Midnight Sun Mammoth Extra Stout

I first had this beer in Fairbanks, but I’m glad it made it down here so I could try it again. This stout features Pale, Special B, Biscuit, Black Patent, and roast barley with Magnum and Fuggle hops.

Stats:
Foreign Stout. 7.8% ABV. 50 IBUs. Alaska.

Very, very dark brown with an amazing head.

Soy sauce, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and roast. Hits all your stout bases, but I could do with a little less soy sauce.

Mouthfeel is big and bold.

Soy sauce, roast, green apple, vanilla, and brown sugar all flood the palate. The mid-palate shows some of that roast with a bit of sweetness then finishes on a vanilla note.

It’s a lovely stout, but I could do without the soy sauce. That may or may not bother people, but it bothers me. Otherwise, this hits all the spots of a sweet stout. 88 points.

Beer Club 4/28/12 Doppelbocks

Spring calls for the bock. Those lovely lagers of so many variations and sub-genres. My original intention was to pick up a bunch of different varieties, but I found I really just bought a bunch of Doppelbocks. The heavier, sweeter, boozier big brother to the traditional bock, I figured right away that these would be a hit with this crowd.

First of the night was the Celebrator from Ayinger. I’ve really enjoyed this beer in the past and it really presented itself as the roastiest of the night. It also seemed a bit drier than the later examples. I really liked this one, but it wasn’t a favorite with the crowd.

The Hirschbrau Doppelhirsch ended up being a good example of what most of the beers had to offer. It was sweeter with a lot of caramel coming through. Much bigger hit than the first one.

The Korbinian was probably the most surprising brew of the night for me. It had this lovely earthy-tobacco flavor that wasn’t present in any of the other examples. I really liked this one.

The Schnee-Bock was a new brewery for me and it was a similar but slightly more boozy version of the Hirschbrau. Pretty solid and generally liked.

Salvator was next, and probably the easiest to find of the beers we had. A good beer, but wasn’t noteworthy against the competition.

The Alaskan Birch Bock was the only non-German brew we had. This presented as the sweetest of the bunch. This was not a favorite of mine.

EKU 28 is an 11% monster of a Doppel. It drinks more like an Eisbock. The alcohol, relatively well-hidden, but was immediately picked up by the group.

Something a little different here. The Aventinus is a Weizen Eisbock. The yeast and wheat character really set this beer apart. It was by far the fruitiest of the beers. It was a nice “light” break from the heavy caramel component of the rest.

The Kulmbacher Eisbock brought up the rear. This was a big, but delicious way to end the night.

This tasting was a huge hit, so next month, I just may have to do IPAs!

Alaskan Birch Bock

Another new addition to the Pilot Series, we have a doppelbock brewed with Alaska birch syrup. They’ve used this birch syrup in a couple of beers, namely the Perseverance Ale. I’m not sure if this is a product that ferments or is just used for added sweetness in the beer.

Stats:
Doppelbock. 8.5% ABV. Alaska. Limited Release.

Nice caramel color with a little bit of head.

It smells very sweet and malty with that brown sugar and vanilla component coming through. It just smells cloying.

Mouthfeels is quite thick, but also has a fairly high amount of carbonation which cuts through just a bit.

Quite sweet with a ton of a malty-ness. It’s got caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, honey. It also has a fairly noticeable bitterness on the finish. Lots of length of caramel and honey.

First of all, this is definitely not a beer for me. It’s sweet, malty, and thick. That certainly doesn’t make it a bad beer, it’s just not for me. It’s a big, warming beer, and has some lovely flavors. Unfortunately, it is a bit cloying and a bit over-the-top. 87 points.

Alaskan Black IPA

This beer is apparently a more “sessionable version of the Double Black IPA” that Alaskan released. The website says it has eight different malts and at least Cascade and Centennial hops.

Alaskan’s New Spring Seasonal Black IPA from Alaskan Brewing Co. on Vimeo.

Stats:
American Black Ale. 6.4% ABV. 65 IBUs. Alaska. Spring Seasonal.

Really nice reddish hue with a tan head.

Nice nose of chocolate and orange. Reminds me of those jelly candies covered in chocolate. Hint of pine needles come through as well.

Mouthfeel is actually pretty nice. Medium body with a crisp carbonation.

Pine and orange meets that chocolate with a hint of caramel. Definitely has some bitterness, but fairly well-balanced.

Another solid black IPA here. To me, this is the proto-typical example of the style that has emerged, so why not give it a chance? 88 points.

Midnight Sun Obliteration VII

Midnight Sun’s Obliteration Series is all about the hops. Almost all the beers in the series have been double IPAs, but this one is an imperial stout. This beer features Pale 2-row, Black malts with roasted and flaked barley. The hops include Warrior, Magnum, and Nugget, and is dry-hopped with Nugget.

