Midnight Sun 2007 Deadly Sins: Lust

Formerly brewed at Midnight Sun Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Anchorage, Alaska USA

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Pours pitch black with very slight caramel/mahogany edges and a two finger frothy dark beige head with excellent retentiononly slowly fading into a thick fading cap that coats the glass with soapy chunks of lacing. Slight vinous tart dark fruit aroma with a lot of roasty dark chocolate malt laying underneath. Very prominent sour dark fruit notes, especially tart cherry, plum and fig. Subtle roastiness with bittersweet dark chocolate, toffee, subtle coffee bean and grape. This beer smells amazingly complex with so many different scents bouncing off of one another. Slightly dry tart vinous medium body with a prominent silky, roasty chocolate malt character. The vinous dark fruit notes up front(mostly sour dark cherry, grape and plum) are quickly balanced by the slight roasted viscous chocolate malt backbone. Slightly spicy mid palate with more of the oaky vinous dark fruit notes coming through in the finish. Very complex and pretty drinkable considering the complexity.

Brownish pour. Bourbon, cherries, vanilla, oak, brown sugar, tart apples, earthy funk and fruity esters. Flavor is really nice. Sweet bourbon, tart cherries, apples, funk from the brett, and finishes earthy and dry. Nice!!

Pours opaque dark brown, with barely a trace of light peering through the base of the glass. A lively, two-inch tan head frothed up and floated for several minutes. The sticky foam relented slowly, revealing plenty of clingy lacework. Aromatics are where this beer is at. Dark rum-soaked raisins,cocoa nubs, oaky tannins, bourbon, vineous fruit, and very light, drying horseblanket. Phenols blend nicely with the bourbon fusels, and vanilla follows through. Mouthfeel is medium and creamy. Slightly chewy, but still light enough to keep the brew from being overbearing. The pallet is rummy and fruity, with plenty of bourbon. Cocoa-dusted raisins form the base, with layers of dark caramel, whisky, red wine, toasted oak, and vanilla. The cherries do not have a large presence, but add a wonderfull complexity. No funk yet to speak of, as the brett will take a while to do it’s job. Finishes with a lingering vineous complexity, warming bourbon, and dark fruit.

Bottle at Logan’s Pre-GABF Party 2009. Thanks to the generous soul from Alaska, whoever he may be, that brought this but didn’t turn it over to the folks running the event, thereby allowing me to get a good few ounces of this stuff. Sweet, fruity, lightly tart aroma, evident chocolate and cherry, along with suggestions of roasty, espresso maltiness, earth, wood and some mild funk from the Brett, very complex and enjoyable. Dark, opaque red-brown color with a lasting, ivory head. Flavor is also gently tart and fruity, with a very good balance maintained through between the rich malty sweetness and drying effects of the yeast, with suggestions of dark chocolate, oak, cherry, vanilla, some background yeast of both spicy and funk varieties, and gently warming alcohol fading through at the end. Some lingering Brett character late. Smoothly effervescent and full on the palate, body is generous. I had never heard of this prior to the tasting, and am now a little saddened to learn that my odds of running across it again are next to nothing. Extremely good.

Pours a deep black with a smaller bubbly creamy tan head that left some lacing. Aroma of cherry, floral, oak, a tart funkiness, some earthiness and a touch of bourbon. Flavor of Belgian yeast, vanilla, banana, sticky malt sweetness, caramel, floral, some toasted malts, some bourbon and oak and a touch of roastiness. Light funkiness.

Bottle. Pours a dark brown with deep crimson edges and a pretty thick tan head. Nose is rich dubbel wort highlighted by a deep fruity sweetness, soft brett, dark chocolate. Big and rich in the mouth, nice dry chocolate dust, very deep, earthy brett, soft sour cherries. Hot and boozy in the most pleasant way. Thick and velvety with nice fizz. Earthy, boozy, a bit wild. Awesome!

22oz bottle shared courtesy of TomDecapolis. Poured a deeper and muddy borwn color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of wood, vanilla, dark fruits, cherries, vanilla, bourbon, and very light brett. Tastes of vanilla, wood, dark cherries, bourbon, and oak. Midnight Sun really knows how to do barrel aging!

Big thanks to Jeremy for sharing this one! A-pours a dark brown color with chestnut brown edges, pencil shaving colored head that is thight and dense. S-tons of chocolate malt integrated with a light belgian yeast. a light roasted malt characteristic with a subtle bourbon characteristic. hints of sweet cherry in the back but very light. T-a little heat up front but seemingly well integrated with the flavors and bourbon, dark rich chocolate and belgian yeast create an interesting and tasty combination, the bourbon lies towards the back, notes of vanilla, hints of tart cherries and really searching for brett but not finding much. M-soft and smooth feel on a relatively full bodied beer. it is creamy and rich, the carbonation is still very strong and the finish is crisp and little bitter. D-very tasty brew, huge flavors, big malt body and a nice pair of the belgian yeast, the brett wasn’t really present and the tart cherry was there but very subtle. the flavors work well together, could have been brilliant but still darn good!