Anchorage
Midnight Sun Brewing Co.

AnchorageAnchorage
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From:
Midnight Sun Brewing Co.
 
Alaska, United States
Style:
Eisbock
ABV:
10.9%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.93 | pDev: 11.7%
Reviews:
6
Ratings:
17
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 09, 2015
Added:
Jan 29, 2012
Wants:
  6
Gots:
  5
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

3.61/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to rudzud for sharing.

Light fizzy head fades semi quickly, no real lacing but big long legs, fairly clear dark mahogany brown ruby color.

Nose interesting, big sweet candy malts, very syrupy, caramel toffee, leather almost tobacco earthy, nutty notes, interesting fruity character, candy biscuity, toffee wheat, hint of straw like oxidation, fruity character increases, little yeasty note, oxidation paper character increases as well.

Taste brings mild oxidation again, little paper, then sweet toffee caramel, wheat I think, touch creamy, nutty toffee notes, hint butterscotch, hint of booze warmth and phenol notes, fair fruity notes, so much oxidation and sticky bitter tannic leather tobacco thing. Finish sticky note bitter tannin, yeasty oxidation, icky finish.

Mouth is med bod, a little thin and no real creamy wheat, decent carb, light booze, little fluffy.
Overall decent but there are obvious flaws.
Nov 09, 2015
Photo of rudzud
Reviewed by rudzud from Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3
Shared with JLindros. 2011 vintage.

A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a nice crystal clear garnet hue with a thin head that fades to leave a nice halo. Nicely sticky legs.

S - Aromas of leather, caramel, sweet malts, dark fruits. Semi sweet candy. The fruits start to pop the more it warms, though, so does oxidation.

T - Taste is similar to the nose, loads of caramel and leather. Light dark fruits, loads of oxidation. Oppressively so, which is unfortunate.

M - Mouthfeel is nicely carbonated, lightly bright. Alcohol hidden well, however, it's lightly thin.

O - Overall this beer had potential, however, it did not age gracefully at all.

Serving type: bottle
Sep 24, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by westcoastbeerlvr from California

Feb 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by kscaldef from Oregon

Apr 22, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by huskermike12 from Vermont

Feb 17, 2013
 
Rated: 2.5 by AlaskanYoung from Arkansas

Jan 28, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by spycow from Illinois

Jan 12, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by t0rin0 from California

Oct 29, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by imperialking from Illinois

Oct 18, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by danieelol from Australia

Oct 13, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by CheapBeerBuzz from California

Aug 23, 2012
Photo of HuskyinPDX
Reviewed by HuskyinPDX from Washington

3.71/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Bottle opened on 8.8.12 right after London.

A - Pours a opaque medium brown with a one inch light tan head that is foamy and has good retention.

S - Malty, corn, carmel, leather.

T - Corn, wheat, leather.

D - Good carbonation with a medium body and a creamy finish.

O - Malty, sweet, creamy, nice to try, once I guess.
Aug 10, 2012
Photo of sprucetip
Reviewed by sprucetip from Alaska

4.21/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Wow, this one has been available (in its limited distribution) for 3 months or so and only 2 reviews so far? I know MSBC brews are not readily available, but this still surprises me. Maybe folks aren't so into eisbocks?

Light mahogany liquid with decent activity and a thin light tan head that recedes shortly after the pour and doesn't leave any lacing. Has exceptional clarity and looks good, though that matters little to me.

I can feel and smell the booze, when I stick my nose in the glass and take a big whiff. I also find dark fruit, and some general malty sweetness. The nose, to me, is not as well developed as some of the other categories. It's not strong, takes some work to find, and is not especially complex and the elements don't have great synergy. But what I get is enjoyable.

The taste is primarily malty sweet with mild hop bitterness and a cherry-like dark fruit element. There are some additional layers added by the yeast, but I'm having a hard time coming up with proper descriptors. It's quite deep, though I haven't actually described so many influences, and very well balanced too. It definitely starts on the sweet side, as per the style, but there is a drying sensation heading into the finish. I vaguely sense the prodigious amount of booze in this, but only as an afterthought.

Good carbonation, rich full body, highly viscous, moderate warming, and a gently drying finish.

This is a very good beer that is well done to style, and what I believe to be a fairly difficult style to brew effectively. It's maybe not quite Kulmbacher or Aventinus, but it's a damned good eisbock that you might believe was made in Deutschland if you didn't know any better.
Apr 21, 2012
 
Rated: 4.25 by popery from California

Apr 19, 2012
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

4.22/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to Jason for sharing this one, and presumably to Steve for sending it down from Anchorage. Served in a tulip.

A - A solid finger of white foam settles to a thick collar, leaving behind no lace. Transparent chestnut brown.

S - Your typical collection of bock flavors - nuts, red berries, honey cake, bread, caramel, slightly burnt sugars. There's a hint of alcohol, but it's reasonable for the listed 10.9%.

T - The taste is a tad less sweet, with more bread and toasted grain character among the brown sugar, red fruits, nuts, and hint of chocolate. The alcohol is better hidden here, but it seems to come at the cost of some flavor complexity.

M - Smooth texture with a touch of crystallized sugar grit to it. Lower carbonation, medium-full body, and some warming alcohol presence.

D - I'm going to give this a bonus half-point for being a tough style to get right. Midnight Sun has come up with a very good take with well-hidden alcohol and enjoyable, yet traditional bock flavors. Certainly a nightcap sort of beer, but a highly enjoyable one.
Apr 06, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by DucksFan16 from Tennessee

Feb 15, 2012
Photo of JohnnyP3
Reviewed by JohnnyP3 from Alaska

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22oz bomber. The last installment in the MSBC 2011 World Tour series. This beer is somewhat unusual for Midnight Sun as they don't brew too many lager-style beers. According to the label, this ice bock has a mere 14 IBUs, which is consistent with the style. Lots of malt and minimal hop action.

This brew poured a dark amber with about one finger of head that simmered down to a thin cap over the lager.

The smell was dominated by sweet malt aromas: caramel, brown sugar and some noticeable heat from the alcohol level. Also picking up burnt sugar and a hint of winter fruit -- stewed pear.

The taste is a sweet malt tour-de-force. Think molasses and burnt brown sugar. Caramel and a hint of chocolate can be found as well. Something also makes me want to say maple syrup. Finished sweet (burt sugar sweetness) with some warming heat from the alcohol. I would also characterize the taste as somewhat like a brandy, but not as much fruit in the flavor. Here there is a very slight hint of winter fruit. Don't look for much in the way of balance from hops. This ice bock is all malt.

Mouthfeel is syrup-like. Smooth and sweet and just enough carbonation.

Overall, a very warming, substantial brew that I found to be quite enjoyable and a nice change of pace from Midnight Sun. This is a great time of year for this style of beer.
Jan 29, 2012
Anchorage from Midnight Sun Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 17 ratings