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Arctic Rhino Coffee Porter
Midnight Sun Brewing Co.
- From:
- Midnight Sun Brewing Co.
- Alaska, United States
- Style:
- American Porter
- ABV:
- 5%
- Score:
- 84
- Avg:
- 3.72 | pDev: 10.48%
- Reviews:
- 183
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- May 13, 2018
- Added:
- Apr 20, 2005
- Wants:
- 44
- Gots:
- 47
Inspired by local artist & roaster Michael Allen's eccentricly-named blend of coffee beans, Midnight Sun's brewers designed a beer recipe and flavor infusion process that perfectly captures the alluring aroma, satisfying flavor and curious legend of Allen's Arctic Rhino Coffee Blend.
Arctic Rhino Coffee Porter combines two quintessential Pacific Northwest favorites: coffee and ale. The result is wonderfully romantic and robust--a duel-fueled porter that melds charismatic dark malt with freshly roasted coffee beans.
20 IBU
Arctic Rhino Coffee Porter combines two quintessential Pacific Northwest favorites: coffee and ale. The result is wonderfully romantic and robust--a duel-fueled porter that melds charismatic dark malt with freshly roasted coffee beans.
20 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by growlerfills:
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by tigg924 from Massachusetts
2.95/5 rDev -20.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
2.95/5 rDev -20.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
Pours opaque, dark brown in color with one inch head. Taste is coffee and roasted malt. Medium bodied, roasty with low carbonation. Makes for a straightforward coffee stout. Probably something coffee drinkers would love, but makes for an average stout for me.
Aug 04, 2017Reviewed by Radcpa from Washington
4.02/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very dark appearance with one finger tan head that dedicates quickly. Aroma is very mild coffee. Taste is a sweet coffee with a hint of spicy aftertaste.
Jun 20, 2017Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont
3.9/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.9/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The appearance was a dark brown almost black colored body with a finger and a half white foamy head that clings a bit with the lacing left behind. The smell had a nice strong roasted coffee powering in front of a light bitter hoppiness, some light malt coming through as it warms. The taste was mostly bitter but balances a bit with a decent malt presence, coffee aftertaste, dry finish. The palate was about a light to medium, somewhat sessionable for an American Porter. Carbonation seems a bit stronger than most American Porters I’ve had but not overbearing. Overall, this was a pretty good American Porter that I would have again.
Jun 06, 2017Reviewed by Troy-Hawaii from Hawaii
3.5/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bought from Times Supermarket $6.49
Smell of coffee and caramel
Dark black color
Medium-heavy mouthfeel
Medium carbonation
Taste like bitter coffee, some notes of chocolate
I've had better coffee beers that have a much smoother taste so this wasn't for me.
Jan 04, 2017Smell of coffee and caramel
Dark black color
Medium-heavy mouthfeel
Medium carbonation
Taste like bitter coffee, some notes of chocolate
I've had better coffee beers that have a much smoother taste so this wasn't for me.
Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)
3.47/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.47/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
It'd be more apt if this dusky Midnight Sun offering were just named 'Midnight'. But Arctic Rhino does have carbonation that charges like an angry safari animal; eventually the brown foam calms down, settling into what we'd consider an average size head, but the bubbles themselves persist in ramming into the surface and butting themselves against the glass.
This porter doesn't smell nearly as deep and dark as it looks. In fact, the aroma is a real disappointment. There's very little coffee and/or chocolate presence, instead there's a distracting vinous and fruity yeast character in their place. It's most uninviting and, I'm guessing, unintentional (the way the foam continues to build up in the bottle I'm almost certainly right).
Fortunately that issue with the yeast hasn't completely ruined the taste to the extent it has the bouquet. There's still a good deal of velvety milk chocolate flavour (as well as some more crude, less refined dark cocoa notes) and no shortage of roasty black coffee. Even a few earthy hops can be made out, lending a pleasantly crunchy bitterness to the finish.
As a general rule I opt not to review infected or otherwise flawed beers unless the brewery is a repeat offender and the issue was something avoidable they consciously neglected to address. I think Midnight Sun is a pretty good brewery but it's not the first time I've purchased a less than stellar bottle. In fairness, the beer travels very far before it lands in front of my computer...
So I've got mixed feelings writing this review of Arctic Rhino. On the one hand, it's far from the lush, charismatic coffee porter I was hoping for; on the other, it's in line with the slightly underwhelming, 'good-but-not-great' standard I've come to expect from Midnight Sun. It's worth grabbing a bottle... so long as you don't have to freeze your buns off to get it.
Oct 16, 2016This porter doesn't smell nearly as deep and dark as it looks. In fact, the aroma is a real disappointment. There's very little coffee and/or chocolate presence, instead there's a distracting vinous and fruity yeast character in their place. It's most uninviting and, I'm guessing, unintentional (the way the foam continues to build up in the bottle I'm almost certainly right).
Fortunately that issue with the yeast hasn't completely ruined the taste to the extent it has the bouquet. There's still a good deal of velvety milk chocolate flavour (as well as some more crude, less refined dark cocoa notes) and no shortage of roasty black coffee. Even a few earthy hops can be made out, lending a pleasantly crunchy bitterness to the finish.
As a general rule I opt not to review infected or otherwise flawed beers unless the brewery is a repeat offender and the issue was something avoidable they consciously neglected to address. I think Midnight Sun is a pretty good brewery but it's not the first time I've purchased a less than stellar bottle. In fairness, the beer travels very far before it lands in front of my computer...
So I've got mixed feelings writing this review of Arctic Rhino. On the one hand, it's far from the lush, charismatic coffee porter I was hoping for; on the other, it's in line with the slightly underwhelming, 'good-but-not-great' standard I've come to expect from Midnight Sun. It's worth grabbing a bottle... so long as you don't have to freeze your buns off to get it.
Reviewed by Jeffsta1 from Washington
3.98/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Decent looking dark brown color, tan head. Could be a bit darker, but it's a porter, not a stout, so - ok fine.
Smell is nice, clean, sweet, malty. Cocoa and hints of cinnamon.
Taste is very decent. Again, malt. Some licorice. Hints of cocoa.
Mouthfeel is ok. Carbonation is overly done, but isn't super fine. This might be nicer on nitro.
Finish is consistent, not overwhelming in intensity or quality.
Overall this is a pretty decent porter. In a world where so many porters fail, this doesn't. Bonus that it's only 5% ABV; it feels and tastes bigger.
Aug 01, 2016Smell is nice, clean, sweet, malty. Cocoa and hints of cinnamon.
Taste is very decent. Again, malt. Some licorice. Hints of cocoa.
Mouthfeel is ok. Carbonation is overly done, but isn't super fine. This might be nicer on nitro.
Finish is consistent, not overwhelming in intensity or quality.
Overall this is a pretty decent porter. In a world where so many porters fail, this doesn't. Bonus that it's only 5% ABV; it feels and tastes bigger.
Rated by Trentt2 from Alaska
3.49/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.49/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Needs more coffee flavor in it, decent beer.
Apr 17, 2016Reviewed by BenGap from Alaska
3.52/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.52/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
I'm not a big fan of the coffee porter, but this was done well. Maybe not my favorite in style, but good balance of coffee and some roast malt flavors. The finish was just a bit off that kept it from being a really good beer.
Jan 13, 2016
Arctic Rhino Coffee Porter from Midnight Sun Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
84 out of
100 with
345 ratings
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