Midnight Ryder - Indeed Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A very good beer, black with generous head. A substantive roast, yet takes an appropriate submissiveness to the hop story. Very smooth drinker, with a roast not a coffee bitterness in the finish. The aroma of roast, chocolate, spruce, pine combs. Thanks John

Serving type: can

11-28-2012 04:35:53 | More by northyorksammy

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Solid black appearance, under a lush and lovely cocoa/tan head, leaving lace. Looking good.

Aroma: Chocolate and coffee enter first, then swiftly surrounded by grassy hops, but it's a fine blend, and none sticks out over the other (which is the error in many entries in this field, I think.) Malty, nutty, slightly sweet, with citrus fruit and pine rounding it out. A masterful tango of competing flavor notes.

Taste: More of that in the mouth, a big blast of malt at the top, with hops creeping up from below, with neither side in charge, a happy cohabitation. Tasty stuff, the bitter hops keep giving flavor, and the malt holds firm, releasing it's own deliciousness.
I just keep liking this the more I drink it. In this Black Ale, the promise of the style feels fulfilled. I don't miss the heavier malt profile of a porter or stout, and the higher hopping doesn't clash with the darker flavors, as in the versions I've given the down thumb to.

To reiterate: Tasty stuff. I like it. Rewarding, satisfying, and one to return to again and again, with many pleasures to return on each new trip. I'll be doing this one again and again.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2012 07:41:54 | More by feloniousmonk

zeff80

Missouri

3.93/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Opaque, jet-black color with a one-finger, light brown head of foam. It left sticky patches of lace.

S - Smelled of pine. Lots of pine with some roasty character.

T - Good roasted malt flavor up front with a piney bitterness.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale.

O - Third Indeed brew for me and another good beer. Must get more next time I'm in MN.

Serving type: can

01-19-2013 13:56:28 | More by zeff80

MasterSki

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Can from eawolff99. Served in a CCBW pint glass. Canned 10/10/12.

A - Two fingers of creamy mocha foam settle to a thick cap, leaving splotches of lace behind. Body is a very dark brown with a glint of ruby transparency when held to the light. Considerably darker than most American "Black" Ales.

S - Fantastic mix of roasted malts, cocoa, tropical fruits, and citrus hops, with some lightly catty and piney notes and perhaps a hint of char in the periphery.

T - The taste doesn't have quite the same citrus punch, but it's got a nice mix of cocoa, caramel, dark breads, roast, and earthy hops. Bitterness is restrained, and there isn't any black malt astringency present.

M - Carbonation is a tad high for my tastes. Texture is a bit gritty, but matches the roasty flavor profile. Lightly dry in the finish, with some residual hop oils. No obvious alcohol.

D - Crushed a can no problem and would happily have another. Not quite as easy-drinking as Day Tripper, but a really excellent take on a style I don't always enjoy. If you like Black IPAs I'd highly recommend checking this one out.

Serving type: can

11-05-2012 05:23:43 | More by MasterSki

emerge077

Illinois

4.01/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brown-edged black into the glass, plenty of head on top and lots of lasting lacing in the glass. Good coverage, with long lasting head retention.

Roasty coffee aroma, with an undercurrent of green herbal hops. Dry and bitter, not at all sweet. Flavors are similarly dry, roasty, and hoppy. Lasting residual bitterness in the aftertaste. Bitter unsweetened chocolate and dark roast coffee up front, herbal pine in the middle and finish. Dry ashy roast, vague hop oils and bitter orange peel. Light and drinkable with ample hop character. Overall a nice and tightly put together black IPA.

Thanks for this one Eric!

Serving type: can

01-27-2013 21:19:23 | More by emerge077

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a can at Four Firkins. Tasty, reminds me of the Summit Black IPA they brewed a year or two back. This is a touch more bitter, with a big dry cocoa and grapefruit finish. To back up, the aroma brings an herbal citrus hops hit with dark bread crust. The malts bring an extra-dark chocolate flavor that ties into the bitter citrus hops with a slight burnt edge. This is a great example of the style, go find yourself a can.

Serving type: can

11-24-2012 03:20:40 | More by tempest

dirtylou

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz can

appearance: served in great dane imperial pint - ebony body, nice creamy mocha ring

smell: smoke, char, citrus rind, chocolate

taste: not as rich and decadent as many other CDA's I have sampled - charred bitterness seems to overpower the hops a bit, some bittersweet chocolate. Tasty but nowhere near as good as something like wookey jack in my opinion

mouthfeel: thin, moderate bitterness

overall: OK - dug the APA from these guys more

Serving type: can

11-28-2012 22:43:26 | More by dirtylou

KarlHungus

Minnesota

4.58/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On cask at Town Hall Tap. This beer arrives a black color. The head is one inch of dense tan foam that doesn't really recede, but leaves a nice coating of lacing all the way down the glass. The aroma is quite malty with a ton of roasted malt, some chocolate, hints of maple syrup, and grapefruity hops. The taste is similar to the aroma. It leans toward the maltier side for an American Black Ale, but the hops are still an integral component of the flavor. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a silky texture, and soft carbonation. Overall, this is a really good beer that I will surely drink again.

