Midnight Sun Oak Aged Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter

Bottle via savnac - thanks, Ira! Pitch pour, tan head. Aroma earthy, lightly vegetal and spicy. Light vanilla in with rich chocolaty malt. Even has some light smoke, which is by far the most interesting element. Sweet, richly malty taste with light smoke. Some pie spice in toward the end, but I don’t know that I’d have identified this as a pumpkin beer in a blind. Dries out slightly. Light-medium body, unexpectedly thin, but smooth and seemingly non-alcoholic. Light wood. In the end, sort of a lame result for all the ingredient hype, but improves with volume (over small sips - need to really immerse).

2009 Bottle - Thanks Toby! - Pours dk brown with a small tan head...aroma is pie spice and cocoa malt, ginger, cinnamon...flavour is similar, terrific pumpkin flavour outside of just spice, with a nicely bitter chocolate component...I really didn’t get much oak at all, maybe my taster is broken...light bodied and ridiculously easy to drink...very, very nice!

Sipped this right after the regular version and thought this beer was much improved. Aroma is more subtle but similar. Flavor is very much improved with a sweeter base and no sharp off-qualities poking out. Great beer that lets the weird ingredients enhance the beer rather than distract from the good parts.

Shared by ygtbsm94 at DLD hotel tasting. I was unimpressed with both versions of this brew. The flavor is incredibly soft and I felt it was one-dimensional as well. Good use of pumpkin spice that is not overdone and compliments a medium chocolate flavor well. Not much else going on really. Decent.

22oz bottle of the 2009 edition. Aroma of oak, pumpkin pie spice, alcohol and chocolate. Black with a very small tan head that dissipates fast. Sweet pumpkin pie up front, bitter chocolate next and a dry oak finish. Medium bodied (lighter than you would think), silky smooth mouth feel, low carbonation. Very complex and unique, a good late night sipper.

Super dark with an off white head that fades fast. Aroma is great. Wood, vanilla, pumpkin. Taste is smooth, rich, and creamy. Nice spice balance and very sweet and delicious. Not much vegetable, pumpkin character. Some wood and creamy chocolate and vanilla taste too. Great!

Sampled at the Ohio group tasting on DLD eve ’09. Many thanks to Brad for sharing. Black pour with a medium tan head. Cinnamon, chocolate and vanilla in the nose with a hint of beef jerky. Strong spice flavor with chocolate giving way to oaky vanilla and a coffee finish. Awesome brew, but I have to give a slight nod to the non-oaked version.

Bottle shared by Brad! Pours inky black with a decent sized tan colored head. Aroma is chocolate, ginger, clove, caramel, even a hint of cinnamon. Flavor is chocolate, clove, cinnamon, ginger, caramel, light oak. Palate is full bodied, mild carbonation, finished sweet and mighty tasty. Great example of barrel aging. I absolutely loved this, perhaps more than Pumpking. Awesome!