Midnight Sun Oak Aged Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter

Brewed by Midnight Sun Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Anchorage, Alaska USA

Great stuff here. Take the already wonderful ICPP and oak age it. I felt the oak added a nice vanilla flavor to the spicy, pumpkiny, chocolaty goodness. Very nice original concept beer here.

bottle thanks to mar. pours black with a tan head. aroma of pumpkin, vanilla, and dark fruits. flavor was weak dark fruits and caramel. light body with no carbonation.

Bottle thanks to Mar. Pours a deep, dark brown with tan head. Aroma of dark roast, dark fruit, spices, some vegetables. Flavor is much the same, dark roast, vegetables, faint cinnamon, sweet, pumpkin, and wood. Mouth feel is medium body, low medium carbonation.

Bottle thanks to Mar. Very similar to the non oak aged version but tastes better. Taste is meaty, spicy, sweet, of vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin, pumpkin pie, wood, and grain. Nose is very muddled and awkward.

2009 Bottle thanks to mar. Had back to back with the regular version. Pours with a huge, cream brown head that leaves great lace over the black body. Aroma of oak, bourbon, spiced pumpkin (nutmeg, clove, cinnamon), and cinnamon toast. Oh yeah, and a bit of chocolate. Taste is cinnamon, chocolate, oak and pumpkin. Syrupy mouthfeel, light bubbles. The aroma is better on this, the oak aged version, but I like the taste of the regular a bit better.

OA aged is same as regular (Pumpkin pie spice, allspice, cinnamon, Libby’s Pumpkin pie from the can, a little bit of coffee/cheap chocolate, pumpkin pie all the way through. A solid middle of the road pumpkin beer) but a little more “rotten” tasting. Additional flavors are tobacco, cereal, a bit more tannins, and some wood.

Bottle thanks to hannont. Black pour with a cream head. Chocolate, pumpkin, spices and some wood on the nose. Very smooth with a nice pumpkin flavor that is very well accented by the oak.

Big thanks to Tim and Ryan for sharing this rarity. Pours dark, dark brown, almost black underneath a dark tan head that hangs on for a little while and leaves spotty lacing. Aromas are a bit more mellow than the non-oaked version but there is still plenty of the pumpkin pie aroma with hints of chocolate in the nose. There is a solid spiciness in the nose mainly nutmeg and some cinnamon. The taste is even smoother than the aroma with much more sweet chocolate and a little less pumpkin. The oak shows up more in the taste as well with some subtle vanilla accents. The spices aren’t as aggressive as in the non-oaked version and only come out in the finish, leaving a tingling sensation on the palate. The mouthfeel is super smooth with some soft carbonation and more dry than the original. This is a great porter with tons of complexity and, in my opinion, a step above the non-oaked version as the flavors have melded together and mellowed out a bit with the oak adding to the mix. Good stuff.