Consumer Reports Rates Craft Beer, Comparing Magic Hat To 'Peach Tea Drink'

We've always respected Consumer Reports for their tireless quest to rate and review products with zero bias. In this day of viral marketing and sponsored content — disguised as authetic content, wrapped in fancy paper and shot out as a tweet — there are nearly not enough outlets cutting to point: Does something honestly suck, or honestly not. So it is encouraging that the editors at CR have taken it upon themselves to blind taste test 23 bottles of beer, pulled from the over 2,300 microbreweries operating in the United States today.

The compete results are hidden behind a pay wall — and as the authors of numerous craft beer stories, including our trusty power rankings, we're saving our money for the bar. But recent articles from both the New York Post and ABC News hint at the results.

Of the beers tested, 13 were considered very good or even excellent, including several India Pale Ales. "India Pale Ales tend to be more floral and fruity than a lot of other beers, and they have an intense, lingering bitterness," said Adam Kaplan, a reporter from Consumer Reports who apparently has spent some time drinking on the job. Stone IPA took the number one spot while the suspiciously non-craft Shock Top Wheat IPA (part of Anheuser-Busch) was considered a Best Buy.

Second place overall went to Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA while Boston's Samuel Adams Hopology Collection Latitude 48 IPA was the third. [Read our interview with Dogfish Head's founder Sam Calagione].

The report also went a bit into home brewing, reviewing the popular Mister Beer kit. Conclusion? Easy to use, but you're best to let the professionals do their job. And poor Magic Hat, which received a low rating with one taster comparing it to a "peach-tea drink." Though, some people are into that.


Read more craft beer stories on Food Republic: