Suttree (2702), Knoxville, Tennessee, USA Feb 13, 2005 Cloudy Brown, big tan head. Cherry Pie aroma. Big apple flavor, with a notes of walnuts. Very lively palate. As it warms, more flavors emerge - pears, prune, and the earlier walnut flavor becomes more pronounced . Some notes of cognac, too. very tasty! wunderbier (1264), Tampere, Finland Feb 2, 2005 July ’02 dating, snifter. Mountainous light brown head that puts nitro cans to shame in form and persistence. A deep blood red to purple hue is visually enticing. More simply could not have been asked for in this respect. Sharp caramel, dark chocolate, and a hint of walnuts are the brunt of the malt aroma. Hops are light, but distinctly of a floral and herb aroma. Yeast comes across quite leathery. Other aromas include red grapes, plums, prunes, cassis, port and a touch of alcohol. The yeast profile keeps me from scoring this higher. Flavor does not deviate from the aroma in any significant manner. As expected, the beer starts off heavily sweet and then backs off a bit as a tinge of acidity and bitterness jump in. A bit of vodka-like alcohol sharpness is an unwelcome presence. Body is thinner than expected, albeit still moderately heavy, but in hindsight it seems that candi sugar might have been used quite liberally in this beer. Carbonation is average. Overall, a bit watery. The bottom line is: Looks good/smells good/tastes good/feels good…but, the yeast and the alcohol really hurt this beer. I’d be interested in seeing what older and younger bottles are like. MullMan (1080), Bloomfield, New Jersey, USA Jan 17, 2005 light brown color, tan head. dark malt and alcohol nose. fizzy mouthfeel. sweet dark malts flavor. slight dry sweet alcohol finish. thanks HopDog! jimmack (1221), Nutley, New Jersey, USA Jan 16, 2005 Dark brown color with a small tan head.
Sweet chocolate malt aroma with hints of dark fruits, yeast and cloves. Nice roasted chocolate malt flavor with dark fruits and some toffee. egajdzis (3602), Spring Mount, Pennsylvania, USA Jan 15, 2005 Poured a reddish, mahogany color with a small, tan head that left light lacing on the glass. Apicy aroma of dried fruits, some cherries, some yeast, chocolate, roast and a little alcohol. More dried fruits in the taste, sweet caramel malts, yeast, and alcohol. Rather tingly. kane (111), USA Jan 13, 2005 NIce, I like the way the bubbles of the head look on the side of the glass, looks like fish eggs. A dark, caramel color. Complex aroma and taste. Stinging alcohol, fresh bread, dark fruits, some candied sweets and belgian yeast. For $7.45/22oz this is a better deal than a Westy 12 or a Roq 10 and it is comparable. RateandPillage (417), Atlanta, Georgia, USA Jan 7, 2005 Dark brown with good head. Very fruity and spicy. Good Belgian. I was surprised to see that it came from Alaska. aracauna (2357), Georgia, USA Jan 2, 2005 Pours a very dark brown that glows red in the light. Slightly murky. The head starts off as a large khaki foam and then settles into a soupy, light chocolate milk foam. The aroma is great. The Belgian yeast funk is all in this with tons of apple peel, stone fruits, clove and cinnamon. The flavor is nicely malty to back up the yeasty fruit and spice but the body is a tad thin. Extremely impressive take on a Belgian strong ale from this little brewery. Midnight Sun is definitely on my list to visit on my next trip to Alaska.
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