Humdinger Series: Burn Pile - Magic Hat Brewing Company

Neorebel

New Jersey

3.74/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Burnpile pours an oily dark brown, with some very faint carbonation. A gorgeous puffy tan colored head sits on top, which eventually recedes to about a quarter inch. Healthy lacing is left on the glass as the beer goes down. The aroma is relatively complex, with coffee toasted malts, burnt crust, and black cherries. The taste is initially strong, with a woody characteristic taking the forefront. Very smoky, perhaps just a tad over the top for some people's tastes. There is a tiny bit of sweet citrus hop flavor as well. The mouth feel is crisp, but watery. I would prefer if it was just a little thicker. Overall, this isn't a bad beer by any means, but not the best example of a smoked porter. If you are really into smoked beer or the German style Rauchbier, give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 19:46:30 | More by Neorebel

Brewski

Pennsylvania

2/5  rDev -43.8%

05-09-2013 02:42:21 | More by Brewski

Ivanhoes_Backpack

New Brunswick (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%

04-30-2013 21:20:15 | More by Ivanhoes_Backpack

PapiMagnum

New York

4/5  rDev +12.4%

04-19-2013 03:57:06 | More by PapiMagnum

randylangford

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%

04-09-2013 00:18:11 | More by randylangford

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -22.8%

03-14-2013 15:21:03 | More by ShanePB

superspak

Michigan

3.48/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, August 2012 bottling. Pours clear almost pitch black color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of raisin, apple, molasses, chocolate, roasted malt, toast, smoke, light char, light coffee, floral, and roasted earthiness. Decent aromas with solid balance and complexity of roasted notes; but a bit too fruity. Taste of chocolate, roasted malt, raisin, toast, molasses, smoke, light char, dark bread, and light roasted earthiness. Lingering notes of chocolate, roasted malt, toast, raisin, molasses, smoke, light char, dark bread, light wood, and earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Pretty good balance and complexity of roasted flavors with moderate smokiness; fair amount of robustness; and minimal cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and lightly slick mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is very well hidden with nearly zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a solid smoked porter. A bit too fruity in the aromas, but has some solid balance of roasted flavor and smokiness; and is very smooth to sip on. A fairly enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 04:19:19 | More by superspak

GreesyFizeek

New York

3.25/5  rDev -8.7%

03-09-2013 15:59:40 | More by GreesyFizeek

flynndan

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +12.4%

03-03-2013 22:10:43 | More by flynndan

mendvicdog

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%

03-03-2013 16:51:33 | More by mendvicdog

nickfl

Florida

3.61/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - Pours with a small head of light tan foam on top of an opaque, black body. The head settles at a moderate lace and leaves decent lace.

S - Light smoke, leather, and a bit of coffee,

T - Lots of dark caramel up. Front with notes of smoke. A bit of clove and molasses in the middle with a finish of toast and caramel.

M - Medium thick body, moderately low carbonation, and a balanced finish.

D - Not bad, the smoke character is subdued but present enough to make an impact.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 19:05:35 | More by nickfl

kylehay2004

Florida

3.29/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Half finger head with thick lacing on a very deep brown body. Aroma of smoked and roasted malts, peat, vanilla. Flavors include general porter notes which are sweeter than normal from the vanilla and brown sugar. The flavor is not at all smokey. Medium to thick body and light carbonation. Disappointingly not very smokey. The packaging is impressive, the beer not so much.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 02:53:40 | More by kylehay2004

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Magic Hat : Burnpile

APPEARANCE: Pours a clear dark amber brown. Leaves behind a pretty good display of webbed lacing on the glass.

SMELL: Bready and toasty, with hints of chocolate. Magic Hat yeast strain adds sweet bread notes. Malted milk ball candy comes to mind.

TASTE: Roasted malt, chocolate and caramel. Small dry charcoal like smoke emerges a few sips in, into the aftertaste. On the sweeter side even a bit worty. Hops are mildly bitter and spruce tea like. Finishes with more caramel and dry smoke. Faint raisin flavor, dark chocolates and alcohol.

FEEL: Medium bodied, with ample carbonation, smooth and creamy. Has a drying finish, leaving behind caramel and smoke flavor.

