Midnight Sun Berserker Imperial Stout

Brewed by Midnight Sun Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Anchorage, Alaska USA

courtesy of our jolly gillard. Pours deep black, with brownish/tan head. Aroma of wood, roastiness and chocolate. Taste is just out of this world. Maybe why Alaska is so out there in the north. Lots of roastiness and malts mixed with nice coffee, molasses. The oaky mouthfeel remains light but adds a load of goodness to the beer. Leaves a light bitetr chocolate finish, with caramel and sweetness almost vanilla.

2008 bottle courtesy of alaskajoe and NoonanDBarbarian poured into a snifter. Pours about as beautiful as I’ve seen in a stout, with a pitch black body and big two-finger mocha head that hangs around as cap for ages and leaves great lacing. Gorgeous. The aroma is a mixture of sweetness and dark roasted malts. The sweetness takes the form of chocolate, licorice, dark fruits and hints of vanilla. There is a bit of roasted coffee in the nose as well, but the sweetness is dominant. The big dark roasted malts really come to play in the taste and underpin everything else. There is the sweetness of the dark fruits with vanilla, caramel and lots of chocolate. The finish has the roasted coffee bitterness with a very, very slight woody character. The mouthfeel is decadent - thick and creamy like a rich chocolate dessert. Sticks all over the palate. This is one fantastic stout and one of the best beers I’ve had in quite a while. For such a massive beer, it’s very drinkable and the ABV was hardly noticeable. Highly recommended!

Huge-r thanks to Gillard for scoring this brew for our weekly tasting, thanks Ryan. Pours inky black with brown head. The aroma is amazing with chocolate, coffee, caramel, molasses, wood and some red wine to go along with oak and vanilla. The taste is even smoothness and near silky. I get velvety chocolate, caramel, molasses and coffee then moving to wine notes, tannins, oak, vanilla and some booze. Very nice rich yet smooth blended brew. Just delicious.

Huge thanks to Gillard for bringing this rare brew to one of the weekly Tampa tastings. Pours an oily black with a small tan head that leaves good lacing. Aroma of roasted malt, oak, vanilla, caramel, chocolate, and a touch of coffee. Taste is the same as aroma. Medium mouthfeel with a mild amount of bitterness and smooth alcohol. A very well made beer but it lacks hop bitterness to balance out the sweetness of the malt. Very good.

22 oz 2008 bottle (opened in Nov 2008). Pours a deep motor oil black with a large creamy deep brown head that left tons of lacing. This what a big rich Imperial Stout should look like! Aroma of cocoa powder, rich roasted malt, dark chocolate, bourbon, oak, molasses, light alcohol, touch of some citrusy hops, vanilla and deep dark cherries. Flavor of rich roasted malts, coffee, vanilla, light whiskey, oak, tart cherries, molasses, chocolate, some hop bitterness, abv well hidden, smooth and creamy yet enough carbonation so that you know this massive beer is still in fact a beer. One of the best Imperial Stouts I have had. I was a little worried opening this bottle so early on, but I guess the time it had to sit in the oak whiskey casks have really helped this beer out and turned it into an amazing beer. Drink the 2008’s now...they are ready and tasking amazing!

Thanks to Hannont for this bottle at the HotD dock sale. Black pour with a soft brown head. Chocolate and notes of cherry up front, soft roast with a light hint of oak. Very smooth, nothing harsh about it, just layers of flavor that all build upon each other.

Bottle @ HotD Dock Sale via hannont, thanks Todd!!. Pours black with a tan ring. Nose is super rich, deep and full of tons of flavor. Taste is sweet and rich and full of major chocolate flavor. This is a big delicious imperial stout.

2008 vintage, 22oz. bottle, with thanks to NoonanDBarbarian on BA. Pours an inky black with a one finger creamy brown head, good lacing and retention. Aroma is milk chocolate, roasted malts, molasses, and only a hint of whiskey and oak. Flavor is more roast, chocolate, overripe dark fruits, and the whiskey/oak stays in the background, but remains very complimentary, nicely blended and everything going on works very well together. This opens up nicely as it warms, and overall is a very enjoyable IS, good stuff. Thanks again Brian!