Vinyl
Magic Hat Brewing Company

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From:
Magic Hat Brewing Company
 
Vermont, United States
Style:
American Amber / Red Lager
ABV:
5.1%
Score:
77
Avg:
3.39 | pDev: 15.04%
Reviews:
270
Ratings:
652
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 03, 2022
Added:
Dec 04, 2009
Wants:
  13
Gots:
  56
Vinyl sails in on her shining wings as the spinning sun returns. She is the season-shifter, bursting from her cocoon to sing the ancient song of vernal yearning and to summon spring's sweet green return... Her metamorphosis becomes our own. Her thirsts are shared by all. Drink in her mysterious elixir as the revolution blooms again...

24 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BeerAdvocate:
Photo of BeerAdvocate
Reviewed by BeerAdvocate from Finland

3/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #38 (Mar 2010):

All about the crazy off-the-wall marketing (which is a common thing with this brewery), but it seems to be forced these days. While the lacing on the glass looks great, the dark amber liquid wears a haze on it. Nose is full of dry, toasted malt; in fact, that is pretty much all we get off of the nose, other than a very small edge of caramel. Lager-ish crisp body. Toasty, toasty, toasty--lots of toasted malt, most of it completely dry. Faint twang of hops, chalky yeast. Suggestions of licorice root and lemon zest are not enough to break the toasty dominance.

Steam beer wannabe? No real depth, as the malt comes off as one-sided for the most part. Other than that, there is nothing that really jumps out and says "spring" or "We're Magic Hat, and this beer will blow your mind!" Safe comes to mind. Safe pays the bills, which is fine, but this is not the same Magic Hat.
Jan 11, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.76 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Mar 03, 2022
 
Rated: 4.28 by ryanm3850 from Rhode Island

Dec 28, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by zotzot from Vermont

Oct 22, 2017
Photo of q33jeff
Reviewed by q33jeff from New Jersey

3.03/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
**
04/13/12

AROMA: plain old beer
LOOK: Light Brown
TASTE: Good Smooth mix of hoppy and malty.
FEEL: Easy Drinking

Drank two with dinner and they went down easy.
**
Feb 11, 2017
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

4.32/5  rDev +27.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
I am picking up where I left off last night, in the Magic of the Hat. My thanks to my local, in-person trader, tone77 for this one!

From the bottle: "Scrumptious Amber Lager"; "The ancient ritual of brewing a distinctly rich and flavorfulbeer is a performance to behold. Our mysterious mélange of time-honored ingredients harmonize with chaotic chemistry, humble patience, and blind faith to create this unique beer to share in the rousing company of kindred spirits. Cheers!"; "A performance in every bottle".

Upon Pop!ping it, the cap advised me "I Second That Odd Notion ..." and so I returned the favor with an aggro pour. The reason that a California Common is also referred to as a "Steam Beer" is that once the lager yeast began to ferment at ale-like temperatures, the resulting foam looked to some like steam coming out of the fermenter. I mention this because the frothing foam that shot up was like an uncontrollable leviathan! Three-plus fingers of dense, puffy, rocky, tawny head with great retention. Sheesh! Color was a deep Coppery-Brown (SRM = > 17, < 22) with NE-quality clarity. Nose held a prevalent caramel maltiness. I usually eschew such things, but tonight, I will drink anything placed in front of me. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, not quite creamy, but big for a lager of any stripe. The taste was very much of caramel and therefore very sweet, but tonight, I am giving everything that I usually dislike a pass. I walked into a Burmese tiger trap of a phone call and was sideswiped by a reminder of our inherent mortality. Fuh. It took all of the wind out of my sails at the end of the day & sent me home for a beer (or two). Finish was sweet, but I really don't mind. It is a pleasant, easy-drinking lager, clean, but tasty and since Magic Hat has begun CANning, I would certainly buy some more in a CAN.
Aug 18, 2016
 
Rated: 3.53 by Gkruszewski from New York

Jul 13, 2016
 
Rated: 1.08 by BMBCLT from South Carolina

Jun 21, 2016
Photo of Beerma
Rated by Beerma from Ohio

2.86/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
This was bad really bad! And I had already been drinking! This may be the first magic hat I have hated!
May 15, 2016
 
Rated: 3.1 by BlueKurenai from Vermont

Mar 26, 2016
 
Rated: 3.44 by DaPan from Canada (ON)

Mar 25, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by archero from Texas

Mar 09, 2016
 
Rated: 2.5 by CharlesK from Pennsylvania

Mar 07, 2016
 
Rated: 3.81 by terrysjag from Maryland

Feb 27, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by HoppyBeerisHappyBeer from Indiana

Feb 21, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by vmig from New Jersey

Feb 20, 2016
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

3.91/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 ounce bottle into lager glass, bottled on 10/29/2015. Pours crystal clear deep orange/copper color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Great appearance. Aromas of brown sugar, cracker, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness, herbal, grass, light pepper, and yeast earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance of bready malt and light-moderate earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of brown sugar, cracker, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness, herbal, grass, light pepper, and yeast earthiness. Light herbal/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of cracker, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness, light pepper, and herbal/grassy earthiness on the finish for a good bit. very nice robustness, complexity, and balance of bready malt and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Very clean on lager flavors with zero yeast ester notes present. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth and moderately creamy/bready mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with zero warming present after the finish as expected of 5.1%. Overall this is a very nice Vienna lager style. All around good robustness and balance of bready malt and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; and very smooth and easy to drink. A very enjoyable offering.
Jan 23, 2016
 
Rated: 3.87 by digitalflood from New York

Jan 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.11 by timmy2b from New York

Jan 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by TheRock7755 from Georgia

Jan 16, 2016
Vinyl from Magic Hat Brewing Company
Beer rating: 77 out of 100 with 652 ratings