Magic Hat Ravell
An enormous play in one significant act, Ravell was a porter brewed with whole vanilla beans, once available whenever young William and father John deem it so.
3.6
202 reviews
South Burlington, United States
Community reviews
Picked this up in a variety pack.
A - 4-Finger head erupts out of nowhere. Tight lacy bubbles. Poured a deep brown with a little blackness. Looks like a standard porter.
S - Roasted malts, nutty malts and some chocolate malts are present. There’s some spiciness but hard to pinpoint.
T - Huge malt characteristics in this beer. walnuts, chocolate, cream and thick roastiness. Slight boozy taste.
M - The nutty malts linger for a while but it’s a fine beer with medium carbonation and medium body.
O - Surprisingly good. Magic Hat lets me down far too often. It’s a very drinkable beer, low ABV and very easy to gulp or sip.
Pours a blackish brown with khaki head that fades fast. Aroma is like a chocolate syrup and burnt malts. Flavor is pretty tame, cola, some vanilla, but not very strong, kind of watery, not as hoppy as I expect a porter to be. Its ok but id like something better.
On draft. Pitch black with a light tan head. Nice faint vanilla notes in the aroma and taste.
This poured a darker red color with a beige head. Aroma was light to medium roast, artificial vanilla extract and some metallic notes. Flavor was astringent poter, with some vanilla sweetness and light notes of metal. Not sure where all the decent ratings for this are coming. But to each his own. Another mediocre at best magic hat beer.
Pours a dark ruby/black with a thin beige head. There are hints of vanilla in both the aroma, taste, and appearance.
12 oz bottle poured a black body with dark brown edges large foamy beige head. Aroma of chocolate syrup, then chocolate malts, toast, cola and some vanilla beans. Flavor has some dry vanilla coming through along with dark toast, bitter bakers chocolate and cola. Smooth and rich, very nice.
12 oz bottle from Spirits Point. Poured a good looking black body with super dark Tootsie Roll brown edges under an average to large foamy beige head. Aroma started off with a big hit of chocolate syrup, then chocolate malts, toast, cola and some vanilla beans. The body was overly fizzy and a touch syrupy that finishes a tad dry. Flavor has some dry vanilla coming through along with dark toast, bitter bakers chocolate and cola. Pretty good for Magic Hat but the palate needs smoothing.
On tap at the mad mex robinson. Nice dark looking pour, looks attractive. The aroma is also attractive, slight hint if roastiness on the olfactory. First taste is mild yumminess, easy going and friendly. On target for this lager lover. Very mellow and I like it that way. Has a slight tart background. Burned wood but not over the top in any charactar. Good overall beer drinken experience, easily the best of the beers I had here today. Could drink a few of these gems.
On tap at MacGregors. Since they did not have the Imperials I wanted I started the night with this while checking what that had from thier depleated beer menu. Pour is black with a decent brown/beige head. Aroma of chocolate, coffee, roast, light vanilla. Taste is mostly coffee/roast with no vanilla. Palate is full-bodied, oily, slightly bitter/roasty finish. It’s OK.
Smelled like dishwater, but I won’t detract for that, on tap at McGregors. Really uninspired stuff. Fairly off taste in the palate, not much going on here, just a dark lager really.
Very dark brown with a thin head that quickly fades. Aroma is bittersweet chocolate and charred oak. Taste is quite bitter with a sweeter vanilla finish.
Pours a dark dark color with thin dense brown head. The vanilla is very detectable in the finish.
-CB
12oz bottle. Pours a black hue, minimal head, but decent enough. Aromas are sweet and vanilla right to the face, decently broad like a milkshake, some cocoa and malt. Palate is considerably smooth, all malt but light enough where it actually works. Vanilla hits mid to finish with a big malt forward boost. This is one for a lighter creamier dessert, its not bad at all for once.
12oz bottle-thanks Tim-pours black with a light brown head and trailing lace. Aroma is roasty/cocoa/ashy-dark malt. Taste is roasty/cocoa-dark malt, 2nd spice/earthy hops.
Bottle. The pour was a deep dark black with an average sized (1-2 finger) rocky beige head that receded slowly to just a spotty layer of residue which allowed for some decent lacing.
