Color of Head #F7EDB0
Color of Body #F4DD49

This is my first Magic Hat beer, and I've heard a lot of good stuff about them. They have just recently become widespread here in Knoxville, like New Belgium did a few months ago. It's always such an exciting time for me when a new brewer comes to town to market their wares, especially a popular one like Magic Hat. I'd also like to say that I think they have some really attractive bottle designs and excellent branding. All the Magic Hat beers are very recognizable because of the swirly, almost psychedelic patterns found on the bottles and six-packs. I'm saying all this now before I even try the beer because I don't want to be biased. Also, one last unrelated note, Dinner: Impossible is one of the best shows on television. It's so tense. Right now the guy is making a meal for 100 Anheuser-Busch employees using five different types of beer, including a trifle made from Amber Bock and Jell-o that looks amazing. And yes, I realize how gay it is of me that I just wrote that. But I digress...

The inside of the cap says “Quaff with care or poorly you'll fare.” Very nice. Ok, the smell is not terribly appealing. There is a tiny bit of lemon zest as well as something a little chemical (and I swear I smell some hops in there too), but nothing that really stands out. Now what really stands out out upon first taste is the faint hint of Dawn dish detergent. And I'm not alone on this, my roommate tastes it too. Very, very carbonated, almost to the point of burning the tongue. Also, this is an incredibly clear beer. Like, Budweiser clear. I can see Dinner: Impossible through the beer on my TV across the room. I'm assuming, knowing the risk I pose of appearing as an ass, that this is a filtered beer, though there is no mention of it on the bottle. It also tastes very thin. Not filling at all, and not a lot to pick out. It's even a little bitter. On the plus side, its got a nice, clean finish without much of an aftertaste. And the taste of Dawn disappears after a while, so that's cool...

All said, I'm pretty disappointed by this beer. It could be because my hopes were really high going into it, but I think it's just because this beer isn't very good. I mean, a clear Hefeweizen? Come on. And yes, I did swirly the bottle and check the bottom, and there was no debris to be found. I hope this isn't representative of the brewery as a whole, because I am really not a fan of this beer, though I'm still looking forward to trying some of Magic Hat's other offerings. 42/100.