I recently purchased a variety 12 pack of Magic Hat, suggested by my college professor. When I opened a bottle of their #9 Not Quite Pale Ale, I could NOT get enough of it! It is absolutely fantastic. They use Pale and Crystal malt, Cascade and Apollo hops, and English Ale yeast. SRM is at 9.0, ABV is 5.1%, and IBU is at 20. It is a very refreshing beer with citrus tones. It would make an excellent summer beer, but is still great year round. I very much recommend it, props Magic Hat Brewing Co.
It also has apricot extract. It’s OK the first few times, it gets old fast, though.
What’s interesting to me is, its a fruit beer, but they market it as an APA. I feel like in a comp, it would get smacked in the APA category, but might do well in the fruit beer category.
If you like that apricot flavor profile, also check out GLBC Commodore Perry IPA if you haven’t had it. Great subtle apricot, particularly in the aroma. That comes from amarillo and cent hops though, not extract.
I saw alotta bad ratings on Beeradvocate.com, so I had low expectations. Drank it the other night and really enjoyed it.
It tasted more spicy than apricoty [sic], but from what I understand, yes, there is apricot extract in there.
I recommend this beer for a midsummer quaff - very refreshing. Or perhaps try it out on yer girlfriend, since it’s got fruit.
I hate it just like almost every other beer of theirs that I have tried. I have tried them multipule times too so I didnt just try them once and say “I hate this beer”. I kept coming back and always ended up disappointed.
I hate to sound like a beer snob but every Magic Hat I ever had wasn’t very magical at all. Other than it made my money disappear. Pretty boring and bland. But then again I have overdosed my taste buds with a wealth of hoppy beers.
If you like it then that is all that matters. Enjoy it. No ones opinion on taste matters except your own.
I picked up a bottle of their Heart of Darkness sweet stout from the ‘breakage bin’ in my LBS. Actually very good, but I’m with you on the majority of their beers. Had a TERRIBLE IPA by them. I hate it when the marketing outgrows the beer.
I have had it on tap where there was so much diacetyl it tasted like buttered popcorn.
I think that can be a function of serving though. For instance, I had been waiting to try a beer by DC Brau for so long, and I eventually grabbed a pale ale at an awesome restaurant in DC. Butter bomb. But I checked on BA and Ratebeer, and not a single review mentioned diacetyl/butter.
I have had the experience before (usually in more poorly-run places that don’t clean their lines). IIRC, diacetyl can grow/materialize in lines that aren’t cleaned and flushed regularly.
I didn’t taste any butter in it when I had it. More grapefruit than anything, which I love. Just goes to show that everyone have different tastes and views.
grapefruit in the sweet stout or #9?!
I tried #9 on tap in NC a few years ago and thought it was OK. When Magic Hat started distributing in MO, I picked up a 12 pack mix of 4 different products. I can’t remember exactly what all four were, but I didn’t like any of them. I do recall that one had beat juice in it and it was the “best” of the bunch. Really turned me off to Magic Hat products.
Grapefruit in the #9. Its made with cascade and apollo so yeah…
I’ve never been a fan of Magic Hat beers. As some have said already, they tend to be a bit bland in my opinion.
I have not had a Magic Hat in at least 10-15 years I think. Back in the day I thought it was pretty good. Of course things can change. My tastes are probably more refined now so it might not stand out anymore.
Are they still independant? I know a lot of breweries where I am tend to go downhill if they are bought out by someone else or go through a major expansion.
Would anyone say it is the exact same beer as it was 10 years ago?
Wasting time at work on a slow Friday and came upon this. I live in Kentucky and not sure how wide spread this knowledge is but Magic Hat is suing a micro brewery in Lexington called West Sixth over their logo ( http://www.westsixth.com/no-more-magic-hat/ ). The logos are similar but it is a pretty ridiculous lawsuit. And yes Magic Hat was bought and now owned by a company called Cerveceria Costa Rica, big turn off for me. I have tried many of Magic Hats beers over the years and have never been that impressed but had nothing against them either till now. Since I have started home brewing my mindset has changed to think local drink local and Kentucky’s micro brewery scene is booming right now.
People like to hate on magic hat for some reason, personally I think they’re alright. I like several of their beers, and I like the fact that they always include limited edition experimental brews in their variety packs.
I like a #9 every once in a while, and I like to take it camping since it now comes in cans. Its a pretty good crowd pleaser type beer. Some people have a real problem with anything with fruit in it though.
That’s a bummer. I’m not a lawyer, but it seems like this could get resolved easily by changing the logo colors. But it sounds like MH isn’t interested in talking.
Living in Mass, i have had my fair share of #9 and many of their other beers. I have to say that I feel like their beers have gone downhill over the years. Granted this could be because my palate has changed as when i started on magic hat there were much much less microbrews or options that i just wasn’t having all these other beers to drink. Hell, when i last drank #9, I’d be hard pressed to find an IPA on any store racks.
This is a cool read regarding lawsuits in the brewing industry. It specifically mentions Magic Hat v West Sixth.
http://johnatterrapin.wordpress.com/201 ... few-names/