Magic Hat Heart of Darkness Stout

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

Malty in the chocolate malt balls kind of way, like Whoppers candy. A little thin and one dimensional, but a pleasant enough stout that goes down easy.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Very,very dark brown with tint of red. Poured it fast out of the bottle into a glass and got just a film of head. Not bitter but has a slight zing on the tongue. Taste is of malt, coffee and tobacco.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

Roast malt aroma has notes of coffee, licorice and unsweet chocolate. It pours a dark-chocolate brown with a fairly thick pale tan head. Flavor has roast malt, roast coffee, licorice, woody hops, and subtle chocolate notes. Texture seems a bit thin for a stout, and lacks fizz. A decent, if not superior, stout, worthy of at least a fair shake.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

Pours a nice black with a chocolate cream colored head that dissipates slowly. Aroma is of roasted malts, chocolate, and coffee. taste seems to be off a little. Slightly watered down, dry, with a roasted malted taste. Finishes off bland and dry. Almost tastes old. This beer is not very good.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

12 oz bottle. Pours black with a medium creamy light brown head that retains well and laces the glass some.

The aroma is astringent (almost plasticky) chocolate malts with roast.

The flavor is lots of patent malt with heavy roast and a little sugary, lactic sweetness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and watery.

Overall, watery and lots of roasted patent malts.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

A dark blackness with notes of Reddishness in the pour when heldd to the light. A two finger frothy textured, brown head rises. There's some hang time on that head. Settles into a thick ringlet. Burnt malt in the nose. Milk chocolate in the tasting. Pretty straight forward thick bodied beer.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Nose is sweet, light coffee, milk chocolate, sugar and a hint of vanilla. The taste is pretty mild. Dark malts, coffee grounds, milk chocolate, a hint of dark chocolate and just a bit of vanilla. It has a medium body with a light but somewhat creamy mouthfeel. Definitely a lot better than many of the other Magic Hat brews.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

I liked the second sample better. Almost an 8 on flavor and overall, but just couldn't do it. Balance slightly off, but not as much as I thought on the first sample. Maybe could use bit more hops as it leans towards the sweeter side. Oatmeal gives it a good texture. I noticed that all the reviews here are old, so maybe this is something they are bundling again in the Winterland variety pack. I wouldn't really seek this again, but an overall decent stout.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Heart of Darkness, a great novel, in which a great movie was based upon. And now even better for a beer lover, a great beer. Magic Hat Heart of Darkness is an outstanding oatmeal stout. Don't be afraid of the dark. This is a really great beer, oatmeal gives this beer a silky smooth mouth feel, like black velvet. This beer is also a ringwood beer, which means it picks up character from that distinctive ringwood yeast strain. I have been fortunate enough to have visited the brewery in South Burlington, VT, and I can tell you from first hand experience, this beer is fantastic on draught, as well as in bottles. Heart of Darkness pours to an ink black opaque color, with a nice, thick, tan head, and a good carbonation. The nose on this beer is very complex, dark chocolate malt aromas mingle with ringwood yeast earthiness. There is also some good hop aromatics present as well. The palate is rich, and delicious. More chocolate malt flavors, a touch of coffee, roasted malt flavors, and a silky smooth mouthfeel from the oatmeal. There is also a nice bit of diacetal which is "buttery" a by product of the ringwood yeast strain. This beer finishes with more dark malt character, and just a touch more earthiness, with a lingering hop bitterness. This really is an amazing beer. A very complex, rich, delicious oatmeal stout. There is a lot going on in this beer, you really can work on it, and pick up all those flavors. This beer is perfect as a night cap or would make an excellent desert beer. I would pair this with a rich and decadent triple chocolate cake, dark and milk chocolates, or perhaps fudge brownies with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

12.08.04 12oz drink by 02/05 Nearly black pour with medium tan head. Thick tar and tobacco aromas. All malt, roasty, burnt flavors. Not much else. A simple, straightforward stout without pretense. Sharp finishing bitterness. Very enjoyable in its simplicity if unspectacular.