Midnight Priestess
Strangebird Beer

On tap at Strangebird Brewery in Rochester, NY.

This one pours a fairly dark black, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells like roasty coffee, roasted malt, chicory, licorice, and nuttiness.

This is nice stuff – there’s a lot of coffee but not a ton of the accompanying sweetness. There’s lots of roast, with the chicory adding some earthy and licorice-like bitterness. It’s still creamy, with a little bit of chocolatey sweetness.

This is medium bodied, slightly creamy, slightly crisp, with a nice drinkability.

I love a big ridiculous coffee bomb, but I also enjoy a more subtle low ABV coffee banger.

Midnight Priestess is jet black with no highlights. 1.5 inches of light khaki cream forms a fine head in a Harp Nonic glass. The head holds for the duration and compresses to a mousse with time. A thick, dense rim forms with a fine coating of lace below.

The aroma is filled with sweet roasted malt. Light café latte mingles with an indistinguishable berry. Perhaps that is the chicory wood I'm noticing. This aroma is enchanting, with milk chocolate added as it warms.

The flavor is baffling. It is very tasty, yet remarkably different. It has roasted malt and lactose sweetness, as well as malt bitterness. Then there are vanilla beans, sweet berries, and possibly rose hips. There is a mild wood smokiness, followed by a strong finish that blends back into the next sip.

A full body and silky-smooth texture of a finely woven tie. The carbonation is soft and prickly, adding a lush velvety texture. Alcohol is light, as expected. There is a mild mineral astringency.

My guess is that the chicory wood is responsible for the peculiarities in this beer. It is simultaneously comforting and mysterious. I enjoyed it on a cold, early Spring afternoon. It would hold interest during a long conversation as it warms pleasantly, although with little progression.