Magic Hole IPA
Kennebec River Brewery

Magic Hole IPAMagic Hole IPA
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From:
Kennebec River Brewery
 
Maine, United States
Style:
American IPA
ABV:
6%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.61 | pDev: 13.02%
Reviews:
35
Ratings:
45
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 22, 2021
Added:
Aug 19, 2001
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  2
So named for its ability to make rafts disappear, Magic Hole is the Kennebec River’s biggest challenge. Dedicated to those with a "GO FOR IT" attitude, this bold, unrepentant ale is liberally hopped with premier East Kent Goldings. Our flagship brew. This golden hued ale was the first to be served here in 1996. Our India Pale Ale is crafted with an abundant measure of domestic and imported hops lending a pleasantly aggressive bitterness. Generous additions of hops towards the end of the brewing process gives this ale a big, unique flavor and aroma.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Snamnoum:
Photo of Snamnoum
Reviewed by Snamnoum from District of Columbia

3.44/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance - hazy honey caramel in color with about a finger of off white creamy head. Pretty good lacing.

Smell - very disappointing for an IPA, light and I mean light hops, citrus and phenols

Taste - well balance, little bit of bitterness up front which fades quickly into malted wheat and yeast. Pretty mellow for an IPA as others have said earlier more like an APA than a true American IPA.

Mouthfeel - medium/full bodied with good carbonation. Probably my favorite thing about this beer.

Drinkability - Is great I could have four of five of these no problem.

Overall - a good if confusing brew. If you called this an APA I and I think it's safe to say a few others would have given it a high score. Oh what the hell labels aside I'd drink it again.
Jul 16, 2010
More User Ratings:
Photo of johnnnniee
Reviewed by johnnnniee from New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Sample at the source.
Mostly clear deep gold in color with a thin bubbly white head.
Bready maltiness earthy citrus and light tropical fruit to counter.
Aug 22, 2021
 
Rated: 3.49 by acurtis from New Jersey

Aug 06, 2018
 
Rated: 3.8 by mgigs from Maine

Nov 09, 2014
Photo of CraftyViki
Reviewed by CraftyViki from Florida

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
This is a fine IPA. It has a nice hop character, is refreshing, and I like that the ABV is not too high. I was at the brewery 3 times last week and ordered this beer each time.
Sep 19, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by MenardMa from Connecticut

Aug 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by psdriscoll from Connecticut

Jul 01, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by ccurrid from Massachusetts

Jun 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by mick303 from Canada (ON)

Jun 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by seakayak from Massachusetts

Mar 04, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by abrodsky from Massachusetts

Sep 01, 2013
 
Rated: 2 by Rochefort10nh from New Hampshire

Nov 21, 2011
Photo of EkimGram
Reviewed by EkimGram from New York

3.48/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Colour is a hazy nutty brown. Head is a very thin layer sitting on top with just the slightest amount of lacing.

Smell: Strong hops with a bit of sweetness.

Taste: Not as hoppy as the aromas but still strong. Bitter, a little sweet, very pleasant.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, sticky, just a little bit of carbonation.

Overall: A very middle of the road beer. Your standard IPA, nothing too spectacular but nothing horrible.
Jul 28, 2011
Photo of TMoney2591
Reviewed by TMoney2591 from Illinois

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served in a Chicago Bears shaker pint glass.

Thanks to papollo for this bottle!

So many dirty jokes could be made with this beer. Oh, well. It pours a somewhat hazy auburn-amber topped by nearly a finger of light ecru foam. Streaks and waves of minor particulates permeate the liquid mass. The nose comprises light grapefruit, even lighter white grapes, and a decidedly light strain of caramel. The taste intensifies everything in equal proportions, though the grapefruit tries its vain hardest to overpower the others. The body is a light medium, with a light carbonation and a pretty smooth feel. Overall, a nice IPA, but one that is mostly just above-average.
Nov 02, 2010
Photo of lordofthewiens
Reviewed by lordofthewiens from New Mexico

3.62/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A bottle poured into a pint glass. The beer was a hazy amber color with a small tan head. There was a bit of lace.
Mostly floral aroma, but also citrus. Sweet malt too.
The taste was a little underwhelming, and did not deliver what the aroma suggested. More grapefruit than anything else, some piney hops, a bit of sweet malt. But I'd say it smelled better than it tasted.
Fairly balanced mouthfeel.
OK beer.
Sep 21, 2010
Photo of Durge
Reviewed by Durge from Connecticut

3.31/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
For lack of anything exciting of the home brews at Mainely Brews in Waterville, Maine, I tried this guest IPA. Poured cold into a pint glass it looked encouraging with a hazy deep auburn color and a big healthy off-white head and good lacing. However, the first sniff gave me an uneasy feeling that this would not meet my hoppy expectations. It was a peppery wheat hint with some sort of woodsy malt perhaps. Very mild and generally discouraging. But onward with my chin up, into the valley I plunge and sure enough, the flavor doesn't do too much better. It's a near medium bodied brew with decent carbonation but here again, though I do pick up some peachy hop edges, it's mostly a maple malt idea which is vague in itself. It has enough of an edge to make it fairly drinkable, refreshing and not a drain pour at all. Still, I was disappointed enough to find the brewpub had little to offer of its own to accept that it's best guest tap was this. The hop flag flies at half-mast this night in Waterville. Hops or no hops, this was an average brew at best. Tasting like something some macro brewer would devise, passable.
Aug 11, 2010
Photo of caddybuyer
Reviewed by caddybuyer from New Jersey

3.08/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass

A-Veiled copper with a very nice rich and creamy eggshell head that laces nicely.

S-Not much of a nose on this one...mostly malts detected. Some earthiness, but not much hops...then again..this is a Maine beer

T-Malts predominate a slighly flat palate. A bit of orange zest mixes it up a bit but aside from some tasty malts this is truly lackluster.

M-slightly undercarbonated, but otherwise decent for the style.

D-Just came back from Maine, and this was a really poor excuse for an IPA...OK for a PA, or an APA, but, come on...where is the love?
Aug 10, 2010
Photo of jdhilt
Reviewed by jdhilt from New Hampshire

3.05/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Pours a one finger off-white head that fades slowly to a thin layer leaving some lace. Cloudy amber color. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied. Hoppy and yeasty nose. Flavor is mostly hop bitterness, some caramel and yeast. $1.75 for a 12oz bottle from Beverage Warehouse Winooski, VT.
Jul 28, 2010
Photo of Admiraldinty
Reviewed by Admiraldinty from Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: Pours a murky amber with a two-finger, foamy head.

S: Floral hops, toasted malt.

T: Floral hops, toasted malts - almost charcoal like - earthy. Some citrus. Fairly bitter, but not like other IPAs. It's almost somewhat porter-like.

M: medium bodied, prickly carbonation - maybe too much.

D: I wasn't crazy about it at first, but it grew on me. Still, I certainly wouldn't call this an IPA - I'm not really sure what to call it.
Jul 11, 2010
Photo of tigg924
Reviewed by tigg924 from Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: 1/3 inch head, hazy, orange-brown in color, high carbonation

Smell: floral hops, toasted malt, some earth

Taste: floral hops and some toasted malt--especially at the start with a big caramel finish

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, medium/high carbonation, slightly bitter start followed by a sweet middle and a slightly bitter aftertaste

Drinkability: I could relax with several. Lots of caramel flavor here. I could see myself drinking a six.
Apr 18, 2010
Magic Hole IPA from Kennebec River Brewery
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 45 ratings