Hi.P.A. - Magic Hat Brewing Company

bigdrewsmoove

South Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bought this in a mixed 12 pack from Magic Hat. Poured into a New Belgium globe glass.

A- Very light amber with orange yellow hue. Lots of bubble action with a decent thin head with some lacing that sticks.

S- sweet malty smell with some nice fruit from the hops.

T- once again, sweet maltiness up front. Grapefruit finish from the hops with some biterness that hangs around. Very balanced. An IPA but not a hop bomb. Flavors aren't huge but this tastes nice.

M- Good carbonation. Little trace of alcohol.

O- Enjoyable. As stated, the flavors aren't overpowering but for the price this is solid. Only paid $13 for the mixed 12 pack. Would recommend.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 22:34:48 | More by bigdrewsmoove

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.43/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

#131. It's been a while since I've had my Magic Hat fix. This is one of my more anticipated releases from this brewery. Picked as part of their "Night of the Living Dead" Variety pack.

(Appearance) Pours a 2 finger depth head of a frothy consistency that retains well, crowning in the center as the sides fade away leaving a billowing cream-white head. Color is a translucent mild amber yellow and exceptionally hazy by appearance. Lacing is nice. Carbonation is steady and abundant. Some of the better qualities in this beer are in the head which is outstanding for this beer. looks quite nice. 4.5

(Smell) A very pleasant mild aroma of pale malts and, with some citrus zest, lemongrass and berry fruit tones which are more evident in this aroma than the standard American IPA. I attribute this to a variety of floral hops, as both piney character and heavy grassy tones are lacking. The potency of this beer is somewhat mild. Pleasant aroma nonetheless with lots of curious character in the nose. 4

(Taste) Far more bitter and hoppy than the aroma gives off. A mild malt character paired with a modest grassy hop tone. With a boldly bitter and mildly dry finish, this stands as a solid entry within IPA grounds, but doesn't carry much of the aroma's individuality with it. Most of the berry and floral tones gathered in the nose didn't deliver in the taste, which was more geared towards bitterness, being ultimately less complex than the aroma. If the remaining flavors were more pronounced, and this would be an excellent beer. I am left thinking that the balance in the taste is somewhat off, and would have preferred some complexity beneath the hop character. 3

(Mouthfeel) A tad bit tart and prickly, pairing well with the flavors of the mouth. A mild alcohol taste lingers in the background, but never overpowers the other flavors. This beer has a light body. It pairs well with the taste. 3.5

(Overall) I found this beer to seem far more complex and session able in the aroma than it was in the taste, which goes more for a standard IPA in character. Some of the more discrete aromas were omitted from the experience entirely, which leaves this far more one-dimensional than other adventurous American IPAs. Those looking for a more bitter IPA experience will likely find this to be a great choice. A bizarre beer for the Fall season, but better one time a year than never. 3.5

Magic Hat Brewing Company's
Hi.P.A.
B- (3.43)

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 01:58:51 | More by Jadjunk

philbe311

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Two fingers worth of slightly thick fluffy pillow-like off-white colored head... Surprisingly good retention... The color is a pale lemony yellow with the faintest of hazes... A moderate bit of small bubbled sluggish carbonation that rises randomly...

S - The hops are at the forefront... Sweet candied citrus... Oranges... Mangoes... Some candied sugar... The whole thing is very reminiscent of citrus flavored jelly sugar candies... A very subtle light spiciness... However, this hoppiness sits atop a very sturdy malt foundation... Honey... Caramel... Bready malts...

T - The nose was a perfect indication of what to expect on the palette... The hops are present and effective... They take on a mostly citrusy character... They sit on a very strong malt base... Crackers... Biscuits... Light caramel... A very good combination...

M - Medium bodied... Smooth... Crisp... Clean... Refreshing... Very lightly carbonation... Delicate... Even and consistent...

D - A formidable American IPA that exceeded my expectations... Not the best of the bunch, but solidly beyond average... A very nice job by Magic Hat...

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 22:02:38 | More by philbe311

Imsothirsty

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours light golden, no haze, 2 fingers of head drop down to 1 finger quickly.

Nose is decent, very floral hops, a little bit of malt comes through.

