Magic Hat #9

Brewed by Magic Hat Brewing Company
Style: Fruit Beer
South Burlington, Vermont USA

Serve in Flute

Had the other day on tap was good, perfect for the warm days of summer. Very fruity with a hin t of apricot, oeange with a very cloudy appearance.

There seems to be an understanding in the beer-tasting community that beers that taste like fruit juice or soda, no matter how delicious and easy they are to drink, aren’t “real” beers because they have no bite. I suppose if that’s true Magic Hat’s Circus Boy and Hocus Pocus must not be as good as #9. This is a unique take on the traditional American pale ale style that has a fruity, almost citrusy flavor without overwhelming the true beer taste.

POUR, COLOR AND AROMA

Straight from the bottle, #9 pours very smoothly and forms a surprisingly large, bright white head. What’s odd is how quickly this foam disappears. Blink and you’ll miss it (literally). There isn’t a lot of carbonation, either, so its tepid body and lack of head lacing is understandable.

Its color is one of the prettiest shades of copper I have ever seen. Perhaps if you were to melt down a bunch of pennies this is what it would look like. You could easily hide a brand new penny in a glass of #9 – it’s that brilliantly colored. Strangely enough, it’s a tad bit cloudy, but not to the extent of a wheat beer.

The aroma is also very pleasant, a battle between the fruits and the malts. Usually pale ales have a very distinct malty nose, but they are about even with the fruit ingredients in #9. Either way, its scent is extremely original.

TASTE AND FINISH

Well, if the beer snobs want a beer with real beer taste to it but with a unique flavor, then Magic Hat’s #9 MUST be what they desire. I like how the brewers use the slogan “not quite pale ale” on the bottle as something of a disclaimer. Perhaps that’s to silence critics who would complain about it not being a “real” pale ale – which it’s not.

#9 has a very distinct apricot and peach flavor to its palate, but without sacrificing its roots of malts and hops. Those who like a sweet beer like a hefeweizen or any kind of summer ale would definitely enjoy the sweet, subtle taste found here. This beer has one of the best-balanced flavors I can think of. It’s sweet enough to make it easy to drink, but still has a real malty flavor to give it some bite.

And as is true of every beer in the Magic Hat line that I’ve tried, #9 is extremely smooth and finishes very clean. Thanks to its delicious taste and smooth finish, any beer drinker; whether novice, intermediate or expert; could easily down several glasses or bottles of this brew quickly and easily.

BODY

American pale ales have a tendency to be much heavier in body than you’d expect. From their appearance alone, they look as light as lagers, but their weight is deceiving. However, in the case of #9, you can believe you eyes. This beer looks like a typical ale and drinks like a lager. I was able to down three bottles in a row after eating a fairly heavy dinner. Imagine how fast you could drink a pint in a bar or just on an empty stomach.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This is a great beer for introducing lightweights and casual beer drinkers to more high-quality craft beers. It’s tasty without being gimmicky. It’s sweet but still has some bite to it. It’s very smooth and not nearly as heavy in body as most pale ales. What’s not to like?

NOTE: Watch the video version of this review at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpLLwYd20ZI

Magic Hat #9 is good for sitting at a bar with some good people or in the backyard having a barbecue. It’s not the best beer in the world, but it’s tasty and refreshing. Pours orange, aromas of apricot and malts, subtle apricot flavor and a hint of bitter on the finish. I wouldn’t go out of my way to find it, but would definitely drink it it was available. Last had it on tap at Big City in Allston, MA.

Nice Apricot beer, . pours orange with white head, caramely aroma leads to orange apricot apple touches. Nice and refreshing, could drink multiple, fruity but not too too much.

12 oz bottle. Pours a golden yellow with shades of burnt orange in certain light. Nice fluffy white head that has great retention. Nose is a blend fruit- apricots- and floral hops. Light body but close to medium with a smooth and fluffy mouth feel. Taste is like the nose with lots of apricots and bit a of hops. Finish is full and sweet. This has always been a favorite of mine so I hope I’m not being too biased.

Has the hoppiness of a pale ale mixed with the edge of a fruit beer. Good in body, a very good fruit beer.

On draft at local bar. Great fruity apricot nose. Nice color and carbonation, slight hazy appearance. Beautiful head. I really love the flavor in this beer, the apricot/peach fruitiness goes really well with the grainy malt taste. Hopped just enough to let you know its there.

Had his beer for the first time last night and loved it! It had an interesting citrus-like taste that you can’t quite pin down- maybe orange mixed with peaches? Light bodied and pours golden yellow