Serving type: cask

08-29-2012 20:09:27 | More by KarlHungus

maximum12

Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First, Indeed's tap room is great, & if you're a native & haven't been there yet, hie thy ass hither forthright. Stopped by on a Saturday evening & the place was pretty busy for a new brewery. 10 oz. pour on tap.

Pour is dark brown with a strong shadow of red. Nose is sweet, malty, roasty, with only a passing tang of hops. Nice.

Midnight Ryder has brought me to a realization on black ales - they must be drunk as fresh as humanly possible, because this is good. Big roast on the move, sweet malts, & an almost herbal hop note flickering in right at the end. Nice & creamy (the cask version even more so, my wife tried that). Lovely to drink - 10 ounces didn't feel like enough, but with two little girls in the car, well, it was.

Only the second black ale or whatever you'd call it that I'd drink again. This is an excellent brew, & if it's any indication of what's going to be flowing out of Indeed, I'll be back. Bock. Yeah.

Serving type: on-tap

09-05-2012 01:22:02 | More by maximum12

morimech

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A black ale with 80 IBUs. A little intimidating. Pour from a 12oz can. One of the complaints of cans is that they are not very attractive. The font is a little busy but this is one of the better looking cans I have seen. Enough about the container how about the important stuff. Pours dark black with over two fingers of head that had good retention before settling to a thick cap. Moderate amount of spotty lacing is left down the glass.

Aroma is pretty much all hops. Pine resin, citrus, and herbal. Slight notes of roasted malt and caramel.

The flavor is nothing short of impressive. I expected a blistering hop bomb but somehow the brewer pulled off an incredible balance. I can taste the black which is the whole point of this style. Roasted malt with subtle hints of smoke and chocolate. A little caramel sweetness as well. The beer is bitter but does not seem out of control. The hops compliments the malt with notes of pine and herbs.

Medium body with sort of a sticky texture. Nicely carbonated with a little fizziness in the finish.

If the rest of this new breweries portfolio is as impressive as this beer, they are going to be a very big thing. Now I just wish their beer did not sell out so fast so I could try Day Tripper.

Serving type: can

10-21-2012 16:42:25 | More by morimech

jera1350

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

At the Indeed tap room. Solid black, dark khaki head and fair lacing. Smell of chocolate, coffee, light roasted malts and light citrus hops. The taste is more of the dark than the hops, but still tasty. Coffee and chocolate go all the way into the finish and aftertaste. The citrus hops are more underlying. Silky smooth feel with a medium full body. Overall a terrific example of the style. Can't wait for this to come out in cans as I will drink it pretty regularly.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2012 03:44:47 | More by jera1350

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can, no date
Deschutes tulip

A: Really pretty looking beer. Dark dark brown with reddish hues towards the bottom. Two and a half fingers of light tan head. Really frothy. Leaving some nice lacing.

S: Even through the head, pulling that rye spice. Roasted malts. Some of that char. Cocoa powder. Maybe some coffee hints underneath. Mingles well with the hops that still stand out.

T: Tip of the tongue, you get some pine hop flavors. Not overly aggressive. Middle of the palate, you start to detect that rye spicy character mingling with the dark roasted malts and chocolate. Sort of falls a little flat in the finish. Still nice and dry with some lingering notes of cocoa and pine.

M: Medium bodied, leading to full with the malt. Good carbonation.

Serving type: can

11-19-2012 20:36:01 | More by inlimbo77

hardy008

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours black with raisin colored highlights, and a two finger tan head with good retention and nice lacing. The aroma has dark roasted malt, cocoa, citrus, and pine.

There is a good amount of citrus and pine bitterness in the taste, as well as cocoa, dark roasted malt, and some caramel. The cocoa and caramel malt provide some sweetness to balance out the bitterness. Very nice balance.

Medium bodied, smooth, with soft carbonation. Very easy to drink. I could drink this on a regular basis.

Serving type: can

12-20-2012 03:23:22 | More by hardy008

jjanega08

Minnesota

4.73/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

No freshness dating on the single can. It's new so it should be fresh.

A= Pours a beautiful deep black color with a nice finger of a nice khaki head on it that holds some pretty nice retention and lacing.

S= The smell is a nice pungent hop aroma with a dark roasty malt that follows behind it. The balance is nice with both the dark roast and the piney hops playing equal but separate roles.