Some good bitter hops but no follow through. Some buttery malt brown sugar, just a tiny bit of alcohol comes through.

Mouthfeel is very light, medium carbonation.

Overall, its a good try for a beginner IPA, maybe a starter for someone who has never had anything but adjunct lagers. I wouldn't seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 00:24:14 | More by Imsothirsty

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.73/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter. Golden to orange opaque with a finger of head.
The aroma is amazing. Smell it a mile away; rough citrus, honey,
Upfront biting bitter that is unrelenting throughout. The smell led to to think that there would be a substantial malt balance... nope. Still, it is a good tasting, if blunt IPA.
Fairly crisp with a smoothness to it. Moderate carbonation and medium bodied.
I really like the aroma. The rest of it was solid IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 19:59:15 | More by Fatehunter

weizenbob

Michigan

2.8/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

From the I.P.A. on Tour series, this 3/4 pint (12 ounce) bottle was received from a good friend. Best enjoyed by October 31, 2011 is clearly printed on the bottle neck. The bottle was poured into a tulip glass.

The pour manifests nearly three fingers of fluffy white head. Head retention is moderate. Fluffy patches of lacing caress the glass. The brew is golden hued with a small amount of haze. It is paler than I am used to seeing from an IPA with an alcohol content as high as 6.7% ABV. A little bit of carbonation is seen through the glass.

In the nose this IPA appears to have an equalized balance between malt and hops. The hop aroma is floral and the malt is reminiscent of toffee. Alcohol is a bit strong on the nose compared to other IPAs of similar strength.

The first sip reveals a beer that is very much out of balance. Hops lead the charge with notes of pine and flower petals. The hop level is appropriate , though milder than most hoped up American IPAs. The problem is that the malt bill is not strong enough to support even the modest hopping herein. Present malts bring to mind flavors of toffee and biscuit; they're just not assertive enough. Somehow Magic Hat has managed to engineer a 6.7% ABV ale that tastes watered down. The finish is dry, leaving behind some grapefruit-like hop bitterness. Did you ever wonder what hop water would taste like?

The mouthfeel is probably the high water mark for this beer. The body is on the lighter end of medium which aids the easy drinking nature of this brew. It is appropriately carbonated. I cannot reiterate enough how light this beer tastes and feels in comparison to what you would expect. Sure, alcohol content is not an indicator of flavor, but one should at least expect a lot more body from a beer of such gravity. I don't know if it was Magic Hat's intent, but HI.P.A receives the award for being the heaviest beer with the lightest flavor. Unfortunately, it ranks near my least favorite IPAs.

---

The Two-Schlitz Scale: (reference my profile for an explanation)
I don't give a Schlitz for Magic Hat HI.P.A. I don't even know what they were shooting for with this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 19:16:07 | More by weizenbob

StoutHunter

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I picked up a bottle of Magic Hat's Hi.P.A. for $1.39 at The Lager Mill yesterday. I haven't had much luck with Magic Hat, but this bottle caught my eye so I thought I would give them another chance, so lets see how it goes. It had a best buy date of November 30th 2011. Poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a imperial pint glass.

A- The bottle art is pretty nice, the mix of colors and the hippie chick really caught my eye. It poured a real light and somewhat hazy golden color with two fingers worth of fluffy white head that died down to a thin layer that stayed till the end and left some nice sheets of lacing.

S- The aroma of this beer is all about the hops. It has a nice mixture of floral, piney, and citrus hops. The citrus hops seem to show up the most with grapefruit, mango, and pineapple showing up the most. The piney hops are the second strongest and they mix together well with a light aroma of floral hops, all in all a pretty nice mix of hops in the aroma. I can pick up a little bit of the sweet caramel malt base of this beer but the hops pretty much overpower it.

T- The taste starts off with some caramel malts that are pretty low on sweetness, but that only lasts a split second till I was hit with a high amount of medium bitterness in the middle. After that I got some of hop flavors from this beer with the piney and floral hops sticking out the most leaving a lighter then expected amount of citrus fruit in the background. The finish was a little piney with a medium amount of bitterness.

M- Smooth, on the light side of being medium bodied, and it had a nice medium amount of carbonation, no problems here.

