Mid Night Dreams
The Dayton Beer Company

Teasing, taunting and perhaps full out intimidating the sweet tooth, the Dayton Beer Company celebrates the repeal of Ohio's limiting beer sales laws with a massive imperial stout with copious amounts of raspberries for a taste that's every bit as much of a dessert as it is of a dark ale.

Very dark brown and easily mistaken for espresso, the creamy visual textures of Midnight Dream are marshmallowy and creamy, drawing in the senses even close with the strong perfume of chocolate, coffee and raspberry, and a twinge of kahlua spice. Lavishly sweet on the tongue, the boisterous malt flavors slather the tastebuds with molasses, brown sugar and sweet cream at once.

The stout remains intact across the middle palate as a full saturation of creamy sweetness happens with each and every tastebud in truly decadent fashion. Coffee flavors turn toward a deeper and more robust espresso flavor as well does the bitter taste of walnut. All the while, the whimsy of raspberries swirl in and out of taste, taking an edge off of the cloying sweetness with peps of tartness that stem from the fruit. Hints of grape, currant and fresh pulled tobacco offer a mildly complex nuance at the end of taste.

Ridiculously full and truly decadent throughout the entire palate, the syrupy, creamy and viscous beer has the textures of cake batter. Rich and strong enough to split the large format bottle four or five ways, the savory spiciness of coffee liquor, creme de cacao and whisky simmer in a long linger of chambord and tiramisu.

22oz bottle, served in a tumbler glass, shared with others during an after-work beer tasting party.

Appearance: Pitch black with a thin tan head that died back quickly with very little lacing. Not surprising @ 16% ABV.

Smell: Deep aroma of chocolate, fruit (raspberries and a hint of blueberry) and a nice hint of booziness. Not quite bourbon, but definitely alcoholic like a fruity liqueur.

Taste: Wow. It's like drinking a fruity chocolate alcoholic cordial. The raspberry tartness sticks out well, but not excessively so. All of the flavors (dark chocolate, raspberry, bourbon) stand out very strongly on their own, and yet blend together well.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, light carbonation. Despite the high ABV, not as warming as I thought it would be.

Overall / Drinkability: Dangerously drinkable. A very strong sipping drink and this would go really well with cheesecake or cookies. The alcohol is there, but it's really very smooth. I'm going to have to look for a bottle of this to share at home some evening for a special occasion. Well done.

 

From the growler via The Growler Stop in Newtown and enjoyed in a snifter. This beefy
warm beast pours a rich muddy black with brown highlights and a decent head of light tan
foam that settles to a thick ring, and spotty pool with light lacing. Nose of raspberries,
rich dark cocoa, roasted coffee, and subtle astringent booze. Flavors follow the nose with
dark cocoa and raspberries, roasted coffee, and touches of cola with well hidden booze and
a touch of cream. Nice mouth feel; lightly creamy, lightly warming, sweet, boozy, and with a
roasted finish.

Overall, an excellent experience

Cheers

 

Pours a dark, oily black color with a fine layer of milky head that disappears quickly.

Big aroma of roasted malt, ale yeast fruitiness and a small hint of the alcohol heat.

The flavors of lush dark malts and fruit really stick to the palate on a smooth beast of a beer. Dark chocolate, fresh raspberry and coffee notes make for a pleasurable stout even at 16% ABV. Alcohol is fairly well hidden and is surely felt more than tasted. The fruit and big roasted stout base mesh in a great way here.

Full bodied, moderate to low carbonation and damn smooth. Makes for a very enjoyable sipper.

Overall, this is a massive and quite tasty raspberry imperial stout.