Pistil - Magic Hat Brewing Company

bturton

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +27.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Great beer, it really surprised me. I was expecting it to be a somewhat bitter flavor, but it did not have that at all, to my taste and I'm very against bitter/hoppy beers (not a fan of anything IPA). It was my favorite out of it's variety pack, aside from the classic #9.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 16:54:15 | More by bturton

barczar

Kentucky

3.3/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy golden pear color with a fading one inch ivory head that dissipates into a bubbly layer of foam.

Aroma is dominated by grainy malt and corn adjuncts, followed by light notes of citrus and floral hops.

Flavor is decidedly tart, with peach undertones commandeering the profile. Wheat and bready malt form a weak backbone, carrying into a lightly bitter, fairly dry finish. Pear, lemon, and floral hops surface as it warms.

Body is moderate to light, with high carbonation.

Saw this on a whim and hadn't tried it before. Didn't expect the tart flavor. It's drinkable. Not spectacular, too many adjuncts and fairly simple, but decent for magic hat.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 07:34:44 | More by barczar

CloudStrife

New York

3.3/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a mini pilsner glass.

A: Pours a slightly cloudy light yellowish white with a 1 finger fizzy white head. Dissipates after a minute. No real lacing. Ample visible carbonation.

S: A grassy light floral smell with a bitter characteristic. Does remind me of a dandelion stem. Some light pale malts in the background. Maybe some wheat.

T: Real light malts, wheat and a bitterness from hop and the flowers. A very interesting beer that is unique in taste. Lingering wheat maltiness.

M: A real light body that comes off a little watery. Crisp and clean finish though.

Overall something worth a try but glad I only got one bottle. Might be better for someone fearful of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 03:24:25 | More by CloudStrife

scootny

New York

3.4/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A hazy golden ale with a large soapy head and some chunks of lace here and there. smell is malty and sweet with a healthy dose of yeasty bread. Taste is malty with a grassy character and leafy bitterness in the finish. Dry short finish leaves a toasted biscuit and mild hop calling card. Feel is crisp and light with good carbonation. A decent overall summer beer and an even bette lawn mower brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 00:49:35 | More by scootny

Kooz

New York

2.15/5  rDev -34.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Pale yellow, cloudy, a very slight white head. This looks like it will be crisp and good.

No discernable nose.

Tastes bitter and not much else. The bitterness overpowers whatever flavor might otherwise be present. Very one-dimensional.

Better mouthfeel than usual for magic hat. Itching special, but decent body.

I probably won't have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 01:56:33 | More by Kooz

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

2.35/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass

A- pours a cloudy shade of yellow with a two finger white head. Tons of carbonation, bubbles are flowing everywhere...out of a pint glass. What the hell? OK then. Looks kind of like a hefeweizen, I guess

S- I get that basic "lager" smell...corn with a touch of grass. No bueno

T- really bland flavors. Apparently brewed with dandelion. I'm getting some light grass, and that's about it. Boring as hell.

M- body is extremely thin and watery

O- this is...not good. Very bland and uninspiring in nearly every way.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 21:51:53 | More by bigfnjoe

cousineddy

Illinois

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

Poured from a bottle into a sam adams perfect pint glass

Appearance: Pours a light hazy yellow started almost opaque at the top and gradually becoming lighter further down in the glass. Carries 1.5 fingers of head that dissipates quickly.

Smell: A bit grassy, i get a little of the dandelion with some bready notes and slight note of hops

Taste: Not to much here, kind of bland. Could pass for any american lager.

Mouthfeel: Very fizzy and thin

Overall: Somewhat dissapointing i expected something much different.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 00:08:27 | More by cousineddy

Tobe

1.98/5  rDev -39.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

This beer poured a mute golden color with a white head. This head held up pretty well at one finger width.