Overall I thought this was a good IPA. It wasn't as bold and flavorful as some of my favorite IPA"s, but what it lacked in boldness it made up for it with it's balance, when I first smelled this beer I figured it was going to be unbalanced hop bomb, but that wasn't the case when I got down to the taste. What I liked most about the beer was the aroma, it was really hop heavy with a nice emphasis on citrus fruits that I tend to really like in my IPA's and DIPA's. What I liked least about this beer was the taste, it was still pretty good and was very balanced but I would have liked the citrus fruits to show up more in the taste.
I would for sure sure drink this beer again but I don't think I will go out of my way to seek it out. If you like your IPA's to be balanced then this brew is worth of a try. It also had some good drinkability since things were more balanced and it doesn't tear up your taste buds with bitterness. Hi.P.A. is my favorite brew from Magic Hat so far, this was the first beer from them that actually impressed me, I guess it's not time to write Magic Hat off yet, this IPA series may have some potential.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 03:28:12 | More by StoutHunter

coalcracker

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a light gold with pretty substantial and fluffy head.
Smell: Mildly hoppy aroma with a pretty significant floral and citrus elements.
Taste: Obviously, a hoppy start with a somewhat sweet aspect that follows soon after. Hops are not too strong and are well balanced by bready malts. Tropical fruit elements most obvious, notably pineapple and grapefruit. Little in the way of alchohol- this is well-hidden.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with a surprisingly smooth feel.

Overall: I believe this is only a seasonal offering- which is too bad considering the fact that is a pretty solid IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 17:11:56 | More by coalcracker

Brenden

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The color is a clear pale amber, drifting more toward a darker shade of yellow. A creamy white head forms on the pour and sticks around at 2 fingers tall for a good while. When it recedes to a thick pillow of head, it deposits thick chunks of lacing on the glass.
Interestingly, it's difficult to get much from the nose. It comes out a bit more as it sits, and I smell some resiny hops bitterness with a citrus presence and not a whole lot of malts for balance, but enough. There's a touch of earthy mustiness in the back.
This beer has a nice bitterness to it, particularly flowery with a bit of pine resin and maybe a touch of citrus. There's a bit of a fruity sweetness hanging around as well. Malts add a toasty, grainy flavor that keeps it from an unfortunate imbalance.
The mouthfeel, for all the hops and a pretty good depth, is somewhat lacking. The body is medium but thins out, and it sort of drops off as I swirl it in my mouth, flattening rather than filling. There's a bit of crispness but it falls a little short.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 13:24:12 | More by Brenden

bierbrauer

Wisconsin

3.85/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: 12 oz. bottle, best before 12/30/11, poured into Tyranena pint glass. Minimally cloudy, effervescent, gold/amber split, 3/4" head, scattered lacing.

S: Restrained; mild citrus, pine, hops.

T: Initial fruit; malt balanced with moderate hop bitterness that lingers.

M: Quite smooth, light/medium bodied, with moderate carbonation, balanced finish and noticeable (6.7%) alcohol warming.

O: Well-crafted and balanced, with reasonable bitterness, this is a solid go-to IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 01:55:08 | More by bierbrauer

Kooz

New York

2.55/5  rDev -31.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a standard pint glass. Color of light caramel, some head, slightly opaque. Looks good.

One sniff and the hops punch you in the face. This has a very strong and distinct smell. It isn't necessarily bad, but I am not a big fan.

Very bitter--this beer is overhopped. The other flavors (if any) are overshadowed by the hops. For a pure hops lover, this might be good, but it isn't a complex flavor, it's really just hops.

A lot of body for an IPA. It's maybe a bit creamier than you'd expect (not that it's creamy, just more than you'd think). There is some bite from the bitterness. This beer has a very solid mouthfeel.

Not a fan--there are plenty of complex, interesting IPAs that I'd rather have than this.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 01:31:29 | More by Kooz

GarrettMD

New York

3.98/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Hazy orange color with a thin layer of off white head with tiny bubbles.

S - Hops, just general hops. All of the aromas are in there. Mostly citrus (orange, lemon), a good amount of pine and spicy notes as well. Fantastic caramel malt base to compliment it as well.

