Midnight In Manhattan
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
- From:
- Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- American Brown Ale
- ABV:
- 8%
- Score:
- +5 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 3.84 | pDev: 4.69%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 3
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jun 23, 2025
- Added:
- Jun 13, 2020
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
A tale of two cities … with a quick stay in Vermont.
Inspired by the Manhattan cocktail, this brown ale uses multiple additions of chestnuts and cherries to accentuate a rich, nutty malt profile and create a subtle fruity contrast. Aged in a combination of bourbon and rye barrels from Kings County Distillery – New York City’s oldest whiskey distillery – Midnight in Manhattan leads with notes of vanilla, caramel, and a touch of warming spice.
Brewed in the Green Mountains, aged in barrels from Brooklyn & canned in Boston’s Seaport.
Tasting Notes - Appearance: Deep brown w/ amber edges; Aroma: Allspice, vanilla, cherry, toffee, roasted chestnuts; Mouth feel: Silky, light, and warming; Taste: Cinnamon, oatmeal, rye berries, caramel, toasted coconut; Finish: Subtly tart with a soft touch of tannins.
Beer Details - IBU: 25; Grain Bill: 2 Row Pale, Synergy Pils, Bonlander Munich, Special B; Hops: El Dorado, Mandarina Bavaria; Yeast: House; Specialty Ingredients: Dry Roasted Chestnuts, Chestnut Flour, Tart Cherries.
Inspired by the Manhattan cocktail, this brown ale uses multiple additions of chestnuts and cherries to accentuate a rich, nutty malt profile and create a subtle fruity contrast. Aged in a combination of bourbon and rye barrels from Kings County Distillery – New York City’s oldest whiskey distillery – Midnight in Manhattan leads with notes of vanilla, caramel, and a touch of warming spice.
Brewed in the Green Mountains, aged in barrels from Brooklyn & canned in Boston’s Seaport.
Tasting Notes - Appearance: Deep brown w/ amber edges; Aroma: Allspice, vanilla, cherry, toffee, roasted chestnuts; Mouth feel: Silky, light, and warming; Taste: Cinnamon, oatmeal, rye berries, caramel, toasted coconut; Finish: Subtly tart with a soft touch of tannins.
Beer Details - IBU: 25; Grain Bill: 2 Row Pale, Synergy Pils, Bonlander Munich, Special B; Hops: El Dorado, Mandarina Bavaria; Yeast: House; Specialty Ingredients: Dry Roasted Chestnuts, Chestnut Flour, Tart Cherries.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by tone77 from Pennsylvania
3.49/5 rDev -9.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.49/5 rDev -9.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A thanks to the creator of the canquest, woodychandler, for this beer. Poured from a 16 oz. can. Has a dark chestnut color with amber highlights and a 1/2 inch head. Smell is mild, cherries. Taste is strong of bourbon, very light cherries, a touch of alcohol as it warms. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a decent beer.
Jan 16, 2021
Reviewed by LeRose from Massachusetts
3.92/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.92/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pour is awesome. Huge tan head, a mix of rocky and foamy. Clear, reddish chestnut brown color, cool reddish highlights reflect in the light.
The barrel influence is obvious in the smell. So are the cherries, and an underlying sweetness. Not sure if that is chestnut, but I could be convinced. It's a bit dominated by the barrel notes - not "hot", just in the forefront.
I have never had the namesake cocktail, but I think I want one. I expected a heavy hit of alcohol and while it isn't shy, it isn't a smack you in the mouth alcohol burn. Pleasantly warm. Cherry, ample bourbon, sweetness, slightly tart, a kiss of the rye. The cherry is more prune-like than medicinal, but clearly cherry. Not sure where the chestnut sneaks in, but I will stick with the mildly sweet component. I think the successful attempt to create the cocktail-like flavors overshadows the brown ale aspects which are fairly well hidden.
The mouthful is interesting. It is low carbonation despite the ample head, nice lacing, and persistent ring and island. It is thicker in texture than it looks, seriously more like a mixed drink than a beer. There is a nice warmth, a bit of a sour sting builds a little, not much bitterness. Dry.
First impression was wow, I like this but I don't know why. Nothing changed as I drank it. By the description and concept, this had train wreck written all over it, but it holds together. I like the beer well enough to overlook the style inaccuracies - the brown ale aspects are certainly covered by the "cocktail" aspects, but I find this a tasty beer.
Oct 12, 2020The barrel influence is obvious in the smell. So are the cherries, and an underlying sweetness. Not sure if that is chestnut, but I could be convinced. It's a bit dominated by the barrel notes - not "hot", just in the forefront.
I have never had the namesake cocktail, but I think I want one. I expected a heavy hit of alcohol and while it isn't shy, it isn't a smack you in the mouth alcohol burn. Pleasantly warm. Cherry, ample bourbon, sweetness, slightly tart, a kiss of the rye. The cherry is more prune-like than medicinal, but clearly cherry. Not sure where the chestnut sneaks in, but I will stick with the mildly sweet component. I think the successful attempt to create the cocktail-like flavors overshadows the brown ale aspects which are fairly well hidden.
The mouthful is interesting. It is low carbonation despite the ample head, nice lacing, and persistent ring and island. It is thicker in texture than it looks, seriously more like a mixed drink than a beer. There is a nice warmth, a bit of a sour sting builds a little, not much bitterness. Dry.
First impression was wow, I like this but I don't know why. Nothing changed as I drank it. By the description and concept, this had train wreck written all over it, but it holds together. I like the beer well enough to overlook the style inaccuracies - the brown ale aspects are certainly covered by the "cocktail" aspects, but I find this a tasty beer.
Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts
3.87/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.87/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Canned 4/27/20
This sounds like it shoild be interesting. Mimicking a manhattan cocktail? Seems like it
Pours deep dark brown with just a finger of light brown head that quickly reduces to a cap and leaves no lacing
The nose is full of earthy rye. The cherries are subtle, but add a fruity sweetness, almost like a cherry pie. The malt lends notes of mild roast and brown sugar
The rye comes in quite strong to start things off with a tingly spice. After the swallow, this trends sweet with dark fruits, vanilla, and lightly tart cherry
Medium to fuller bodied with almost no carbonation, this surprisingly doesn’t drink too heavy. The abv is not felt or tasted at all
This is good stuff. Definitely unique, you don’t see many brewers using these types of adjuncts in a browm ale. A nice change of pace
Jul 09, 2020This sounds like it shoild be interesting. Mimicking a manhattan cocktail? Seems like it
Pours deep dark brown with just a finger of light brown head that quickly reduces to a cap and leaves no lacing
The nose is full of earthy rye. The cherries are subtle, but add a fruity sweetness, almost like a cherry pie. The malt lends notes of mild roast and brown sugar
The rye comes in quite strong to start things off with a tingly spice. After the swallow, this trends sweet with dark fruits, vanilla, and lightly tart cherry
Medium to fuller bodied with almost no carbonation, this surprisingly doesn’t drink too heavy. The abv is not felt or tasted at all
This is good stuff. Definitely unique, you don’t see many brewers using these types of adjuncts in a browm ale. A nice change of pace
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