OVERALL: This is an enjoyable porter. It is pretty sweet but has a good feel and overall flavor. Decent example of a mainstream smoked porter. Compared to most porters this is fairly potent. Would pair nicely with BBQ.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 06:01:31 | More by Stinkypuss

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

3.89/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Burn Pile pours near black with ruby highlights on the edges. On top sits a small fizzy tan head. The foam disappears quickly leaving only a few spots of lace on the glass.

The aroma is faint, but does have some notes of smoke, chocolate and roast malt. Hint of nuts is also present.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is watery on the palate with moderate carbonation. The flavor is malty with a fair amount of smoke. Chocolate, roast malt, caramel, dark fruit (plum or raisin?), and smoke are all present. The smoke is the strongest flavor, but not overpowering. It finishes with a mild grassy bitterness. Once gone the smoke and dark fruit lingers on the palate.

This is an easy drinking beer with a nice balance of malts and smoke. However, it's a bit thin in the body and the aroma isn't very strong.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 22:33:15 | More by WanderingFool

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A caged and corked bottle of 7.5% ABV smoked porter. I was too intrigued not to buy this. $12 for the bottle. I'm splitting it with the girlfriend, as per usual, and pouring it into pint glasses. Here goes.

Pours practically black. Some dark caramel tones along the edges when held to the light. The head was meager, but an attractive color of yellowed-mocha. Some drippy lacing shows.

Smells like dark, wet cereal with maybe a touch of smokiness. Maybe. There are major flaws here. I was looking for a bold aroma and I got roasted fluff.

Lightly smoked malts with some caramel notes and flavors of burnt grain, however, it still doesn't come off as bold--nor delicate. It's a good porter, and I like how the smokiness imparts subtle flavor and never comes close to breaching the threshold on the palate, but a medicinal note is noticed and a bit abrasive. There's a sweet and savory quality that I like, but it's malty sweet, and I don't mean chocolate of coffee flavors. A hint of salinity in the finish helps to dry out the backend, and some light hopping shows up as well. It's nice to know they're there even though hops aren't the most welcome component in a smoked porter. I'd advocate letting this warm up to near-room temperature, as the smokiness amplifies, which is what you need here.

Alcohol strength is pretty much appropriate, as this is bordering on Imperial potency. Maybe a little heady, still. Dextrinous body with a lot of oatmeal chew. Carbonation feels barely dissolved and uneven, but the brightness is close enough to call it ideal. Chewy doesn't equal creamy in body, but there's enough here to be happy with it.

While Burnpile is still a nice, little smoked porter, this has to be one of the most disappointing caged-and-corked beers that I have had. It's fun, but the price is too high on this one. I don't recommend, but I enjoyed trying it.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 05:07:03 | More by thecheapies

nafredet1

Vermont

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%

01-02-2013 18:58:07 | More by nafredet1

GrindFatherBob

New York

4/5  rDev +12.4%

01-01-2013 22:36:13 | More by GrindFatherBob

mountdew1

New Hampshire

3.48/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an imperial pint glass. Color was a very dark brown, almost black. Very slightly translucent near the edges. A 1/4 inch mocha colored head, with a handful of streams of carbonation from the bottom. Aroma had a touch of lactose sweet, but was mostly a bit of smoke. Not a fake smoke. Taste was slightly bitter up front, but switched to a mellow smoke. Felt a smidgen thin in the mouth, with no noticeable carbonation. Fairly good smoked porter, not necessarily worth the cage/cork. $5-6 would be reasonable for this.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 00:24:18 | More by mountdew1

Orange

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%

12-23-2012 08:22:46 | More by Orange

Tpsauer

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +19.4%

12-20-2012 23:38:37 | More by Tpsauer

Conor

1.75/5  rDev -50.8%

12-17-2012 03:39:20 | More by Conor

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at New World Tavern, Plymouth--served into a pint glass.

Appearance: black in color, 1 inch head, opaque, minimal carbonation

Smell: smoked malt and BOSCO

Taste: roasted malt, dark chocolate, light sweet chocolate, creaminess at the end and light smoke

Mouthfeel: medium-heavy bodied, moderate carbonation, sweet with roasty bitterness

Overall: An above average roasty semi-smoky beer. Decent, but nothing I would go out of my way for.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2012 15:56:44 | More by tigg924

halo913

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%

12-02-2012 03:54:03 | More by halo913

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -15.7%

12-01-2012 03:40:55 | More by ejimhof

B00ZER

New Jersey

2.5/5  rDev -29.8%

11-25-2012 03:42:52 | More by B00ZER