Stats:
American Imperial Stout. 8.5% ABV. 100 IBUs. Alaska. Limited Release.

Very dark chocolate brown. Fluffy head on here.

Soy sauce comes through pretty big. Some chocolate also comes through with earthy hops.

Mouthfeel is very nice here. Medium to full bodied.

Hops hit the palate big time bringing a fairly earthy quality. It mellows a little bit towards the chocolate, but the hops come back with bitterness that’s on the high side of a stout. After the bitterness fades, the most amazing coffee and chocolate length emerges.

It’s a hoppy mother of a stout, but damn, it’s got attitude that you have to try. 91 points.

Midnight Sun Mayhem

Here’s a Belgian style double IPA from Anchorage’s Midnight Sun. This beer features all Pilsner malt with Simcoe, Columbus, Summit, and Amarillo hops.

Stats:
Belgian India Pale Ale. 8.2% ABV. 100 IBUs. Alaska.

Nice, hazy, burnt yellow color. Fantastic head.

Deliciously hoppy nose with a citrus tang. Lots going on in here. I love the strawberry and honey component that I’m getting.

Mouthfeel is very nice here. Actually medium-full bodied with a higher carbonation.

Hops hit first, then the yeast characteristics come into play. Quite citrusy, with a bit of a tart character. The yeast is pronounced, but still balanced with the hops. There’s a slight tobacco note and vanilla.

Tasty! A very nice example of the style 90 points.

Silver Gulch Fairbanks Lager

I was lucky enough to get up to this brewery when I visited Alaska. I tried a few beers from them, but I had to bring back a sixer of this flagship brew. This beer features six different malts and Noble hops. Those Alaskan’s aren’t messing around.

Stats:
Vienna Lager. 4.8% ABV. 19 IBUs. Alaska.

Nice caramel color. A little bit of white head on here.

A bit of sweetness comes through on the nose with a toasted nut and slight bready malts.

Mouthfeel is actually pretty nice. It’s a decent medium body with a highish level of carbonation, making it a crisp, but substantial beer.

Toasted coconut meets caramel, plums, and a little bit of bready malts.

This is just a nice lager. It’s got a nice flavor profile, while not being too sweet, and still maintaining drinkability and body. They really aren’t messing around up there. 89 points.

Kassik’s Beaver Tail Blonde

I’ve picked up 3 bottles from this brewery in Kenai. I enjoyed the Moose Point Porter, but the Morning Wood IPA was lackluster. This seems to be their flagship beer, but they offer no information on their website.

Stats:
American Blonde Ale. 5.2% ABV. Alaska.

Very light blonde color with very little head.

Just a tiny hint of grain on the nose and that’s it, very closed.

Mouthfeel is on the lighter side with high carbonation.

Not much going on here. There’s just a tiny hint of apple and lemon on the initial and mid-palates, but very hollow. The backend actually has a nice grainy flavor, but that doesn’t last long and it’s the only good thing about this beer.

Major disappointment. 73 points.

Midnight Sun Meltdown

Continuing with the Alaskan kick, I’ve got a double IPA from Midnight Sun in Anchorage. It doesn’t say what hops are used. I’ve actually had this beer before and liked it quite a bit, but never reviewed it. So here it goes.

Stats:
Double India Pale Ale. 8.0% ABV. 80 IBUs. Alaska. Spring Seasonal.

Burnt orange color with a fantastic, fluffy head.

Nice hoppy nose with a bit of pine, but there’s a nice sweetness to it. It’s got a vanilla/custard type of thing going on, mixed with a hint of orange peel and just a slight hint of cocoa and mushrooms.

Mouthfeel is on the full-bodied side of medium. It’s a hearty beer.

Nice shot of pine resin and mushrooms, but then followed by a bit of vanilla and orange to balance out the flavors. Long finish of vanilla and pine.

Another delicious beer from these guys. 90 points.

Midnight Sun Old Whiskers

I definitely needed a change of pace, and it has been awhile since I’ve had a hefe, so this really hit the spot. This beer features 50% 2-row Pale and 50% wheat malts, but they don’t tell you what hops are used.

Stats:
Hefeweizen. 5.0% ABV. Alaska.

Cloudy yellow-orange color. Nice, fluffy, white head.

Lovely nose. Very fruity with a banana and orange coming through, and of course some wheat and yeast.

Mouthfeel is pretty nice. On the light side, but still has some body.

Nice banana, clove, and orange flavor here which transforms into apple, wheat and yeast flavors.

Pretty delicious beer. It’s got those nice fruity esters balanced with the wheat. Just what I needed as a little pick-me-up. 89 points.