Midnight Sun Lust

Formerly brewed at Midnight Sun Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Anchorage, Alaska USA

Bomber (thanks to robertburns for sharing) poured a clear dark brown with a small lingering amber head. Aromas of bourbon, oak, carmel, troffee, vanilla, spice and a hint of cherry. Palate was medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of vanilla, b ourbon, oak, toffee and light cherry with a smooth lingering bittersweet finish,

(Bottle) Pours a murky brown body with a medium beige head. Aroma of dark fruit, sour cherry, mustiness, light coffee, wood, and vanilla. Flavor of oak, toasted dark bread, light brett character, vanilla, and caramel malt.

Bottle thanks to timmcd64, sampled on 2/1/08: Pours a transparent dark mahogany with ruby hues and a wispy-lacing dark tan head. Aroma of dry woodsy earthy vanilla with some black cherries and faint funk and corn starch. Starts fairly full and earthy dark caramely sweet with some nice oaky bourbon complexity and black cherry balance. The brett hasn’t made its presence too well known yet, but should only increase the comlexity of this brew in the future.

Poured a dark brown color with a small beige head. Tart fruity cherry aroma. Some vanilla, chocolate and brown sugar. The flavor had nice complexity as well. Sweet and and tart at the same time. Chocolate, cherry, caramel, bourbon and vanilla. Very warming. Great stuff.

2007 Bottle during the BC trip with J. Big thanks brosef for letting me sample this rarity with you. Rare? Yes. Intriguing? Most definitely. Bomb? Well I guess that depends on your perspective; or at least an aged sample or bottle variations. Definitely a strange beverage. Deep burgundy color with lighter edges and some brown bubbles and lace, more appetizing upon swirling. The aroma is vanilla, light cocoa, smoke, red wine and a light funk that I can only relate as musty cellar. The barrel only makes a quick statement in the flavor, with a strong brown ale start with smoke and caramel. Dark fruits are present, with an intermediate sourness....and then there’s the finish; where it appears something went wrong. The cherry influence results in a nutty tang that leans to a strange vegetable taste. Medium bodied that leans dry on the palate, but where’s the brettanomyces? It has its pleasant aspects, but the beer doesn’t follow through overall.

2007 vintage sampled in late Feb up in Whistler with Gamble. A big shout out to Tim for giving me the chance to try this.

Nose was an oaky-ash covered almond drenched in a tart cherry dressing. Some maple syrup and a touch of red wine. While interesting, it was a touch underwhelming especially considering a year in bourbon? Really no barrel in the aroma. Flavor is initially strange as can be. A smokey chocolate malt based ale lies beneath a uninspiring, weird ’twang’ of a taste. Hard to really pinpoint what is going on. I’m assuming the sour cherries just don’t work here. Brett has not yet come alive. Palate was quite nice and soothing on the gums and tongue - it glides down with grace. Overall, just seems like a confused beer....on a whole, not much of the flavor seems to be working in harmony for me. It will be interesting to explore how this changes over time...

Date: February 01, 2008
Mode: bottle
Source: Tasting, Pre-Sex
Appearance: dark brown, wispy beige head, streaks of drippy lace
Aroma: sweet dark chocolate and caramel aroma with a nice tart cherry character
Body: creamy body
Flavor: lots of rich chocolate flavor enhanced by the sweet bourbon, nice fruity character with a cherry tartness, dark chocolate character is the only balance for the sweetness

Date: February 07, 2008
Mode: bottle
Source: Ale Atlanta
iso

Date: May 22, 2008
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Aroma: picking up a bourbon candy character in the aroma with the bourbon and dark caramel
Flavor: much more bourbon in the flavor with the chocolate still in full force to keep the balance, no sign of the cherry tartness

Date: January 08, 2009
Mode: bottle
Source: Ale Atlanta
starting to pick up some of the cherry tartness, bourbon still strong but very well in balance,

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4.1/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ***+/4

Pours a hazy brown color with a light brown head. Aroma is bourbon, vanilla, oak, roast, and some alcohol. Flavor is malty, bourbon, vanilla, spicy hops, and a slight alcohol finish.