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Kerouac (Beet Beer)
Magic Hat Brewing Company

Beer Geek Stats
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- From:
- Magic Hat Brewing Company
- Vermont, United States
- Style:
- Fruit and Field Beer
- ABV:
- 4.6%
- Score:
- 82
- Avg:
- 3.41 | pDev: 13.2%
- Reviews:
- 10
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Dec 23, 2012
- Added:
- Apr 05, 2004
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
82
Good
82
Good

Notes:
A beer made with beets. Get it?
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by scottum:
Reviewed by scottum from Vermont
3.66/5 rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.66/5 rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours out a red / pink/ orange with a big light pink head. This is a beet beer, get it? Kerouac, beat, beets! Beet flavor is there, with a touch of hop for balance. A nice easy drinking beer. Certainly unusual enough to check out if you cross this beat's path.
Apr 05, 2004More User Ratings:
Reviewed by JoeCeez from Massachusetts
3.38/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.38/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Saw this on tap last night at Sunset in Allston and I had to order it, a beet(beat) beer called Kerouac, get it?
A: clear dark pink/ruby, a thin light pink head that quickly disappeared to leave no lacing
S: not much going on, malt a little bit of fruit
T: very sweet and fruity, cherries, generic re fruit drink, some mild hops but not much bitterness at all, sugar beets? I told my buddy that it tastes kinda like red kool-aid
M: medium/light bodied, smooth, with decent carbonation
D: sweet but not cloying, very pleasent fruitiness but not overpowering. one of the most interesting fruit beers I've ever had, I couldn't really taste the beets but it definitly looked like a beet beer and had a fruity sweetness that must be from sugar beets. An extremely creative and imaginative from Magic Hat.
Nov 21, 2008A: clear dark pink/ruby, a thin light pink head that quickly disappeared to leave no lacing
S: not much going on, malt a little bit of fruit
T: very sweet and fruity, cherries, generic re fruit drink, some mild hops but not much bitterness at all, sugar beets? I told my buddy that it tastes kinda like red kool-aid
M: medium/light bodied, smooth, with decent carbonation
D: sweet but not cloying, very pleasent fruitiness but not overpowering. one of the most interesting fruit beers I've ever had, I couldn't really taste the beets but it definitly looked like a beet beer and had a fruity sweetness that must be from sugar beets. An extremely creative and imaginative from Magic Hat.
Reviewed by jackorain from Pennsylvania
3.2/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
3.2/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Had a fairly large taste at The Drafting Room in Springhouse PA. Apparently it is not retired anymore.
Appearance was very red/pink in color with a decent bubbly pink head that dissapated to a nice collar and splotchy thin coat. Defintiely looked like cranberry spite, when 1st poured but the collor that remained didn't
Smelled very sweet and fruity possibly cherries or even cherry pie filling, there was also definteily a smell of sweet beets, I guess harvard beets. No hops aroma at all.
Tastes of non-descript fruitiness. Does not have the standard magic hat funk (thankfully). Interesting for sure
Mouthfeel is very light body with a very soda like carbonation, prickly and aggressive.
Overall-worth a tray, I might even have a pint if I wasn't interested in something hoppy for this visit.
Aug 23, 2007Appearance was very red/pink in color with a decent bubbly pink head that dissapated to a nice collar and splotchy thin coat. Defintiely looked like cranberry spite, when 1st poured but the collor that remained didn't
Smelled very sweet and fruity possibly cherries or even cherry pie filling, there was also definteily a smell of sweet beets, I guess harvard beets. No hops aroma at all.
Tastes of non-descript fruitiness. Does not have the standard magic hat funk (thankfully). Interesting for sure
Mouthfeel is very light body with a very soda like carbonation, prickly and aggressive.
Overall-worth a tray, I might even have a pint if I wasn't interested in something hoppy for this visit.
Reviewed by iceball585 from New York
3.7/5 rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.7/5 rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A- Very reddish hue w/ thin white head
S- Very sweet smell
T- Hints of cherry and citrus flavors
M- Very light and sweet
D- Definatly worth tasting... wouldn't get a pint though
Very interesting beer. I was told that it is flavored w/ sugar beets which isn't supposed to give it much taste (only more alcohol) but ends up giving it a nice cherry flavor. Definatly worth trying, more of a very nice desert beer.
Aug 15, 2007S- Very sweet smell
T- Hints of cherry and citrus flavors
M- Very light and sweet
D- Definatly worth tasting... wouldn't get a pint though
Very interesting beer. I was told that it is flavored w/ sugar beets which isn't supposed to give it much taste (only more alcohol) but ends up giving it a nice cherry flavor. Definatly worth trying, more of a very nice desert beer.
Reviewed by garcia2a from Pennsylvania
3.4/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.4/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Since magic hat makes good beers, I just had to have this one. The beer poured a clear reddish tone. The beer had a reasonable head that lasted about 8-10 minutes.
As for bouquet, I got hints of malt and fruit, no beets though. On tasting, here is where I was slightly saddened. The beer has a simple, sweet taste. It is exceptionaly light on the taste buds.
The body is light with nice mouthfeel. Very easy drinking. I wish it had more taste though. Unlike its namesake, this is an unopposing and simple beer. This could be an excellent beer to wean a few folks from macrobrews.
Just a suggestion, if we are going to stay with the beatnik brews, MH sould consider Lazlo, a radish beer.
