Midnight Sun Cafe Amsterdam’s 10th Anniversary Gruit

Brewed by Midnight Sun Brewing Company
Style: Traditional Ale
Anchorage, Alaska USA

22 oz bottle. Pours a dark brown with an almost purple tint. There is a big fizzy tan head the reseeds quickly. The aroma is herbal and spicy with a slight hint of grape juice. The tart sour flavor hits you first, then the sweetness from the malt comes in and balances it out, but that sourness comes back at the end and leaves a long finish. Absolutely no alcohol presence. The body is medium but seems lighter because of the ample carbonation. This is one interesting beer, close to a sour ale but the lack of hops really sets it apart. I had this at the brewery right when it came out over 3 months ago and this one seems funkier. I’m curious to see how this ages.

Date: August 29, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party
Appearance: dark brown, fine beige head
Aroma: sweet and spicy aroma, dark chocolate and caramel, lots of complex spicyness
Flavor: sweet malt flavor, caramel sweetness, touch of tartness, spicyness is well integrated with the sweet dark malts, light hitterness
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: **+/4

Bottle shared by JW77 and wow this is good stuff!! Brown pour, small head. Aroma is caramel, light chocolate, herbal notes and some funk. Flavor is MUCH more tart than I would have guessed. Damn this is good. Cannot even taste the alcohol. Just some spices, wood, sourness, earthy funk and pure deliciousness. Seek this one out for sure!!

bomber thanks to brewboone. Shared at August tasting at my place. Pours a dark brown with a tan head. Some lacing present. Whoa, the nose on this took me by surprise. Smelled of leather and vinegar. Taste is of herbs and spices with cherries and orange peel. Mouthfeel was sour and dry. There is just so much in here and going on here it is very interesting. Liked this a lot. Wish I had another to lay down for awhile.

10th rating for this beer. Pours a really dark dark brown, almost black, with a tan head. The aroma is of malt, chocolate, and earthy spices. The taste is surprisingly sour, complex with spice and has a sweet finish. This is really smooth, creamy, full bodied beer with a lively carbonation. The alcohol is well hidden in the nose and taste, but has a slight warming on the finish. A really good drinker. Thank you Café Amsterdam and MSBC for this great traditional brew.

Houston Tasting August. Thanks to Maltomeal for this beer. Pours a rich dark brownish black with thin tan head. Smells of youth (strange I know)...and cherries with yeast. Flavor is tart, sour cherries. Medium palate with acidity. Seems like if this could age it could mellow nicely.

22 oz bottle, zero IBU’s? Dark purple brown with a smooth beige head. Earthy nose with coffee grounds, currants, whole wheat bread and spices. First sip is quite the eye opener. So this is a gruit. Tart and creamy with odd fizzy carb. Taste is sour plum, smoke, coffee, elderberry and capers. Interesting brew, no doubt, and yeah, 12%?

Bomber. Pours a creamy, rolling, light brown head. Deep brown, muddy, opaque body. Aroma of dark malts - chocolate and light roast, accompanied by some earth and miscellaneous herbs. Slight sourness in the nose. Flavor is tart, sweaty sour, fruity (think: Now & Laters) sweetness and a fun herbal mix. Medium, lighter than expected body, average carbonation. Fairly sweet, but well attenuated with a fairly dry finish. Absolutely no alcohol noticeable. Overall I found this a very challenging beer to describe - the flavors are so complementary and well dosed that it’s hard to nail down anything in particular. Very tasty and enjoyable.