Midnight Sun 11th Anniversary Double IPA

Date: 12/01/2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

hazy dark yellow, wispy off white head, sweet citrus malt flavor, long bitter finish, nice sweetness

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 3/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **/4

This DIPA screams at you from the glass. A fiery blood orange/red. Full of miniscule floaties and some stray carbonation bubbles. The head is thick, white, and coats the glass with sticky, resiny lacing. Overall retention is superb. Sweet citrus. Lemon, grapefruit, lime, hints of tangerine, and star fruit, with a nice touch of toffeed malt to integrate things a bit. Very sweet smelling hops somewhat floral. Man this is a great beer. Thick with resiny, citrus fruity hops that finish on the piney side. Grassy on the finish as well with toffee malt at the mid. Prickles the taste buds on entry and through the long finish. Very citrusy again but not much grapefruit in the mouth more led by tangerine and star fruit with a lemon/lime twist. Nicely carbonated, medium mouth. Drinkable as hell, no signs of alcohol. If anyone from Midnight Sun is reading this. Please start distribution in Ohio. Your beer is outstanding.

December ’06 bomber drunk on 4/18/07
Large, foamy white head shows moderate retention, light lacing and tops a deep golden body with some peachy tints. Fine-bubbled carbonation rising sporadically.
Deep simcoe nose shows tons of pine, though it’s not horribly acidic or bitter (there’s a punch to it though). Hop oils are quite fat and push aside much of the malt, though some moderate toasty, lightly sourdough-like malts fight back (munich maybe?). Pine sap and wintergreen sit starkly on the end, with a clean yeast and very minimal malt sugars. With warming and breathing, the carbonation lessens and the effect is to allow the hop aromas to spread out more and become a little more "fuzzy". Not as concentrated, thick and oily, though still displaying plenty of conifer and white grapefruit. Alcohol is lightly felt and the strength of the beer hangs on the end, with a bit of doughiness and dextrinous heft.
Fruitiness is immediately apparent, but it’s a light pineapple-peach flavor that gives way quickly to strong pine and very dry white grapefruit notes. Some breadiness from the malt, maybe, and definitely moderate dextrines. Carbonation is kind of a let down. For a bottle conditioned beer, it’s a bit loose and prickly. Acidity constantly and inevitably builds up, but enough brisk pine and citrus flavors hang on to keep it enjoyable all the way to the end. You know what else? This beer is about 4 months old. No doubt it has lost a lot of its hop flavor and aroma, showing more bitterness than was intended by the brewer. Still must be incredibly bitter fresh, but with that fresh simcoe that still shows through strongly even now.

Bottle shared by cquiroga on 12/1/06: Lightly effervescent golden bronze color with a frothy off-white head. Fresh, grainy sweet toasty caramel malty aroma has some earthy piny hop character. Body starts sweet and with some sugar cookie doughiness and piny grapefruity hop balance toward a crisp, drier bitter finish. Needs some more big aroma hops, but otherwise a pretty nice IIPA.

Big fruity nose and powerfully grapefruit-esque. This one is simultaneously smooth and bitter (not palate burning)on the finish. Hazy, clouded tawny/copper color with a small, well-centered white head. Prominent and columnular lacing. Exceptional IPA!