The aroma was of a burnt dark bread malt, a resin hop and a leathery yeast with notes of bitter sweet chocolate, coffee and a bit of vanilla.
The taste was very malty and a little sweet with a big chocolate note in the beginning and finished with a bold coffee note and a hint of vanilla at the end. The flavor lasted a good long time with the taste of coffee being the most dominant, but also having a subtle hint of vanilla.
Mouthfeel was just a tad under medium in body with a nice creamy texture and a lively carbonation.
Overall a nice robust Porter with just a slight hint of vanilla which did a nice job of breaking up the bitterness.
Chocolatey bitter coffee aroma. Pours a dark brown to black. Slight bittter taste with coffee flavors. Nice winter porter.
On tap at the Plano Gingerman. The beer pours a very dark brown to black color with a tan head. The aroma has a ton of chocolate as well as some roasted malt and maybe a little bit of vanilla. The flavor is more of the same. The chocolate and roasted malt are complimented by a little bit of nuttyness and some coffee notes. Medium, creamy mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
Pours very dark brown, almost black with a thick light brown head. Aroma is of malts, some roastiness, some chocolate, and not really any vanilla that I can pick up. Flavor is of big time roasted malts, coffee, maybe a little vanilla, and some nuts. Leaves a roasted malt finish. This isn’t too bad. Better than some if the recent stuff that they have put out.
Bottle. Pours nearly black with a very small head. Aroma and flavor are roasted malt, some chocolate, and a nice hit of vanilla. Vanilla is surprisingly well-integrated and almost subtle. I usually don’t like vanilla porters, because the vanilla tends to be overpowering and rather fake. This one is well done. Palate is fairly light but creamy.
Bottle. Poured a dark brown color with an average frothy light brown head that mostly lasted with excellent lacing. Moderate toasted chocolate malt and vanilla aroma. Medium to full body with a smooth texture and flat carbonation. Medium to heavy toasted chocolate sweet flavor with a medium sweet finish of moderate duration. Solid brew.
(12 ounce bottle - shaker glass) Black opaque color with little head, aroma has a subtle vanilla note that complements the roasted porter flavors. Tastes of vanilla roasted malts and a light hoppiness. Smooth texture and slightly bitter finish.
Pours a dark brown color with a light brown head. Smells pretty roasty. Vanilla notes in the aroma and taste.
The aroma is toasted with coffee, chocolate, and grassy hops. The appearance is dark brown with a thin head. The taste is like the aroma. The palate is average. Overall a decent porter.
Easily the best beer from Magic Hat. Perfect color, mouthfeel, and taste. A smooth, mellow porter that goes well with the 20 degree weather were having now. Got better as it warmed up.
Pours a midnight brown with a lighter brown head. Aroma is malty with a hints of creamy vanilla. Taste is more of the malty creaminess with a bit of smoky and nutty caramel notes. The beer finishes nice and smooth with more vanilla lingering on the palate.
Dark brown, good head. Good light chocolate flavor with the vanilla taking the edge off. Traditionally not big on Magic Hat, but this is one of their better brews.
Magic Hat Brewery: Pours a blackish color with a niceish head. Generally, I don’t like vanilla porters. I usually find them to be too sweet, with too little porter character. This was a pleasant exception to that rule. The vanilla was very subdued and the vanilla flavor that was there was in good measure. Really nice burnt/roasted malts. Excellent body. All around a good job from Magic Hat. It’s not that I don’t like vanilla; I just think I don’t like vanilla extract. This got the beans.
Tap at ginger man FW. This beer pours a dark brownish color with a light beige head. Ruby highlights when held to the light. Aroma is vanilla sweetness, dark Malts and slight roast. Bit of coffee in the flavor with a sugary sweet character as well. Finishes slick.
Very awesome beer, smooth with a creamy vanilla taste to it almost cream soda instead of chocolate. not too roasted but there is a slight punch at the end. mild hop but that is a minor quibble. enjoying this very much.
Very unexpected beer coming from this usually lighter brewer. Nice thick porter with a bit of vanilla in that balances out the flavor.