Monk's Mistress
Midnight Sun Brewing Co.

From a bomber. Dark brown color with maybe a quarter inch of light brown head. Smells of roasted malt and raisins. Medium body. Roasted malt and chocolate flavor with a little raisin-like sweetness. Well done and true to style. The ABV sneaks up on you too.

Very nicely done Belgian Dark Strong. Not on most imports level but a great beer for the money. $9 for a bomber

 

 

 

 

The appearance is dark brown mostly close to black colored body with a slim half finger white foamy head, no lacing; the aroma has spicy Belgian yeast up front with toasted malty notes and dark fruit, some cinnamon comes to play more so as it warms; the taste is bready yet sweet and also somewhat spicy; spicy aftertaste and finish; its fairly easy on the palate but actually more of a sipper to me; overall - this is a pretty good Belgian Strong ale that I would have again.

 

3-yr Old bottle. Soft subtle flavors, aged nicely.

 

 

 

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. A comparison between a fresh bottle and a 2008 bottle properly cellared. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, with little light transmission in the glass. The newer version has a fine one finger khaki head with great retention and lacing. The older one had a thin, somewhat darker head that thinned to patches upon pouring, but then built again into a thick cap; also with good lacing. Aroma: 2015, fresh and dried dark fruit, clove, bready malt, Belgian yeast, a hint of cocoa, close to a classic dubbel profile; 2008, dark dried fruit, especially date; clove and cinnamon, light caramel malt, a hint of marzipan. The newer bottle's flavor is dark, somewhat dry caramel malt, dark dried and fresh fruit; dates, figs and plums, Belgian yeast, cocoa, black bread. Finishes semi-dry with bready malt and dark fruit. The 2008 starts with fresh plums and lighter stone fruit, raisins, brown bread, finishes with prune and plum juice with interesting esters on the side of the tongue, light clove and spice bitterness and a touch of tartness and oxidation. The fresher version had a light creaminess that was absent in the older bottle, but both had nice active carbonation. Quite a difference in aging in this ale. The fresher one has much more dried fruit and rich malt, the older has more fresh, almost estery fruit and more bready malt. With age, this develops a slight tartness and almost a touch of wild yeast effects, but subtle, keeping the Belgian character. I liked the fresher bottle a little better because the the deeper malt flavor was a bit more balanced, but the older pour had developed fruit flavors that were unanticipated and enjoyable. Probably one of the more interesting and unexpected comparisons between bottle with a 7 year span that I've done. Age worthy and well made. A great domestic Belgian style dark ale. The ABV is dangerously well covered.