-
Stop lurking! Stay logged in to search, review beers, post in our forums, see less ads, and more. Thanks! — Todd
#9
Magic Hat Brewing Company


Beer Geek Stats
| Print Shelf Talker
- From:
- Magic Hat Brewing Company
- Vermont, United States
- Style:
- Fruit and Field Beer
Ranked #375 - ABV:
- 5.1%
- Score:
- 78
Ranked #28,877 - Avg:
- 3.4 | pDev: 17.94%
- Reviews:
- 1,751
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Dec 20, 2022
- Added:
- Jun 09, 1998
- Wants:
- 107
- Gots:
- 1,360
SCORE
78
Okay
78
Okay


Notes:
A beer cloaked in secrecy. An ale whose mysterious and unusual palate will swirl across your tongue and ask more questions than it answers. A sort of dry, crisp, refreshing, not-quite pale ale. #9 is really impossible to describe because there's never been anything else quite like it.
20 IBU
20 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Ashes2Ashes
5/5 rDev +47.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +47.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I personally love this beer, I saw alot of 3.75 rating which was a shock to me. This beer is a classic of the 90s and is still going strong for good reason. I am currently sipping one and I'm 32 years old. I remember seeing the cap with the hypnotizing swirl on it and witty sayings in the cap when I was just a kid. When I got older I started drinking these and understood why my parents loved them. I hope this beer stays around long enough for me to keep enjoying my childhood. As weird as that seems, with this beer and reading the caps it reminds me of the good times I once had when I was little growing up in the 90s. I miss that free spirit attitude everyone had and the beers taste helps me reminisce those awesome years.
Jul 04, 2022Reviewed by HardCider from Pennsylvania
3.74/5 rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.74/5 rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
This beer pours a clear amber color with a moderate white head. The aroma is sweet and yeasty. Its has a pleasant, sweet, fruity taste. A good session beer.
May 30, 2022Reviewed by tekstr1der from New Hampshire
3.91/5 rDev +15%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.91/5 rDev +15%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Classic indeed - early gateway beer that I drank the snot out of so many times. Ton of interesting and titillating flavors combined. Would love to revisit this one if it's still brewed.
Mar 02, 2022Rated by Mattalica
4.5/5 rDev +32.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.5/5 rDev +32.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Not heavy, refreshing, classic taste
Mar 01, 2022Reviewed by ANIMOUL from Vermont
3.75/5 rDev +10.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev +10.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a 12 oz can from a variety pack. Pours bronze like with decent foamy head; rapidly recedes. The "fruit and field" style threw me off as it tastes more like a standard lager. Meh.
Jan 07, 2022Reviewed by Peach63 from New York
3.92/5 rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.92/5 rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours golden yellow with a 1/2" white head, which lasts. Moderate lacing.
Aroma is floral, caramel, light citrus, grassy hops.
Taste is caramel, citrus, light pine.
Light to medium body, moderate carbonation. Dry finish.
Pretty decent Pale Ale. Less bitterness than an IPA.
Nov 24, 2021Aroma is floral, caramel, light citrus, grassy hops.
Taste is caramel, citrus, light pine.
Light to medium body, moderate carbonation. Dry finish.
Pretty decent Pale Ale. Less bitterness than an IPA.
Reviewed by 1009 from Massachusetts
3.84/5 rDev +12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.84/5 rDev +12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
It's a shame they are no longer at their Burlington, VT spot because I wish I could visit the once popular home to this wonderful serum. Anyways, a bronze liquid fills my glass with a foamy white head. Fairly standard appearance, but a wonderful aroma of apricot/fruity sweetness permeates the glass. A sip and you quite literally are mystified by this beer. What am I drinking? It's got a sweet flavor to it with an almost malty touch. A really crisp clean beer that is unique and hard to describe, but really what it is is delicious.
Jul 21, 2021Reviewed by Robbyluv1
5/5 rDev +47.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +47.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This is a solid beer that tastes reminded me of my first taste of home-brewed IPA: more floral fragrant with prevalent apricot notes. One of my favorite all-time recommendations, but maybe not for everyone’s palette if into heavy or bitter brews.
May 19, 2021Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania
3.42/5 rDev +0.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.42/5 rDev +0.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12oz bottle into a pint glass. Bottled 9/9/290, so 8 months old.
Faintly hazy pale amber body. No head retention, hence no lacing.
Not much of an aroma. Somewhat fruity.
On tasting, the fruit is there, with a fairly strong sour bitterness.
Mouth medium, finish sour bitterness
Overall, none too pleasant to this palate, and I dont think its age related.
May 16, 2021Faintly hazy pale amber body. No head retention, hence no lacing.
Not much of an aroma. Somewhat fruity.
On tasting, the fruit is there, with a fairly strong sour bitterness.
Mouth medium, finish sour bitterness
Overall, none too pleasant to this palate, and I dont think its age related.
Reviewed by Elemental19xx from Illinois
3.6/5 rDev +5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.6/5 rDev +5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Beer pours a little cloudy with a little head, and a few small particulates. Smells more like a fruity ale than an IPA (which I like). tastes pretty good in my opinion, but not as hoppy as a pale ale( perhaps that's why it says not quite pale ale on the front). It's like your average run of the mill ale, but just a bit more fruity and a light hop flavor towards the end. The carbonation is mild, not smooth like nitro brews, but relatively soft. Overall I could drink em all day and not be sick of the taste, but it would be my first choice if I was looking to only drink a beer or two after dinner. That being said if I see them in the custom six pack fridge I would be okay with adding one of these.
Feb 28, 2021Rated by DavyDnIndy from Indiana
3.27/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.27/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Nice amber color. Smooth crisp after bite. Not heavy feel, nice for after work?
Nov 22, 2020Reviewed by korfao from North Carolina
4.06/5 rDev +19.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.06/5 rDev +19.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A definite rich color and apricot/fruit smell. It claims it's not quite an ale, and it feels like it needs a bit more in the hoppy department to even out the fruit flavor. With all that said, if on a hot day you need something not hoppy and not a lager, this works quite well as an evening drink after a day in the yard.
Nov 12, 2020
#9 from Magic Hat Brewing Company
Beer rating:
78 out of
100 with
5936 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!