Arctic Devil Barley Wine - Midnight Sun Brewing Co.

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BA SCORE
97
world-class
-
570 Ratings

rAvg: 4.38
pDev: 8.45%
Reviews: 301
Hads: 269

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Brewed by:
Midnight Sun Brewing Co.

Alaska, United States

Style | ABV
English Barleywine | 13.20% ABV

Availability: Fall. bottle (295), on-tap (6).

Notes:
Arctic Devil Barley Wine, aptly named after the ferocious wolverine of the north, is an English-style (meaning malt-inclined) barley wine. Though the recipe and process for Arctic Devil have evolved over the years, it is brewed once a year then aged in oak barrels for several months before the entire batch is blended, bottled and released.

In its youth, Arctic Devil gnarls and snarls its way across the palate. Containing this beast of a beer for long periods in oak barrels--some having previously aged port, wine or whiskey--tames the unleashed malt and fierce hop flavors, melding and mellowing this powerful liquid into an incredible elixir worthy of a brewer's table.

Each annual batch of Arctic Devil Barley Wine represents the brewers' resolve to create an intriguing and sought-after barley wine by precisely brewing to well-designed specifications, carefully selecting the type and combination of barrels to use for aging, and meticulously checking the beer as it ages. Distinct nuance and complexity are contributed by the wood's previous tenants, resulting in unique flavor profiles in each batch that continue to change over time. We invite you to savor Arctic Devil Barley Wine upon its release then cellar some for future enjoyment.

20 IBU

View: Beers (38) | Reviews (9) | Events (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by jdense:

jdense

Oregon

4.33/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz. bottle from Fred Meyer Hawthorne PDX, shared with colleague to celebrate end of a very tough week 5.4.12. 2011 vintage, 13.4% ABV listed on bottle.

Half finger tan head, uneven size bubbles, fairly quick dissipation with above average lacing over reddish amber clear body, a few streams of slow rising bubbles. Prominent toasty oak notes, rich malt backbone, Maris Otter?, brown sugar but not overly sweet, some citrus hops, good balance in the nose. Taste is a wee bit on the sweet side but not overly so, light brown sugar. Mouthfeel is a bit on the full side of medium, good effervescence. This brew packs a powerful punch, splitting a bottle multiple ways is highly recommended. A very good example of English style Barleywine, malt-forward and very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 15:24:31 | More by jdense

More User Reviews:

BlurryVisi0n

New York

4.56/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Served in my favorite snifter glass.

Appearance: This brew pours a hazy mahogany color and when pressed against the light; you do see bubbles creating an off-white head rising to roughly about 1/3".

Smell: A caramel malt bomb, literally as I am pouring this beer into the glass you can breathe in toffee and wood notes.

Taste: Complex taste to it if you ask me, and if you really want to know it friggin incredible. The worst part is putting the glass down with heavy toffee and strong whiskey notes. I am falling in lust with this brew. Feels sweet, with a smooth alcohol taste that is a tender strong if that can make sense. Caramel meets a little whiskey plus a slight wood feel.

Mouth: Medium bodied finish, feels a notch light but some serious stickiness to it.

Overall: This is the second best English Barleywine that I have had with first one being a retired gem and probably my favorite Midnight Sun beer period. You get everything you will need when asking for quality. As far as availability is concerned I don't think you will find a better barleywine out there.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 05:31:41 | More by BlurryVisi0n

Eighty

Washington

4.75/5 rDev +8.4%

06-13-2013 20:22:14 | More by Eighty

mhksuccess

California

4.36/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2011 poured from a 22oz bottle into ballast pt snifter
pours a reddish dark brown color with little or no head
slightly sweet smell kind of nice and get the smell of barrel aging
taste of this barrel is unique
overall kind of sweet taste of toffee
the alcohol is hid very well and it is smooth and easy to drink
definitely will get again

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 15:33:47 | More by mhksuccess

gator79

Washington

4.25/5 rDev -3%

06-09-2013 23:49:38 | More by gator79

chase2634

Pennsylvania

4/5 rDev -8.7%

06-09-2013 14:20:50 | More by chase2634

bauermj

Illinois

3.75/5 rDev -14.4%

06-09-2013 12:26:43 | More by bauermj

TallSaint

New York

4.25/5 rDev -3%

06-09-2013 04:23:05 | More by TallSaint

brooklynbrews

New York

4.5/5 rDev +2.7%

06-07-2013 02:13:34 | More by brooklynbrews

eyeenjoybeer

Indiana

4.75/5 rDev +8.4%

06-06-2013 02:40:32 | More by eyeenjoybeer

DrunkinYogi

Connecticut

4.5/5 rDev +2.7%

06-04-2013 03:57:08 | More by DrunkinYogi

FreshmanPour77

Minnesota

4.75/5 rDev +8.4%

06-03-2013 17:17:03 | More by FreshmanPour77

kscaldef

Oregon

3.5/5 rDev -20.1%

06-03-2013 17:15:39 | More by kscaldef

itsiilegal

California

3.75/5 rDev -14.4%

06-03-2013 02:59:40 | More by itsiilegal

itracy63

Alaska

5/5 rDev +14.2%

06-02-2013 02:05:44 | More by itracy63

Quackus

New York

4/5 rDev -8.7%

05-30-2013 02:02:22 | More by Quackus

djmichaelk

Florida

4.5/5 rDev +2.7%

05-28-2013 05:53:34 | More by djmichaelk

Kuaff

Alaska

4.63/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A 2013 bomber poured into a snifter, at cellar temperature, of course. It's 13.4% ABV this year.

Midnight Sun's Arctic Devil Barley Wine has about as much of a head as can be expected from a beast of its kind. It's very small (maybe a half-finger), tan in color, and dissipates to a swirling sheet of film (in which I can see lively carbonation) relatively quickly. At first glance, I thought the beer to be a deep ruby, but dark mahogany is a better term for it. It isn't totally transparent, but it's pretty clear. A rugged-lookin' ale!

The aroma is simply wonderful. It smells of vanilla, butterscotch, and caramel, with a little dark fruit and bourbon.

Just about everything in the smell is also in the taste. It took me a while to think of what this reminds me of, and then it hit me: salted caramel! It's sweet like caramel candy, but there are other things in here that are complementing the sweetness in a similar manner to salt. It might be the little bit of bitter hops and breadiness that comes out in the aftertaste. There IS some alcohol heat as well, but it doesn't really detract from anything at all, and hey, it's 13.4%. With the intense taste and the high ABV, this one demands to be sipped. Overall, outstanding.

The mouthfeel is really awesome as well. High carbonation, buttery creaminess, and stickiness which I can feel on my lips... it all comes together to create an excellent feel for an English barleywine like this one.

Arctic Devil is aptly named after the wild and vivacious wolverine , for it presents a snarling (but sophisticated) blend of bold flavors in a natural-feeling harmony. This is one of the best offerings from a brewery which has a LOT of fantastic beers. Totally wicked.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 02:27:38 | More by Kuaff