T - Sweet caramel malts are the base of the flavor with hop bitterness being the first taste to show up, followed by the citrus hops pairing with the sweet malts, and ending with the spicy hops flavors.

M - Medium bodied, not too much carbonation. Finish is sticky and sweet. The malts stick around leaving a cloyingly sweet taste to offset the bitterness from the hops.

O - Pretty good IPA. I would definitely buy it again. A little more malt dependent than most IPAs I have had, but good nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 01:15:55 | More by GarrettMD

WrathsU

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Magic Hat hI.P.A

A - Pours a yellow and gold/orange hued body. Head is white and dissipates quickly. For the most part pretty clear with a very slight haziness to it.

S - American hops throughout the aroma. Smells piney and citrusy. Deliciously fragrant and smells like an IPA should.

T - Great bitterness and hop flavor throughout. Definitely a hop forward beer with bitterness greating my mouth instantaneously. As it explores the rest of my mouth the hop aroma and a slight malt backbone come out to play. Very citrusy.

M - Full bodied and slight alcohol burn. The bitterness tingles a bit.

D - A wonderful IPA and probably the best Magic Hat beer I've ever had. It's delicious from the beginning to the end and although the alcohol is a bit high, it would make a great session beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 00:42:44 | More by WrathsU

enfield249

Michigan

3.78/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Gold to light amber in color, white head of foam.

S - Orange blossoms, slight apple or light fruit smell.

T - Nice hop flavor of citrus, slight pine in there also.

M - Light medium. Not too much CO2.

O - A nice flavorful but mild IPA. Too often IPAs are over the top, especially AIPAs, but this one finds a nice medium between flavor and bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2011 00:24:01 | More by enfield249

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.6/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Sampled on September 28, 2011. It reveals itself with a light amber pour that is quite cloudy. The head is thin but long lasting. The aroma is subtle with hops and meaty fruits like apple or pear. There is also a hint of caramel malts in the air. The body is in the medium range but also very smooth and creamy. The taste has a mellow, eathy hoppy character that is notable but at the same time not overpowering. Clean but bitter at the end.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 01:14:00 | More by puboflyons

TheHoppiest

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours a slightly hazy gold, with a three finger head that slowy reduces with plenty of sticky white webbing.

Malty and hoppy all at once, citrus and toffee combine for a sugar cane sweet aroma punctuated with mild spice. The malty sweetness, evident in the lacing of the head, gives this almost a hint of vanilla.

Despite the evident malts and hops poured into this brew, the taste is more subdued than one would expect. Bitter at the forefont, with a weak push of apricot and grapes, developing into a mildly spicy, almost astringent finish.

Medium bodied, with a bitter, tongue tingling finish.

Wow, this started off so well, looking great and smelling great, but simply fell apart at the taste. The flavors simply didn't meld well, being simultaneously harsh and weak. Not one of the better IPA's I've had.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 01:51:43 | More by TheHoppiest

tdm168

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a pale golden yellow with 1/4" of head that fades to a thin lacing. It smells of grapefruit and faint malt notes. Very nice citrusy hop aromas. The taste is malty up front with pineapple and grapefruit in the finish. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, well carbonated, though a little thin at times.

Overall, not a bad beer. Well balanced, nice hop/malt pairing; it's just a little thin.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 15:33:17 | More by tdm168

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.83/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a hazy straw yellow color with almost no head

S: Some grassy, earthy, and piney hops with a decent malt backbone

T: Same as the smell, starts off with the grassy, piney hops and goes into some malts towards the end. Maybe some citrus rind. Not tremendously hoppy, but it is quite bitter, especially towards the end and into the aftertaste

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

O: A decent IPA that definitely boasts some bittering hops. Very nice if you're into grassy and earthy hops, as there's not much of a citrus presence. Don't think I'd buy a 6-pack (simply because I'm not too big on grassy hops), but it is still definitely worth a try

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 17:04:18 | More by BEERMILER12

2xHops

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I picked this up via the 12-pack sampler I bought from Central Market in Austin. I'm not so sure if this was a fresh bottle, because I couldn't find the freshness date even though the back label told me where to find it.

The appearance looked good with dark golden color with a healthy amount of head developing and slowly dissipating away. The smell was good, but not great, because the hops were somewhat weak.

