Magic Hat

Yeah, some breweries have great crossover appeal simply by the nature of the styles they focus on. And some are focusing on that segment of the market as a foundational strategy. Magic Hat has always come across as the latter to me.

Maybe it's a great way to boost your sales volume early on, but according to those numbers maintaining it is another story.

 

Like many it seems, #9 was one of my first craft beers...way back when. That. along with Pete's Wicked. Now, not only are there numerous better local beers a-brewin' here on the east coast, but even a lot of the stuff brewed and shipped cross-country is a lot better. The caps with the pithy sayings on them were kinda cool and I did get some 'winner' caps (t-shirts, bottle openers).

I do thank them for the intro, and I don't want to go so far as to say they are dead to me...but with everything else available...they kinda are....

 

Hah, I remember when Magic Hat first started to distribute in MA. That was probably around 95 or so. We first drank it because the rep was at a bar we used to hang out at giving away swag. This was when the big breweries in the area were Sam Adams, Harpoon, Wachussett, etc.. So Magic Hat Number 9 was a cool new beer. I recall in the late 90's I went away with my girlfriend (wife not long after that) to Vermont and we were planning on visiting both Magic Hat and Ben & Jerry's. A blizzard cut our trip short so we left early and didn't visit either one. Fast forward to this last summer and we took the family up to Vermont and Magic Hat wasn't even a consideration (went to Ben & Jerry's though). We visited a bunch of breweries which were all so much better than Magic Hat. Today they are just mediocre at best. I'd have to guess that the people who buy them buy them because the beers aren't extreme and they have interesting bottles... I'd love to still love these guys but they just don't make great beer by today's standards.

 

Only tried #9. Did not like #9.

 

Some of their beer is still decent but i think their creative energy has eroded.

 

Not a Magic Hat enthusiast. With Victory, Yards, and Troegs being local I never saw much point in trying their beers. When I finally got around to trying #9 I wasn't impressed so I take a pass on their beers.

 

I used to drink them while skiing in VT because they were cheap. I will also add good value as they were pretty good. As I have aged and my financial situation has improved they faded away. I will always have a soft spot for their space in Burlington. Always enjoyed going there and it still is always on our plans when we go by. Unfortunately it always seems to be skipped as our time always runs short. Thank you for the thread OP. This brings back good memories and will put the brewery at the top of the list next time we head north.

 

Magic Hat IPA's are one thing: unmemorable. And when your a Vermont brewery that makes average IPA's you are gonna fade. #9 is more of a gateway drug than marijuana though.

 

Magic Hat is like Rogue... the old school brewer that everyone loves to shit all over, whether it's deserved or not. They have a distinctive marketing look to them that worked really well early on, but now just seem to blend into the crowd. Magic Hat used to be pretty unique with all the experimental beers they put out to national distribution with some hits and some misses like any brewer. I think Magic Hat helped set the stage for all the wild ingredients we see in beers today, but they got lost in the crowd.

I disagree. If you followed the details of that case, West 6th initially made an innocent mistake and Magic Hat acted professionally in contacting them. Then West 6th quickly took advantage of the situation, reneged on agreements, provoked a lawsuit, and created a David vs Goliath social media blitz campaign with a hint of racist xenophobia towards Magic Hat's Costa Rican based investors, all so they could get their minute in the national media spotlight at the expense of another craft brewer. I try to keep a balanced opinion on most topics that come up around these forums, but I cannot here... West 6th is trash.

 

I used to drink a ton of Circus Boy when I first got into craft. It was good at the time but I find it to be pretty bland these days. I think they're an excellent gateway brewery, but eventually you'll move on.

 

We get Magic Hat #9 in sixers and twelves, and we get mixed twelve packs. Haven't had one in many moons

 

I still like Magic Hat. The popularity of their beers has certainly waned and I haven't seen them around as much as I used to. They were one of the breweries that got me into craft way back when so they will always have a place in my heart

I was recently looking for their Night of the Living Dead 12 pack or whatever it's called. They brought back Jinx, Howl, Lucky Cat and Heart of Darkness (if i remember correctly). Unfortunately I wasn't able to find any....

I love Fat Angel. Great English Pale Ale. I actually think Magic Hat does the English ale thing better than most regional breweries. I also really enjoy Blind Faith (EIPA) when I see it (it's on the "resurrected rarities" section of their site but I haven't seen any).

I like your style! I'm glad I'm not the only one. It's a totally underrated beer, I thoroughly enjoyed it (perhaps my first Simcoe experience). I remember once in college we all went in on a keg of Roxy.....it was mind blowing. I really hope they bring it back again sometime (IIRC they brought it back a couple years ago for their Holiday pack)

 

Gateway drug pretty much sums up my experience as well. #9 was a step up from Woodchuck cider, but then I moved on to trying a lot of other beers.

I never liked Single Chair or Circus Boy much and preferred to drink Sam Adams and Harpoon beers at the time.

Brings me back to when we used to drink Geary's HSA and Long Trail Double Bag on ski trips.

 

I saw Heart of Darkness limited run six packs today.

 

I visited their 'tap room' last year for a keg pickup (#9) for a wedding. Solid crowd there both trips. Merchandise seemed to sell well. They only did samples (for free) so they are still sort of running that brewery only type of operation. That was our first keg to kick (long trail ale was another close one).

There are definitely two trains of thoughts here. Our beer geek sort of perception where we tend to forget or crap on these "mediocre" type places, and then reality when we have to realize that the vast majority of beer drinkers are in fact gateway type drinkers, and there is definitely an audience for both. Even Long Trail sort of gets crapped on, but their facility is beautiful and they seem to sell enough beer (none of which seems to be line waiting hype crazy). VT peeps may not want to hear this, But that area is filled with more solid type breweries than those that simply blow you away. One has to weed through it all with an open mind.

I think every region has a par for the course type place that many wonder why its still open and operating. I'd even put Otter Creek into the same category. Very catchy labels and beers. Solid stuff but again, I think every town or region can now find comparable beers, so ever really needing a Magic Hat again may be out of the question sadly. But thats the beer geek in me talking. It's still pushing 100k barrels. That's a lot of beer someone somewhere is drinking

 

Magic Hat is everywhere in my neck of the woods but #9 is the top seller, the other beers seem to just be in mixed packs that people barely buy.

 

Like lots a people are saying, #9 was a big time gateway beer for me. To the point where an attempted clone was one of my first few batches of homebrew. I actually had a Heart of Darkness last night and enjoyed it, reminded me a lot of Guinness export.

I need to snag a #9 on of these days and see if I still like it. It's been years since I had one.

 

Thanks for the "tune up" on this one. I had remembered some poor playing in the sand box but did not to that extent. Seems West 6th was definitely uncool.

The Rogue analogy is interesting but, candidly, I always liked Rogue as one of the early craft beer guys. I think they really pissed a lot of folks off with the premium price from the get go and the word was they were somewhat not nice to employees. I loved Dead Guy- and still do. Other than SNPA and some old Anchor stuff, Dead Guy still is one the "originals" I just love. Enjoy a 6 or two a year. Some of those little 7oz bottles were great.

We got little here from Magic Hat but #9 and it just didn't do it for me.

Thanks for the post.

 

Their #9 is the worst "flagship" beer of any of the big craft guys. It really does pale in comparison to SNPA and Boston Lager. Im not a fan of their label style either. Vamplifier is pretty good though. Its a very hoppy red ale and you wouldnt know it was from MH if you didnt read the label.