390

Indiana

3.58/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Cloudy yellow, nicely carbonated, one finger head.

S-Very grassy and floral, some wheat, tad spice and lemons.

T-Very grassy, earthy and floral. Almost like eating a flower. Some wheat and spices. As it warms the floral/grass notes get worse.

M-Light to medium bodied, nicely carbonated and a tad dry.

O-Another boring, experiment beer from Magic Hat that isn't worth buying multiples of.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 01:49:26 | More by rlee1390

Brad007

Vermont

3.33/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

I rarely buy Magic Hat but I became nostalgic after seeing the spring variety pack.

Pistil pours a cloudy whitish-blond with a nice white head into my glass. The label doesn't divulge much, except that this ale was brewed with dandelions.

Light, fluffy and flowery aroma greets the nose. A touch of citrus peeks out too. Apollo and Northern Brewer hops add some, if not much depth to the malt bill.

It's very flowery. The flaked and acidulated malts add a fluff, buttery texture. The house yeast is too obvious and immediately, my palate screams "No.9!" I wouldn't call that a good thing.

Lingering floweriness and buttery texture from the malts. Again, the house yeast rears its' head at the back of the tongue.

A bit of a suggestion: Don't use the same yeast for every single beer. It ruins what could otherwise be a well down spring seasonal. It's still perfectly drinkable but if you're not a fan of "sameness", steer clear.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 11:03:44 | More by Brad007

wingman14

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy yellow with a frothy white head that sticks around for awhile. The smell is sweet, malty, with some yeast and floral notes. It has a nice sweet background that is harder to describe but like the smell of a nice summer night. Taste is not nearly as sweet as the smell would have indicated, the flavor starts malty but moves into a unique bitterness, that does not taste like hops. I can only assume this is from the dandelion as this is my first dandelion beer. The bitter sticks around through the aftertaste, and gets stronger, almost to the point of a lip smacking bitter. The mouthfeel is nice a crisp light beer, smooth and easy to drink. If the bottle didn't display the dandelion I would have had a hard time guessing that one. No overpowering flavors, a nice enjoyable beer, overall it is well done.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 23:34:32 | More by wingman14

raznug

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Pistil pours a slightly hazy pale golden color and is topped with ½” of white colored head.
Smell: This beer smells of malt aroma and yeast not sure of the style but an interesting aroma.
Taste: The taste of this beer is a little interesting it has a bitterness to it that I don’t think comes from the hops, but otherwise is a very tasty brew.
Mouthfeel: Pistil is a medium bodied beer that is still easy to drink with good taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 17:53:48 | More by raznug

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

My local, in-person trader, tone77, dropped this off as part of a big box o' beer recently and I have been having a good time sifting through them and trying to theme styles and tastes rather than just pulling bottles out randomly and opening them. Rest assured, I will open and review all of them and then The CANQuest (TM) will get back on its feet toot sweet.

From the trippy, groovy label, man: "stop and smell the petals"; "The ancient ritual of brewing a distinctly rich and flavorful beer is a performance to behold. Our mysterious melange of time-honored ingredients harmonize with chaotic chemistry, humble patience and blind faith to create this unique beer to share in the rousing company of kindred spirits. Cheers!"; "a performance in every bottle". Dig it, baby!

My pour blossomed into a fluffy finger of bone-white pollen until it was borne away on the wind. Color was dandy, lion-yellow with a haze of suspended particulate in evidence. Nose had an earthy, grassy smell and I began to consider boiling it down into something that I could put in a pipe and smoke. Mouthfeel was medium and it had an initial, unexpected tartness that gave way to a grassy flavor, like freshly-mown grass. Interesting. Unibroue makes "Ephemere", pronounced "Ay-fem-er-ay" and the finish on this one was ephemeral. I found myself wondering if I had even had a sip until I saw the lacing in the glass. Just like for the lotus-eaters, time was passing me by like nothing. There may be a subtle message in there - stay away from some types of plant matter, man. Wow, this was such a smooth drink that it seemed to evaporate out of my glass as I simply could not have drank it that quickly. I am definitely buying some more for use this summer. Next up in the series of nine beers: Peduncle; Receptacle; Sepal; Petal; Stamen; Anther; Stigma & Ovary (the last one subject to FDA approval).

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 17:10:06 | More by woodychandler

dogfishandi

New York

3.39/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

12 oz bottle at fridge temp poured into a snifter.

Pours a hazy light golden - straw yellow color, a bit of fine sediment. A good looking tight white head with good retention, and decent lacing. A good amount of rising carbonation bubbles.

Familiar aromas of basic pale grain, almost macro lager like with maybe a hint of minerals. Just the slightest floral/ herbal thing going on, possibly from the hops and as it warms a fresh cut grass aroma is apparent.

The taste is slightly better than the aroma suggests. Sweet bready pale grain gives way to a kind of sweet tart hop, reminds me of some sort of old candy I can't quite name. A bit of lemongrass, fresh cut grass. A slight, but noticeable tartness. Finishes with a bit of hop bitterness as well.

Refreshing and light bodied. Maybe a touch on the bland but still somewhat enjoyable.

Really just another non offensive beer that any kind of beer drinker will be able to put down. Not something I'd ever buy, but I see how a few of these would work on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 19:18:52 | More by dogfishandi

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Magic Hat Pistil
12 oz. bottle, coded "AO3361 1304 1651"

So what is Magic Hat's Pistil? I thought it was just a floral IPA, but it's certainly not hoppy or bitter enough. It is quite floral though, clearly reflecting the name. Ah, the label reads "ALE BREWED WITH DANDELION". Well that's fairly unique. I'd heard of dandelion wine as a kid (it was something my older neighbors made at home), but I've never heard of it in a beer. Or have I? Let me look it up. Ah, yes. Apparently it's not that unique, but it's still interesting. I also note that it's just 4.5% ABV. Perhaps this is a spring beer. Check, the Magic Hat website confirms it. OK, let's take a closer look: Hazy yellow-gold body beneath a pillowy white head. Slightly better than average retention and lacing. Floral nose as mentioned. A little bit of golden malt sneaks through as well. Nice. In the mouth it's light bodied and moderately crisp. Appropriate for what they're doing here. The flavor is not as floral as the aroma suggests, implying to me that it's actual dandelions and not just hops giving it that brightness in the nose (I also get an occasional light note of chlorophyll as well, which backs that up). There's a light tartness to it, which is refreshing; and which also seems to give me more of a floral impression (unless I'm just succumbing to the power of suggestion). It's not very bitter... maybe in the 20's, and it finishes quite dry with the flavor almost vanishing. That's OK though, that works. It's a light bodied and lower alcohol spring beer that's very refreshing, and I don't really need it to linger in the mouth. There's enough charm to the floral / dandelion aspect of it that it's interesting, and thankfully not overdone. I can imagine drinking a few of these in a row. Would I buy it again? Sure. I'd enjoy a pint of this at the pub as my first beer, and I think it would be a good beer to take to a party (I'm pretty sure women would like it). Would I recommend it? Certainly to try. It may not be the only dandelion beer available (does Fantome still brew Pissenlit?), but it's still unique.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 22:00:20 | More by NeroFiddled

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.46/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap in a shaker pint glass at Bobby Qs in westport CT.

Clear light gold, some white foam. Transparent for sure, and not much lacing. Light floral aroma, pleasing, but not in a significant kind of way. Just good. Taste is a clean crisp, very light blonde ale taste, small fruitiness. Simple and subdued. Goes down smoothly. Sounds like they did a lot of tinkering here, but the end result is something mellow and lighter flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2013 22:10:42 | More by KTCamm