Midnight Sun Obliteration V

Brewed by Midnight Sun Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Anchorage, Alaska USA

Pours copper into the glass with a white head. Aroma is strong citrus with just a little bit of pine. Flavor actually has a lot more caramel malt flavors than I would expect, but is a pleasant surprise. Caramel malt gives way to a bitter back end. Alcohol is well hidden. Smooth medium body on this one. This one comes in a bomber, so I guess I’d better drink it all...

22oz bottle. Pours a murky, orangish color with pale edges; off-white head with patchy lacing. Lots of odd floral and slightly vegetal hop notes in the aroma; slightly overripe; very odd, honestly. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: decent carbonation; heavy sugars and sticky sweetness; floral and grassy / herbal hop character; lots of sweetness, very messy and overripe and sticky. Lasting finish: toastiness, light alcohol, some lingering floral and herbal bitterness.

Bomber poured a clear tarnished copper with a lasting amber head. Aromas of mango, peach, cookie and light tangerine. Palate was medium bodied and smooth with a dry finish. Flavors of cookie, carmel, peach, tropical fruit, light citrus and a hint of earthiness with a smooth dry lingering moderatly bitter finish.

Bottle courtesy Brewolf. Pours a bit orange reddish. Aroma is not DIPA, which leads me to believe it was an off bottle. Aroma was dry malt, wet dog, not good. Taste had much more of the forward hop presence and smooth body I was hoping for. Will have to rerate with a fresh bottle.

Bomber thanks to dchmela. Pours an almost reddish color. The nose did not impress me. Some hops come through but they are blurred by hints of pizza (not so bad) and wet dog (not good). The flavor makes up for it a little but not enough. The hops are boulder and backed up with sweet hints of butterscotch. Disappointing as I’ve really enjoyed some of Midnight Sun’s other offerings.

Clear orange gold, white head. Citrus and floral notes, some bready malts, nice bitterness on the finish. Good stuff.

Pours dark, cider-like bronze with a thin white head. Aroma is warm and bready, with abundant caramel and fruit notes. Flavor is like an intensely rich and hearty biscuit, right from the oven, covered with delicious ’hop-syrup’. Insanely drinkable, leaving a nicely balanced bitterness in the finish. Very interesting ’inversion’ of the style. The malt backbone is extremely strong here, and probably places this ’outside the box’ for many lovers of the well-established IIPA style. I, for one, absolutely love it. Very different, and very good. I would sample it again in a heartbeat. Seek this out if you need a break from some of the ultra-cloying and ’soapy’ examples of the style. Malt ... forward ... march.

Bomber from riversideAK - thanks, Alex! Oily and faintly murky deep orange pour. Not much of a head, but there is a thin layer of foam-as-lily-pads. I almost didn’t want to disturb the sticky formation, but it smelled so dank and delicious. Interestingly, despite the bitter hop aroma, the initial tastes were a bit too heavy on the malts (possibly on the downside of DIPA freshness?) and boozy heat. Smooth texture and a great mouthfeel. But interestingly, the beer seemed to get crisper, fresher, and more drinkable as I went on. Second Obliteration I’ve had, and another delight.