Midnight Sun Mammoth Stout II

Sampled at the brewery - has a little higher ABV than their regular stout but it sits well - not noticeable. Black licorice appearance with a frothey mocha colored head. Sweet chocolatey aroma with soem espresso accents. Chocolate flavor is more pronounced and sweeter than their regular stout- almost to the point of it being an Imperial Stout. Not as dry and roasty as their regualr stout but has a much thicker mouthfeel - silky smooth. An excellent stout - they should make this a regular selection.

(Draft: Midnight Sun Brewing Co. in Anchorage, AK) This is a completely overhauled version of their long-time Mammoth Extra Stout, totally different recipe and approach, and is a big, robust, full bodied American style stout; The flavor features a fairly strong dark roasted maltiness that is quite sweet and moderately bitter with some chocolate going on; The alcohol seems evident; It has a fairly strong bitter bite in the finish; The nose is hard to peg, being dark roasted, but not strongly so; As the beer warms, it takes on the distinct aroma of imported dried Polish mushrooms, which like Shitake mushrooms, are extremely flavorful and aromatic; Nearly full on black, but a bit of transluscent brown at the very edge; Light brown head fades to a rim; It’s almost a certainty that this will replace the disappointing Mammoth Extra Stout in the lineup, and if this indeed happens, it will be a win-win for everyone; Trying the two versions side by side, my rating alone goes from a 2.5 up to a 4.5, so that’s how dramatically different and better this version is; The only question is what to call the new Mammoth Stout (Mammoth will remain in the title somehow), and I recommend just dropping the word "Extra"