Midnight Sun Cafe Amsterdam’s 10th Anniversary Gruit

Brewed by Midnight Sun Brewing Company
Style: Traditional Ale
Anchorage, Alaska USA

I couldn’t figure out if this was a bad bottle or if it was supposed to taste this way. Dark beer witha foamy beige head. It had a pungent earthy, leathery nose with some wet hay. It was a startling aroma and a startling taste. Big tartness of old raspberries, old barnyard, and sour funk. This is the kind of sour I don’t prefer.

22oz bottle courtesy of a generous AK BA. Pours a deep, dark mahogany that shows slightly copper around the edges with a small beige head that recedes to a healthy collar and leaves some lacing on the sides. The aroma is very herbal with sage and thyme coming out the most. There is a little bit of citrus, orange peel and some dark roasted malts. The taste is a complete herbal and citrus assault up front. There’s a huge stinging lemony sourness that was much bigger than I was expecting. There is some thyme and hints of cinnamon on top of a robust malt backbone. The finish is very dry with herbs and spices leaving a tingling on the palate. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a ton of carbonation and a big tart sourness that almost puckers the mouth. This is a big sourish gruit that I would never had pegged as over 10% ABV. It’s definitely no the most drinkable beer in the world though with the herbs and sourness turning it into more of a sipper. Unique and tasty.

bomber - thanks as usual to my BFF Frank; cracked at the HOTD dock sale; pours dark brown and slightly muddy with thin tan head; vegi, earthy, carrots, pepper and obvious tarty twang; 12% - are you kidding me? medium body with zesty mouthfeel; peppery zing with oranges, cinnamon and ginger; really good stuff and I need to get more

( 22oz bottle thanks to AmEricanbrew) Pours very dark brown with nice head. Nose of chocolate and plastic. Taste is sweet and sour fruits. Very well hidden alcohol here too!

Courtesy americanbrew. Pours a dark brown color with mahogany at the edges topped by a small, foamy tan colored head. The aroma is interesting and shows hints of dark fruits, spices, very herbal and earthy. There is some roast and hint of the alcohol as well. The flavor follows and is surpisingly tart from cherries and soured fruits. Chocolate and roasted malts form the base of this complex brew as it blends with dark fruits, herbal spices, cinnamon, pepper, and orange peel. The tartness carried through to the finish as well. Full bodied, smooth with subtle carbonation that completely hides the high alcohol. This is really interesting and unique and really cool to have tried.

Bomber thanks to Juice. Pours dark and fizzy. Smells a little like cola. Hints of plum and raisin. Hints of dirt, wet dog, and general moist earthy filthiness that I find surprisingly nice in this context. The flavor is very tart like a sour black cherry cola. Sort of. I guess I’d say that. I like it.

The juice is looooooose!! Thanks. Apples, champagne and a little dark fruits. Pretty good when warm. Yum.

Courtesy juiceisloose. Dark brown/black, tan carbonation. Strong, roasty, bittersweet, herbal, earthy. Complex strong dark ale. Full body, smooth. Unique, cool to try.