T= The taste follows a huge hop punch up front with tons of pine before being swallowed by a nice sweetness that slowly evolves into a bug roast character. The roast is lasting in the finish with a little bit of a pine bitterness that plays a supporting role. No doubt this is a nice mixture of both components. Again the sort of mixture that really works with each being seperate but equal and the finish is a nice blend of the two.

M= The mouth is nice and dry.

O= This baby is beautiful. I have high hopes for this brewery now. Two beers that are awesome this this one being world class. Keep an eye out for Indeed brewing because they are gonna be doing big things.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 03:58:56 | More by jjanega08

bsp77

Minnesota

4.73/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Serving glass: Poured from can into Imperial Pint.

Appearance: Near black with thick, foamy tan head.

Smell: Grapefruit, chocolate and light coffee. Milder and simpler than expected but quite pleasing.

Taste: Strong roasted backbone of chocolate, coffee and molasses. The grapefruit hops go along for the ride and balance perfectly. Somewhat bitter on the spicy and pine-like finish. Near perfection.

Feel: Creamy full body with moderate carbonation. Dry finish.

Overall: Other than some of the insane Imperial ones, this nails the American Black Ale style better than anything I have had. Between this and Day Tripper, Indeed is the most promising new brewery I have tried in years. I really want to see what they do next.

Serving type: can

10-12-2012 22:28:47 | More by bsp77

Mdog

Minnesota

3.78/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Black, big foamy head.

Smell: Not as much as I thought with a big head, a mostly piney aroma.

Taste: Piney hops and roasted malt before giving way to coffee in the finish.

Overall: I'm not the biggest black IPA fan but got a 6er to support this local brewery. Midnight Ryder is well made and pretty tasty even though it's not my favorite style. I prefer Day Tripper over this one.

Serving type: can

01-27-2013 02:04:14 | More by Mdog

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12 oz. can into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass. Canned on 10/10/2012.

Appearance: Pours a very dark brownish black with only a little amber at the bottom of the glass. Lots of rising bubbles and a big five finger tan head with decent retention. Leaves a lot of lacing around the glass.

Smell: A big hop aroma upfront with a strong dark malt backing. A mixture of hops including earthy grass, spicy pine resin, and some hints of citrus including grapefruit and orange. A quite noticeable roasty presence. Dark malts with hints of toast, chocolate, caramel, toffee, biscuit, and a little coffee. Even picking up a little milk. A very good aroma.

Taste: Like the aroma hints, a strong mixture of hops with a good kick of dark roast. A big combination of hops upfront with some spicy resinous pine, earthy hops , grass, and some hints of citrus grapefruit and orange. Solid taste of dark roast with some roasted malts and notes of chocolate, caramel, toffee, toasted bread, cream, coffee, and a little chocolate milk. Also a little smoke that lingers. A really good complex taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Creamy, chewy, and pretty smooth. Very drying.

Overall: A very good Black Ale. Big hops and bitterness but it manages to be fairly balanced with a pretty good dark roast presence. Very nicely done.

Serving type: can

11-03-2012 06:27:59 | More by MattyG85

n2185

North Carolina

3.76/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours black with two fingers of tan head that fades into a frothy ring with decent lacing.

S: Dry roasted malt aromas with notes of char, bitter cocoa, and smoke mixed in. Earthy pine and grapefruit aromas from the hops bring up the finish.

T: Earthy and piney hop flavors dominate here with citrus rind, roasted malts, bitter chocolate, and char mixed in. The finish is moderately bitter.

M: Medium body and with carbonation on the lower side of medium, this beer avoids being watery but could use a little more carbonation.

O: A solid ABA overall. It's a little on the bitter/charred side for me, but is still enjoyable and mixes the hop and roasted malt characters well.

Serving type: can

03-19-2013 20:13:33 | More by n2185

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.01/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

thanks to hopazoid for this extra!

poured into tulip glass.

Appearance: black bodied beer with 2 fingers of tan head. Sticky lace and great staying power.

Smell: Concentrated pine needles. Citrusy hops mostly grapefruit rinds. A hint of malty sweetness. Little bit of char from the malts as well.

Taste: Big resinous piney hops with moderate bitterness that just ripps through everything and dominates this beers flavor profile. The pine transitions into a light char note, but the resinous pine never really goes away. Then a hint of semisweet chocolate and some roasty notes starting to build from the malt profile. The beer finishes with more pine hops and remains moderately bitter just as bitter as its started off. Would like a little bit more balance between the hops and malts.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Just a touch thin on the mouthfeel. I think this beer would really benefit from a think and creamy mouthfeel. Dry finish that builds the bitterness of the aftertaste.