Being brewed with dandelions this beer gives off a nice floral note, that's not to hoppy. A second note of lemon citrus is found. The flavor is that of a light lager but finishes a little earthy. Beer displays a weaker bitterness that coats the tongue. The finish is clean with only a mild effect to the palette.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 16:23:49 | More by Tobe

kangarooAdam59

Connecticut

3.11/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Into a pint glass:

A: pale gold colored body that leaves a one finger white head that dies down to a paper thin film within twenty seconds. Barely any lacing coats the sides of the glass and the body is too hazy for any carbonation to be seen rising.

S: some grainy and cereal malts combined with some spicy hops. After the beer warms a bit, some sage and thyme comes out

T: graininess/cereal maltiness coming back pretty strong

M: light to medium with a dry finish, decently balanced.

O: ok, not bad, would I have this again?, hmmm... probably only on tap.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 01:22:51 | More by kangarooAdam59

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

3.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a pilsner glass at cellar temperature.

L – Pale gold color with a 2-finger bubbly white head. Below average retention but some lacing. Slightly hazy with particulate matter and lots of bubbles.

S – Grainy and cereal malts, spicy and floral hops, and another floral aroma, presumably dandelions. I’m pretty sure the base beer is some sort of pilsner. Smells pretty good.

T – Starts off with some grainy and cereal malts but then a pungent, astringent floral flavor appears and dominates the beer. Maybe the slightest bit of spicy hops appears at the finish, but this beer mostly belongs to that floral flavor, again presumably dandelions.

F – Light-bodied with tons of carbonation, a crisp and astringent mouthfeel, and a slightly spicy and dry finish. Floral astringency lingers.

O – This is a pretty average beer. I was impressed with the look and aroma, but the taste and mouthfeel are just dominated by a floral astringency. I think Magic Hat went a little overboard on the dandelions. Regardless, it was nice to try and while it really wasn’t bad and it was decently drinkable, I probably won’t be looking for this one again.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 02:20:27 | More by BlackBelt5112203

Josiah2729

Tennessee

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

Bottle poured into pint glass

Appearance: Golden yellow with small head

Smell: Dandelion, some light malts, light hops

Taste: Herbs, light spiciness, dandelion, and some light hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Light carbonation, thin texture

Overall: Interesting beer brewed with dandelions. Was a unique experience, not something I could do often, but was worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 06:06:01 | More by Josiah2729

tdm168

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - bright, golden yellow with a short-lived, fizzy, white head

S - herbal, spicy hop aromas

T - faintly herbal, spicy hops, lightly malty, a hint of dandelions, a bit bitter

M - light bodied, a bit crisp

This is a unique beer to me. I was surprised that the dandelion notes came through. The herbal, spicy hop characters dominate however. This is light and a bit bitter. Ultimately, this is easily drinkable, but I'll pass in the end.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 22:12:37 | More by tdm168

matjack85

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I picked up this single brown 12oz bottle at the Binny's store in Bloomingdale, IL as part of a build-your-own six pack for $9.99, making it $1.67 for 1 bottle. I believe this to be my first dandelion beer, not surprisingly coming from a company known for brewing beer with unusual ingredients.

The beer poured a cloudy yellow color that looked sort of like lemonade. The 1-finger white head lasted a few minutes and lacing was decent.

Very interesting smell - floral and lemony with faint bready maltiness and spice.

I never ate a dandelion before, but I picked up what I perceived to be an herbal dandelion flavor with a peppery kick. It's slightly bitter with a touch of malty sweetness for balance. The lemon that I picked up in the nose was also there, but not as strong as the nose would lead you to expect.

Very light bodied with spritzy carbonation.

It's not a flavor I would crave, but I'm glad I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 10:53:44 | More by matjack85

WesWes

New York

3.63/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a hazy gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a light and fruity pale/wheat malt scent along with hints of dandelion and other floral notes. It's dry with a touch of earthiness. The taste is average. Again, it's light and refreshing with a solid fruity/floral character. It goes down really smooth with a bone dry finish. The mouthfeel is decent as well. It is a low bodied beer with adequate/good carbonation. This is a rather quaffable beer with a refreshingly interesting flavor and outstanding aroma.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 22:13:44 | More by WesWes

JohnnyMc

Ohio

2.85/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A very interesting brew from Magic Hat.

