Midnight Sun Oak Aged Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter

Brewed by Midnight Sun Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Anchorage, Alaska USA

Bomber that Tomme/Goldtwins opened at the Carnevale release, because it some how beat out Veritas 02 at GABF. This was a really complex crazy weird brew. Glad I was able to try it. Pours black with a tan head. Nose was big and complex with notes of pumpkin, and chocolate. Taste mirrored the nose, not quite a porter in many ways, but a lot of great tastes that come together into a pretty interesting beer. I have to ask if there is a regular version of this beer, the picture for the regular version shows the bottle I had which reads oak aged.

Bottle from hannont. This beer has a lot going on. To be honest I was a bit underwhelmed. Black pour wtih a nice tan head. Aroma is full of pumpkin, overripe banana, chocolate, bready notes and some autumn spices. Flavor follows with some banana, bread, spices, roasted squash and finishes with a slight tarness. Hard to work through this beer. Complex as hell.

2009 Bottle thanks to mar. Had back to back with the regular version. Pours with a huge, cream brown head that leaves great lace over the black body. Aroma of oak, bourbon, spiced pumpkin (nutmeg, clove, cinnamon), and cinnamon toast. Oh yeah, and a bit of chocolate. Taste is cinnamon, chocolate, oak and pumpkin. Syrupy mouthfeel, light bubbles. The aroma is better on this, the oak aged version, but I like the taste of the regular a bit better.

Bottle: I thought this was a very dark brown, but after looking at it closer this one is pretty dark, bordering on black.   Huge dark beige head, foamy, with a few rings of lacing.   Combination of Pumpkin spices, nutmeg, cinnamon, all-spice, along with roasted and chocolate malts.   Has a very slight dryness/chalkiness to the nose as well.   Reminds me a bit of Pike XXXXX in its aroma, but with a Pumpkin flair.   This smells divine!   As it warms I pick up a bit of Oak.   Before even tasting this one I am thinking I would want more than just this one bottle.   Moreso of a roasty tongue, but remains spicy.   Very well balanced.   Certainly comes across as more of a Porter, with hints of Chocolate malts and Pumpkin.   Oh man, this one is just damn good.   Extremely well balanced.   This brings together the best of many worlds, spices, roasted malts, and Chocolate.   Moderate to full in body.   Well rounded mouthfeel.   Oak is subtle, but it lingers well after the finish.   WOW, the more I drink this the more I want to get more bottles and share it with friends.   Nose is certainly spicier, much like a pumpkin, but on the tongue its a wonderfully balanced Porter with chocolate notes.   One of the best in the style, and certainly on par with the likes of Southern Tier and Weyerbacher when it comes to Pumpkin Ales.   Thanks Jeff for this wonderful treat!

22 of the 07; thanks, SuzyGreenberg! Black, virtually headless. Laceless and still. Woody nose, a bit of chocolate, coffee are there too--not much pumpkin left though. Chocolate, coffee, and wood on the mid-palate. Much milder than the base beer, and not as interesting for it. Neutral finish.

OTH tasting 09/06/08 courtesy of gunhaver. Pours deep dark darkness with thin tan head. The aroma is bold and full of varied notes like pumpkin, chocolate, mild oak, cinnamon, malted milk shake and raisins. The taste starts with bold pumpkin and chocolate that play very well together. Then some raisins and spices rise up with a red wine and red wine tannin sensation. It ends with lingering pumpkin, chocolate and highly roasted malts. Smooth - YUM!

Thanks to neeps’ brother for bringing this from AK. I’m not normally much of a pumpkin beer fan, but this was really well done. The chocolate sweetness and caramel gave a big malt base that really supported the pumpkin and spice. To often pumpkin beers just go for the pumpkin and spice persona and they just taste one sided. Oak provides a slight earthiness, hint of vanilla, and gives a smooth dry finish. Really well done with a lingering dark chocolate finish.

20087 bottle shared by SuzyGreenberg. Thanks man. Has an obvious nose of oak, roasted malts, and light pumpkin pie sweetness. Pours almost black with a thin head that lingers. Oak up front with some tartness. Chocolate, pumpkin pie, more oak and some dry roast come in and a light oak tartness lingers on the palate. Dry finish. Smooth drinker. Not as good as the regular IMO.