Overall: This is a really really solid local beer. I still give the nod to New Glarus Blacktop because it has a better mouthfeel and is much more balanced than Midnight Ryder. I did enjoy the art on the can. It looks like Teddy Roosevelt riding a bear drinking coffee from a mug. Classic! Some minor teaks to this beer and it would be world class. Better than average example for this beer style. If you love resinous pine hops this is a must try beer, but I prefer balance and complexity for a beer in this beer style.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 05:11:14 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

Scotchboy

Idaho

4.35/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz can poured into my brand new Rock Island snifter - all courtesy of GraniteSkunk (thanks man!).

A: Porter or stout-like pour yields an opaque brown or even black body. A Light tan cap settles from two solid fingers into a constant ring. Good lacing.

S: Big chocolate malt and almost equally bid piney and spicy/earthy hop notes. Malt and roast, mild caramel. Faint suggestions of citrus rind and possibly grapefruit in the hops.

T: Follows the nose with pungent, roasty balance; piney hops, moderate roasted chocolate malt, resin, faint citrus, light suggestions of espresso bitterness on the finish.

There is a faint spiciness on both the aroma and flavor profile that makes me think 'rye malt', though there is no mention anywhere on the can of it being used in the brewing process.

MF: Medium body with a moderate lingering bitterness. Balances the beer nicely. Adequate carbonation.

O: Really very tasty. Not a style I reach out for very much anymore, but to me this is done to near perfection.

Serving type: can

01-07-2013 16:54:15 | More by Scotchboy

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.63/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this beer on tap at happy gnome in Saint Paul MN. An excellent beer from an upcoming brewery, very strong effort!

The beer pours a nice full on black color with some tan lacing left on the glass from a foamy ring of head. The smell isn't huge but has savory fire tinged malts and citrus soaked hops that are very nice. Also a slight anise edge to the aroma.

The flavor is outstanding, a perfect balance of smoky malts, grassy grapefruit hops, and a hearty barley malt. What a tasty brew! Being a scotch fan, it really reminds me of the smoke you get from a medium peaty islay almost and paired with the hop and malt bill it is just fantastic. Feel is medium and oily, leaves a nice lingering smoky finish.

A awesome beer, I've been sampling some local stuff all day for darkness eve and this takes it so far.

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2012 19:55:13 | More by Dreadnaught33

zeledonia

Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev +2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Finally tasting something from Indeed, one of the Twin Cities' new kids on the block. Love the can art - a monocled dandy riding a bear with a telescopic eye? Tasted 13 November 2012, reviewed from notes.

Looks like a stout. Dark, and thinner than a stout, as it should be. Dark brown, nearly black in the glass. Two fingers of thick medium-tan head, mid-way between light and dark. Good lacing. Doesn't get better than this.

Smell starts out hoppy, light and citrusy, but drifts into the roasty realm pretty quick. Really nice balance - hits the black IPA sweet spot.

Taste is pleasantly rich, with a hefty dose of bitter. Right there in the sweet spot again, like a hoppy stout. Yum. Coffee and a bit of char as it fades into the hop bite.

Feels light and fluffy. Carbonation is right where it should be. Works.

This has that great combination of dark roast and hops, light body and dark flavor. Very nice. One of the better black IPAs I've had. It's simultaneously light, dark, rich, and hoppy. The bitter characters of the dark roasted malts and the hops blend together really nicely, and the aromatic hops lighten things up. Really tasty. An impressive first brew from Indeed; looking forward to trying more of their stuff.

Serving type: can

11-18-2012 20:32:27 | More by zeledonia

JackieTH

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed on tap at the 2012 ABR, from notes. Pour was black but not viscous kicking up a half finger of tan foam. The nose and flavor were very roasty, and the taste smokey. Underlying this was citric and resin hop flavor, coffee and bittersweet chocolate. Mildly bitter. Medium body. The smoke tended to overpower the flavors in the samples we tried at the festival. Will try it again at some point no doubt.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2012 03:04:06 | More by JackieTH

yamar68

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer truly is black... barely an edge of copper clarity and a dense dark khaki head that laces well.

Ooh, that's nice. Burnt coffee grounds melded to a vibrant and fresh hop profile. Could certainly pass as a "black IPA" as far as the nose is concerned. Milk chocolate, faint citrus, fresh cream.

Nice bitter coffee notes, cocoa beans... the hops that shine on the nose struggle to show themselves through the dark malts and burnt chocolate. I'm not all that well acquainted with the black ale genre but this beer is tasty.

Will buy again.

Serving type: can

10-16-2012 01:08:30 | More by yamar68

tewaris

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the taproom. Dark brown and clear with good looks in every way. The hops are fresh, Indeed: smells almost like hop pellets with roast lurking in the background. Hard to decipher hop flavor in the taste though, but there's ample bitterness and roast. Medium mouthfeel, relatively clean finish and good drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2012 08:25:30 | More by tewaris