Aug 12, 2007As for bouquet, I got hints of malt and fruit, no beets though. On tasting, here is where I was slightly saddened. The beer has a simple, sweet taste. It is exceptionaly light on the taste buds.
The body is light with nice mouthfeel. Very easy drinking. I wish it had more taste though. Unlike its namesake, this is an unopposing and simple beer. This could be an excellent beer to wean a few folks from macrobrews.
Just a suggestion, if we are going to stay with the beatnik brews, MH sould consider Lazlo, a radish beer.
Reviewed by WillieMoe from Massachusetts
2.66/5 rDev -22%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
2.66/5 rDev -22%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Wanted to try this mostly for the name and because it's a Magic Hat. It's bright red in color with a malt cherry scent. I was surprised that the taste was sort of weak. It had a hint of fruity flavor, but a bit too malty. Not very sweet, overall had a plain, bland flavor. Was a little disappointed, as usually Magic Hat has some quality selections. I wouldn't judge Magic Hat on this one beer.
Jul 30, 2007Reviewed by williamherbert from New York
2.58/5 rDev -24.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
2.58/5 rDev -24.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Quick notes on this beer:
*Clear cherry/juice look
*Slight fruity cherryish smell, but that might be the beets
*The malty aroma is not at all subtle.
*The malt flavor is a bitter, German type
*Not really much taste at all; kinda dull.
*The feel is a bit creamy, which is the most character it has.
*Like a winter ale, but without any sweetness
*Bland, bland, bland
*Easy to drink actually, but only because it's so devoid of flavor/depth
Jul 29, 2007*Clear cherry/juice look
*Slight fruity cherryish smell, but that might be the beets
*The malty aroma is not at all subtle.
*The malt flavor is a bitter, German type
*Not really much taste at all; kinda dull.
*The feel is a bit creamy, which is the most character it has.
*Like a winter ale, but without any sweetness
*Bland, bland, bland
*Easy to drink actually, but only because it's so devoid of flavor/depth
Reviewed by mymrnngjckt from Pennsylvania
3.23/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
3.23/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Had this on tap at the brewery. This is made with Beet Sugar. The appearance is simple: this is the redest beer I have ever seen. Looks like food coloring.
The beer had a slight citrus smell but that went away quickly.
The taste of this beer was simple. It was not overwhelmingly "beety" as I was afraid it would be.
The mouthfel was good. It had a lot of carbonation.
This is a very drinkable beer. I am not certain of the ABV but this is an ideal session beer.
Jul 23, 2007The beer had a slight citrus smell but that went away quickly.
The taste of this beer was simple. It was not overwhelmingly "beety" as I was afraid it would be.
The mouthfel was good. It had a lot of carbonation.
This is a very drinkable beer. I am not certain of the ABV but this is an ideal session beer.
Reviewed by jsled from Vermont
3.84/5 rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
3.84/5 rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Purchased 2007.07.06, Magic Hat Artefactory
Growler, from tap
Indeed, it's come out of retirement...
Pour: Clear, bright kool-aid red, with only a slight haze. Two fingers of
pink-off-white foam recede quickly; no lacing on glass. Little residual
bubbling.
Smell: Clear, slightly tart and sweet, earthy. Saccharine. Grassy.
Taste: Malty. Smooth. Sugary. Hop; bitterness. Beets ... but very faint.
Caramel? Residual sweetness, somewhat heavy.
Mouthfeel: Light. Not overly effervescent. Neutral all the way around.
Drinkability: Very high. It's fun to look at, and once the novelty wears off, it's just a
solid light-bodied but not watery ale ... an excellent summer beer.
Jul 06, 2007Growler, from tap
Indeed, it's come out of retirement...
Pour: Clear, bright kool-aid red, with only a slight haze. Two fingers of
pink-off-white foam recede quickly; no lacing on glass. Little residual
bubbling.
Smell: Clear, slightly tart and sweet, earthy. Saccharine. Grassy.
Taste: Malty. Smooth. Sugary. Hop; bitterness. Beets ... but very faint.
Caramel? Residual sweetness, somewhat heavy.
Mouthfeel: Light. Not overly effervescent. Neutral all the way around.
Drinkability: Very high. It's fun to look at, and once the novelty wears off, it's just a
solid light-bodied but not watery ale ... an excellent summer beer.
Reviewed by Brad007 from Vermont
4.06/5 rDev +19.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.06/5 rDev +19.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I can see that this beer is considered to be retired. However, they are brewing it again at Magic Hat right now.
Color: Very nice beet-red/ruby hue with even a reddish head
Aroma: Malt and some sweetness (possibly from the beet?)
Taste: Starts out as a nice pale ale and finishes with a sweet note at the back of the throat. Nice and smooth. Somewhat malty with some hop presence. Aftertaste is one of beet. Subsequent sips produce more sweetness.
This beer is somewhat unsettling on my stomach but besides that, I think it's a very interesting take on a fruit/vegetable beer and a nice surprise.
Jun 11, 2007Color: Very nice beet-red/ruby hue with even a reddish head
Aroma: Malt and some sweetness (possibly from the beet?)
Taste: Starts out as a nice pale ale and finishes with a sweet note at the back of the throat. Nice and smooth. Somewhat malty with some hop presence. Aftertaste is one of beet. Subsequent sips produce more sweetness.
This beer is somewhat unsettling on my stomach but besides that, I think it's a very interesting take on a fruit/vegetable beer and a nice surprise.
Kerouac (Beet Beer) from Magic Hat Brewing Company
Beer rating:
82 out of
100 with
11 ratings
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