Sure enough, the flavors did not come alive. I could taste the hops, but they were weak! This is why I was trying to find the freshness date so I can be certain if it's just a case of older bottle or something I can evaluate on its own merit. The hops hit you at first, then disappeared rather quickly. The mouthfeel does feel on a bit thin side.

This review is based on a bottle that is possibly somewhat old, so I will have to revisit this bottle later again when I can guarantee the bottle to be fresh.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 03:15:55 | More by 2xHops

Tballz420

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Magic Hat Hi.P.A. is a golden colored brew, pretty cloudy, with a bubbly, medium-sized white head. Following the head down the glass is a nice trail of lace.

The nose has some sweet pale malts, but also has a bit of citrus and bitter hop notes as well. Not particularly overwhealming, but what is there is nice.

Sweet pale malt start, a bit of caramel, with a nice, light fruit transition into citrus hop tones and light, floral aroma hop background. The mouth is medium with a nice amount of carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 02:31:22 | More by Tballz420

CaptJackHarkness

New York

4.4/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Twelve ounce bottle from magic hats' Tour of I.P.A., cap reads "Condoms prevent minivans".

Pours a cloudy golden yellow with a full frothy head. Lacing of the glass quite nice. taste is somewhat orange-citrusy as is the scent, more fruity than malty, just the right hoppiness to balance the taste.remarkably drinkable!

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 20:49:04 | More by CaptJackHarkness

Arenbeer

Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a Mug

No date on bottle but I know it's fresher.

A- Pours a golden orange-yellow with a 1 finger white head that sticks around. Tons of carbonation streaming up from the bottom of the glass.

S- Really strong citrus and fruity hops with slight notes of grass and earth. Nothing crazy but not bad.

T- Just like the aroma. Very tropical fruity flavors from the helps with some sweet caramel yet bready malts in the background. A really nice hop profile and full of flavor.

M- Medium bodied with moderate carbonation and a nice bitter finish.

SkÅL!

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 22:59:07 | More by Arenbeer

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A-Pours a very light amber color. Head that forms is large and retains. Head is puffy. Lightly hazed. The rings of lacing vary in thickness due to how long the beer sits without being drank.

S-I find Magic Hat brews to have a specific 'hard-to-describe' aroma and flavor. Their beer almost almost tastes metallic or as if it tastes like the bottle that holds it. This specific Magic Hat beer does not really have much of that smell. Nose is mostly of fresh citrus and some grain. Malt is mellow, as is most of the aroma but the citrus hop notes are the headliner.

T-All in all, a mellow yet tasty IPA. The hops are fresh orange citrus. Not very bitter, but this tastes quite fresh and pretty lively. Malt balances out the beer. Good beer for a newbie.

M-Lighter than the ABV would suggest. Carbonation is slight. Not much of a lingering feel. Slightly dry and even more slight on the bitterness.

O/D-The best Magic Hat beer I have had. I actually have no serious knock on this beer. $9.00 is not bad either. Genuinely solid.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 02:50:05 | More by VelvetExtract

Lauthaha

Michigan

4.03/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(reviewed from a tape recorder on September 3rd, 2010)

Appearance: Pours an amber-to-golden color. Light, transparent...some pretty decent carbonation and a two-finger head which has remained for several minutes.

Smell: Fruity hops, a little bit of citrus flavor. Very flowery, pleasant-smelling hops.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Very full-flavored hops. A bouquet of aromas are present. Doesn't leave a bad aftertaste, and rinses fairly smooth. A touch of spice notes (maybe ginger).

Overall: I would recommend it to people who like IPAs. Not a bad example by any means.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 04:05:27 | More by Lauthaha

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a lightly clouded copper tinted amber with big poofy and soapy white head, fairly long lasting. Scent brings moderate levels of citrusy, piney and some spicy and grassy hops to boot, malt backbone is mostly musty grain. Quite bitter upon the first sip as spicy and citrus are the dominant hop notes with some pine, backbone has a touch of caramel, very light roast and again some faint mustiness. Medium bodied, grainy feel, dry. A decent IPA that doesn't disappoint or standout either way.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 13:53:28 | More by rfgetz