Magic Hat Pistil
The unassuming dandelion. That little, yellow flower dotting yards across the country. The bane — and eternal enemy — of all home owners and lawn care professionals everywhere. My single thought upon reading that Magic Hat’s Pistil is brewed with the flower’s petals?
“Revenge is mine!”
And how appropriate then that I fully enjoyed this beer right after mowing the yard. Pistil’s light body and grassy character were just the right combination for basking in the glory of triumph over my leafy foe. And at 4.5% ABV, what better way to savor that victory than with a couple more as you taunt the decapitated yellow heads strewn across your well-manicured battlefield. Or is that just me?
Appearance
Pistil pours a hazy pale straw in color with a dense one-finger head that dropped slowly to patchy surface film.
Aroma
I thought I picked up some wheat (though the press sheet doesn’t include its use, unless that’s the “Acidulated” mentioned) in this beer’s nose initially, but that seemed to fade pretty quickly upon further sniffs. The beer does smell grassy and has a decent amount of lemony citrus in the mix. Not much of a hop character to it.
Taste
The malt backbone has a cereal character as a lemon citrus flavor arrives first. There’s a solid helping of an herbal, grassy component, but not in a typical hop sense. I’m guessing that it and the touch of acidity found in the back half of the beer are from the inclusion of dandelion in the recipe. There’s a bit of a bite to the brew that’s a nice touch. Overall, it’s a rather subdued beer that’s got a crisp mouthfeel and drying finish. It’s definitely easy drinking.
Overall
Pistil doesn’t bring a ton of flavor to the table, but what it does bring is refreshment and a grassy, earthy character that makes for an ideal beverage for that post yard work moment of accomplishment and relaxation. For me, the lingering scent of freshly cut grass in the aire complimented the grassy and lemony nature of this brew. And, hey, any time I can do my part to kill off a few more dandelions, I’m all for it.
Rating:3.5/5
This is a review of a promotional sample received from the brewery.