Magic Hat Brewing Company
Client Brewer
in
Rochester,
New York,
United States 🇺🇸
Owned by
FIFCO USA
Associated Venue: Magic Hat Brewing Company
- Out of business
Established in 1993
Closed in 2025
Contact
445 St Paul St, Rochester, NY, 14605, United States
Description
The idea of Magic Hat began where so many good ideas before it began: in a bathtub. This bathtub, located on Vermont’s Goddard College campus and devoid of a plaque of recognition, is where Bob Johnson brewed his first batch of beer. After years of honing his craft, Bob was finally ready for the big time. Soon after he realized his readiness, he re-met Alan Newman, a serial entrepreneur with whom Bob had worked in a past life. Bob told Alan of his plans and before a handshake could take place, the two were jet-setting to the West Coast for research.
Upon their return to Burlington, Bob and Alan began their search for a space to call their own. That search landed them in an abandoned factory on Flynn Avenue in Burlington’s South End, where Bob would finally brew Bob’s First, Magic Hat’s debut ale and, soon after, the first batches of #9, Fat Angel and Blind Faith.
Admin Note: In July 2020, Magic Hat sold their production facility and broke ties with the state of Vermont. All beers are brewed at the FIFCO owned Genesee Brewing facility in Rochester, NY.
Upon their return to Burlington, Bob and Alan began their search for a space to call their own. That search landed them in an abandoned factory on Flynn Avenue in Burlington’s South End, where Bob would finally brew Bob’s First, Magic Hat’s debut ale and, soon after, the first batches of #9, Fat Angel and Blind Faith.
Admin Note: In July 2020, Magic Hat sold their production facility and broke ties with the state of Vermont. All beers are brewed at the FIFCO owned Genesee Brewing facility in Rochester, NY.
Tried
on 18 Jan 2020
at 23:28
8/10
An updated classic, tart fresh nose, opens into apricots, citrus and a hint of funk
Tried
from Can
on 23 Dec 2019
at 19:00
6/10
Hazy gold bod sml wht head. Bready herbal arma. Bready herbal toasty flav. Med bod mod carb. 7/3/7/3/13 3.3
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Nov 2019
at 20:35
5.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 4.5
Pours light amber with a fluffy white head. Aroma of oak and resin. Lemon. Taste has herbal notes, lingering oily mouthfeel. Palate has rosemary on the nose Eh.
Tried
on 07 Nov 2019
at 23:39
4.6/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 5
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 5.5
Pours hazy gold with a thin white head. Aroma of Citra and lemongrass. Taste has citrus, growing herbal resin and bitterness. Palate has herbal and lemongrass note on nose. Good.
Tried
on 06 Nov 2019
at 02:27
5.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 4
Texture 10
Overall 5.5
Pours reddish amber with a creme head. Aroma of rosemary and pine resin. Taste has heavy herbal influences, rosemary is overwhelming. Palate has lemon, continuing herbal overtone. Weird, interesting.
Tried
on 02 Nov 2019
at 22:48
7.3/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Tap at Devil Craft. Golden colour, small bubbly off white head. Aroma not much at all. Touch of grain, something slightly vegetable like. Taste nice, something herbal, initial hop bitterness, but fades into herbal spritziness. Some funkiness, and a bit of orange sherbert.
Tried
from Draft
on 09 Sep 2019
at 15:53
7.3/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Tap at the Watering Hole. Clear golden blond, white fluffy head soon fades. Aroma is citrusy but not so bitter, orange maybe, bit floral, very nice. Taste is lightly fruity, quite full bodied, some malty sweetness coming through. But like a DIPA taste without the bitterness. Nice but a bit unexciting.
Tried
from Draft
on 09 Sep 2019
at 15:53
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle from dkachur, thanks! Red amber color. Grapefruit, grassy hops and red berries in the aroma. Firm grassy oily flavor with grapefruit and red berries, flowing into a dry hopbitter aftertaste, with some strawberry fruit. Nice!
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Aug 2019
at 12:07
6.1/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Bottle pour into shaker pint glass. Appearance is dark amber with lots of large, light floaties (when backlit, light amber with lots of large, dark floaties), tons of sparkle, finger-width beige foamy head with fair retention and trace lacing. Aroma is rye, caramel malts. Taste is strong rye and caramel malts, spices, milder earthy hops. Mouthfeel is light side of light-to-medium bodied with smooth, thin texture, soft carbonation and finish as taste. Overall, I can't find a born on date but I know this sucker is OLD. However, it doesn't seem to deviate much from others' reviews so I suspect the hops contribution was not that huge to begin with. Not bad, but more like a rye APA. Appearance is horrendous.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Aug 2019
at 00:46