Magic Hat Works Its Magic Again!
Magic Hat Pistil, a dandelion ale
This seasonal offering is unlike many beers I’ve sampled over the years. My first impressions came from the appearance of the brew. It pours golden and ever-so-slightly hazy with just a hint of rose color. It was effervescent like champagne and developed a thin wispy head that vanished almost immediately.
On the nose, I got a good amount of malts, oats and honey, with a lot less of a flowery scent than I expected. It was more grassy than floral. When I went in for my first sip, I was taken off-guard by how light and crisp it was. Its scent implies a much richer beer like a weiss, but a weiss this certainly wasn’t. It was reminiscent of a pinot grigio in a way. A bit lemony and had a nice amount of acidity that wine-drinkers enjoy. The tart citrus characters lingered nicely and the grassy hoppy-ness was very balanced in the finish. No particular characters of the beer overpowered each other. I was really impressed by how refreshing it was. Despite it being a cool and drizzly day outside, I couldn’t help but long for summer weather with a couple of these poolside.
So who is this beer for, anyway? Well, beer enthusiasts will find it pleasantly mellow, like an IPA lite. People who are more used to High Life or PBR could also enjoy this quite a bit, as the hops and floral notes aren’t so aggressive that they’d turn a casual beer drinker off. Basically, it is the type of brew that will make beer nerds happy with its complexity but won’t scare off people who don’t venture into microbrew territory often, either. This is a perfect summer session beer. Bravo, Magic Hat. You’ve done it again! — Craig Billow, Atlantic City Weekly art director
