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Midnight Sun Arctic Devil

Score
10099
OVERALLStyle
Serve in Snifter

bottled
common

on tap
available

Regional Distribution

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RATINGS: 417   WEIGHTED AVG: 4.01   SEASONAL: Winter   IBU: 20   EST. CALORIES: 396   ABV: 13.2%
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COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Arctic Devil Barley Wine, aptly named after the ferocious wolverine of the north, is an English-style (meaning malt-inclined) barley wine. Though the recipe and process for Arctic Devil have evolved over the years, it is brewed once a year then aged in oak barrels for several months before the entire batch is blended, bottled and released. Beginning in 2010, ADBW will be released in late SEP.

In its youth, Arctic Devil gnarls and snarls its way across the palate. Containing this beast of a beer for long periods in oak barrels--some having previously aged port, wine or whiskey--tames the unleashed malt and fierce hop flavors, melding and mellowing this powerful liquid into an incredible elixir worthy of a brewer’s table.

Each annual batch of Arctic Devil Barley Wine represents the brewers’ resolve to create an intriguing and sought-after barley wine by precisely brewing to well-designed specifications, carefully selecting the type and combination of barrels to use for aging, and meticulously checking the beer as it ages. Distinct nuance and complexity are contributed by the wood’s previous tenants, resulting in unique flavor profiles in each batch that continue to change over time. We invite you to savor Arctic Devil Barley Wine upon its release then cellar some for future enjoyment.

Vintage guide:
Pre 2008 label notched with month and year on side of bottle
2008 listed on label
2009 not released
2010 listed on label
2011 listed on label
2012 not released
2013 vintage not stated, new sticker labels with rounded edges and says "Ale Aged in Bourbon Oak Barrels"


most recent ratings

4
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
JaBier (3756) - Capital City, Ohio, USA - MAY 24, 2013
Bottle sampled at Kurt’s Blarneywine tasting on 3/16/13. Dark brown in color with a medium tan head. Caramel and raisin nose with some fig, banana and roasted malt notes. Malty and chocolatey flavor with some caramel and fig before a dry finish.

4.6
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 10/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 18/20
Marheb (1178) - Montréal, Quebec, CANADA - MAY 22, 2013
La robustesse des malts se combinent parfaitement au bourbon, exactement mon type de vin d’orge idéal.

4.2
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
drowland (4994) - Jacksonville, Florida, USA - MAY 20, 2013
Bottle shared during RBWG-JAX! Deep amber brown pour with a small khaki head. Rich BA aroma with fudge and coconut goodness on top of rich dark fruits, caramel, toffee, and more. Luxurious slightly sweet BA barleywine flavor to boot. Good stuff!

4
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
jbeatty (506) - New York, USA - MAY 19, 2013
Bottle, 2013 vintage, 05/19/2013. Pours dark mahogany, dense off-white head settles to a nice crema on the surface, dense lacing around the glass. Aroma is vanilla caramel cream, toffee and dark grained bread, touch of chocolate, bourbon. Taste is caramel chocolate, vanilla fudge, raisin and fig, a bit of roast and hop bitterness, bourbon finish. Full, creamy mouthfeel, surprisingly not overly heavy for the ABV. Delicious.

3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
kbudd19 (94) - Alberta, CANADA - MAY 18, 2013
on tap at city beer 2013 vintage, pours a dark reddish brown. Smell is boozey with bits of vanilla and plumb. Taste is butterscotch, vanilla and has a warm finish from the booze. Tasty.

4.1
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
oRos (613) - sacramento, California, USA - MAY 18, 2013
On tap at city beer. Taste is lots of fig and tobacco. Has a very sweet finish. Lots of wood from the barrels

4
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 17/20
barn0216 (217) - California, USA - MAY 4, 2013
Black color, brown foam, moderate lacing. Brown sugar/molasses smell, buttery. Taste has similar notes with chocolate, a touch of coffee. Slight bitterness and alcohol warmth in the finish. Good beer, not sure what the hype is about.

4.5
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 18/20
Bule (189) - California, USA - MAY 4, 2013
22oz Bottle pours a black color without much head. Strong caramel flavors, lots of sweetness, and some spice flavors. Mellows as it has time to breath. A great beer.

4.6
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 10/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 19/20
ngeunit1 (1550) - San Francisco, California, USA - APR 29, 2013
A - Dark red-brown with a finger of frothy khaki colored head. Fades normal. S - Sweet caramel and caramelized malts, brown sugar, oak, vanilla, whiskey, dark fruits, and some booze. T - Sweet caramel and caramelized malts, oak, vanilla, whiskey, brown sugar, dark fruits, toasted coconut, and some booze. M - Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a warming and sweet finish. D - Fantastic barrel aged barley wine. Great overall balance.

3.7
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 14/20
tgncc (2290) - Bellmore, New York, USA - APR 22, 2013
Not the religious experience I was expecting. The aroma is very sweet, boozy, fruit, vanilla. The appearance is deep red/brown, opaque, thin head. The flavor is fruit, booze, candi sugar, vanilla. Certainly an "English" BW in that hops are almost non-existent. Thick in body, sweet, sticky mouthfeel. I wanted to pour this on some pancakes. The finish is hot, solvent like. I really enjoyed this, just not as much as I thought I might.


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