Pours out a nice bright and hazy yellow with a ton of carbonation and a nice 2 finger fluffy white head.

The aroma has a lot of bready and yeasty notes along with floral notes and what I assume is dandelion.

The taste has a lot of the same bready/yeasty notes from the aroma, there is a slight hint of floral characteristics, there is the dandelion I assume (haven't tasted it before) and it finishes with some lemon/citrus zesty notes.

I like the carbonation level, but the body is a little too thin and the hops are buried under everything else. Not a bad summer beer, but nothing more.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 19:20:01 | More by JohnnyMc

tobelerone

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

On tap at the brewery, another oddball offering from Magic Hat that doesn’t quite make it for me. Brewed with dandelion flowers; has a distinctly floral character as well but not necessarily an appetizing one. Looks nice enough; hazy golden color with a cap of slowly settling white foam and decent lacing. Aroma is all floral; slight citrus and bready malt notes underneath, but distinctly one-dimensional.

The flavor is also assertively flowery; with lesser citrus hop and bready, sweet malt notes. The flowery taste isn’t a hoppy one but comes from the addition of the flowers to the boil and is a little strange to me. On top of that the beer is a little fizzy and the body is watery.

I can’t say I enjoyed this beer or would buy a bottle of it. I didn’t hate it but there’s so much more to enjoy I can’t see going back.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2012 16:53:02 | More by tobelerone

SouljaSaia17

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is apart of Magic Hats Summer Sampler pack. I was intrigued by this beer because of the label, so I felt necessary to review it.

A: The appearance of this beer is a light straw color, simuilar to the color of lemonade. Has a 2 finger foamy head with a moderate amount of lacing.

S: The smell consists of Lemon zest at the top, followed by a hint of honey, spice and floral hops.

T: The taste is a rush of tangy orange/lemon zest with some coriander present, followed by a honey aftertaste. No bready finish in this one. This is a pure summer citrus flavor.

M: This beer is light bodied and has moderate carbonation if you can see past the haze.

O: Overall this beer is a sweet comfort without tang and is enjoyable throughout any sunny day. Not available unless you get the mixed pack, but worth the buy whether you are a MH fan or not. This mixed pack has something for everyone. The label alone should catch your intrigue!

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 02:39:50 | More by SouljaSaia17

CHickman

New York

2.95/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours cloudy yellow color with a 1 finger snow white foamy head that faded about average time, leaving very good foamy lacing coating the sides and a layer on top; a great artistic bottle, the label is very cool.

Smells of roasted grains, vegetables, sweet malt, flowers (dandelion listed on the bottle), yeast and bread or cracker. Smells like grains and cardboard for the most part.

Tastes like roasted grains, vegetables, malt, flowers, cardboard, funky yeast, floral hops, lemon, bread or cracker, herbs, biscuit, caramel, mild spices like pepper, coriander, wheat and grassy or earthy notes that lead to the grainy end. Too earthy overall, I get the attempt here but the beer misses the mark in the flavor delivery.

Mouthfeel is crisp and light, grainy and lemony, with very light carbonation, a medium body and grainy funky finish that almost tastes like some dirt was dropped in the beer.

Most herb/spice beers are a gamble, and this time I lost as I didn’t care for the flavor or aroma of this experimental beer. Kudos to Magic Hat for trying, but I just didn’t dig it.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 03:44:34 | More by CHickman

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I was very curious of what this beer would taste like being brewed with dandolions.
The appearance is very nice, golden color body, with a small fizzy head that hangs around for a minute. The smell has some malt and some floral notes to it. The taste is different, it has a peppery taste with some like floral notes on the tongue. The mouth feel is good and overall, not one of my favorits by magic hat.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 02:44:56 | More by chefhatt

nick76

Florida

3.5/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The aroma is hoppy with grassy, soapy, and citrusy hops and it has a yeasty bread element. The appearance is hazy gold with a large head. The taste is bitter and pretty much just hops. The palate is average. Overall it's not what I expected it's a bitter IPA type of beer but it's not bad.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 23:37:04 | More by nick76

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.4/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

"Don't Hex What's Best"

A: Pours a straw yellow color with a good amount of sediment present. A fingers worth of head

S: Pretty much just get light malts and some spicy yeast. Sort of get the dandelion, but it's very light

T: House yeast and dandelion are the most prevalent forces in the taste. Not much behind them, either. Just not much going on

M: Light bodied with moderate carbonation

O: I guess if you like light and mildly herby flavored beer, this one is for you. The dandelion doesn't impart much taste which leaves the house yeast which people tend to either love or hate... sort of middle ground for me. It does have a nice summery vibe going on, though, which is what MH was probably going for with this one

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 23:07:17 | More by BEERMILER12

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.38/5  rDev +3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Consumed 6/15/12

Appearance: Golden yellow color, pours hazy, and there are strange, tiny sediment particles floating, suspended throughout the beer - kind of unattractive - starts off with a foamy white head, fades to minimal lacing

Smell: On the mild side, with some grass and some light bready notes - typical Magic Hat yeast aroma - slightly spicy and floral

Taste: More interesting than the smell would imply - grassy and spicy, in a good way - floral, and a little peppery - herbal and tea-like - slightly bitter, nicely sweet, a little grainy

Mouthfeel: Medium body, pretty smooth, adequately carbonated

Overall: Not bad

I must admit, after drinking some recent beers from Magic Hat, I was not looking forward to this. Surprisingly, this is actually pretty interesting. I don't really know what dandelion tastes like, but I'm pretty sure this is the flavor...

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 04:57:06 | More by angrybabboon

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

thanks to tenderbranson69 for sharing this bottle with me, enjoyed chilled from a tumbler.

The color is golden with thick 2 finger cream and swirls of suspended particles intermingle with lots of fast moving bubbles of carbonation. The lace collects and head retention is good. The smell is very wheat oriented with mild bready notes from the yeast and a herbal/floral but mildly citrus aroma augments the malt aromas. The feel is creamy, highly carbonated and mildly astringent with some slight tangy acidity in the finish, body is semi-full for the strength.

This is a unique beer because I can't say I have had any type of beer with dandelion in it before. The smell is totally different than the taste until midway through and it starts with a slight malt taste, but gets very floral almost grassy and slightly lemony in the next taste. The yeast adds a light creaminess to the flavor with subtle toasted tinges from the malt which has a mild sweet element, but overall the flavors are ok, just seem to cohabitate in general. Overall a good beer to try if you like wheat and spice, but not a really complex beer, more for summer relaxation and I felt it was decent.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 11:30:53 | More by Slatetank

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

i like it, its clever. definitely an american pale ale, hoppier than youd think from a flower beer, but its nice. smells like the spirit of dandellion, very polleny, like biting the yellow head off one of them, then eating the greens and roasting the root. its hard to place really, in any meaningful stylistic sense, but it sure is drinkable. flavor is very pollen based, in a good way, like coconut water in the sense than its drinkable and satisfying, but you always want more. im impressed with this, feel is intersting, plenty of body for a summer beer, but medium carbonation that lets you taste the whole thing. overall a beer i will drink a million of this summer, and a one of a kind creation. i like the bold hops in this.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 03:35:00 | More by StonedTrippin

Duhast500

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the tap into a tasting glass.

The color is a deep orange with a slight whitish head and a small amount of lacing left on the glass.

The smell is a slight bit malty with some floral aroma that is coming off a touch spicy in the nose as well. There is some tame hops bitterness here in the nose but seems to meld well with the other aromas that it is hard to pick out.

The taste is a little bitter but has some light flowery flavor that hold some of the smack of the hops from taking over. There is a slight lemongrass and ginger flavor in the background that gives this beer a push that was unexpected. There is a slight spicy flavor that is mixing things up and keeping it interesting in the flavor.

The feel of this beer is smooth with a light body and has a nice drinkable feel. The light body allows this beer to hold up well on a hot day.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2012 15:55:53 | More by Duhast500