Arctic Devil Barley Wine - Midnight Sun Brewing Co.

Holland

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed at a tasting thanks to James.

A: reddish brown color with decent tan head that dies fairly quickly

S: some bourbon comes through with the oak and vanilla. Dark fruits are a part of the smell, but I didn't get strong scents of anything.

T: beautiful blend of dark fruits with some bite of the oak and sweet bourbon and caramel flavors.

M: great carbonation for such a big beer, and a hefty body to it.

O: amazing beer, so glad I had the chance to taste this and remember it.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 17:05:29 | More by Holland

iadler

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to exitmusic00 for cracking this bottle open for our blind barleywine tasting. 2011 bottle. From notes.

A- Pours a translucent ruby red with a thin off white head that leaves adequate lacing behind.

S- Very fruity upfront with notes of raspberries, cherry, plumb, fig and raisins. Brown sugar emerges with oak and burnt caramel following.

T- Oak and vanilla upfront with plumb, raisins, cherries and fig and caramel following with some toasted marshmallow at the finish.

M- Medium carbonation and full smooth body with the high abv being hidden very well.

O- One of my favorite barleywines at the tasting, behind King Henry of course. Would love to grab a few more of these to set down for a bit. Very impressed.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 21:51:59 | More by iadler

mrandypandy

Georgia

4/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle purchased on my last trip to Oregon. Was incredibly stoked to see this sitting on the shelf!

A - Pours dark mahogany/brown. Nice off-white head on pour quickly dies down.
S - Caramel, raisins, figs with a hint of bourbon. Dark fruits are very prominent. Sweet.
T - Malty sweetness. Dark fruits are in the forefront. Have to strain to get the oak/barrel, but it comes out more as it warms.
M - Thick, heavy, full body. A bit boozy. May need another year to mellow out some more.
O - Hmm. I found this got much better as I let it warm. A sipper for sure, and the high ABV really shows.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 21:46:09 | More by mrandypandy

natemort13

California

4.4/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a ruby copper color with a semi fizzy thin khaki head that dissipates quickly.

Nose is deep sweet oak, cherries, booze, brandy, caramel, whiskey.

Taste brings sweeter cherries up front with a nice woody whiskey flavor underneath. This beer is still hot. Caramel maltiness.

Mouthfeel is syrupy, stinging booze, full bodied.

Overall this beer is more enjoyable than the score im giving it suggests, it just should look better... but then again
I've never given that a ton of credence.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 06:31:25 | More by natemort13

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.83/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2008 Vintage
Poured from bomber into a tulip glass. Pours a dark red hue along with a thin white head that dissipated too quickly for my liking. Aromas of whiskey, subdued oak and toffee. The flavor carried some caramel, dried fruits, brown sugar candied fruits, vanilla and hints of oak and bourbon. I could just barely detect those traits though just like I had to do with the aroma. Perhaps it is because of the complexity of the beer? The mouthfeel was a tad thin and sticky. I was a little disappointed with this vintage as it had a cardboard smell on nose and less flavor than I had hoped for – mostly flattish.

2011 Vintage
Also poured from bomber into a tulip glass. Pours a darker red copper color along with another disappearing head though the lacing was stuck on throughout. Same aromatics and flavors as the 2008 vintage but more enhanced probably due to the freshness of the brew. Improved carbonation and mouthfeel. A much better vintage – seems as if the fresher it is the better? I’d probably not cellar this one any more than a couple years if I had multiple bottles.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 17:19:56 | More by CuriousMonk

claaark13

Indiana

4.3/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured at cellar temp into a Hill Farmstead tulip. Thanks schmaltzy, you've made my evening with this one.

A - Pours a ruby color with an inch or less of an off-white head. Seems thick, great head retention. Looks really good until it is gone.

S - Sweet malts, some fruit and slight oak. Notes of caramel as well. As it opens up, some heat and licorice can be found. Really not much of a dominating aroma, takes a battle to get in there and pick things out.

T - Malts, dark fruit presence...like a cherry mixed with a raisin (charaisin I believe), woodiness, caramel, licorice and sweet heat on the finish. Fairly smooth overall. The more I sip it, the more I really like it.

M - Medium body that feels heavy on the tongue.

O - I'm trying to be critical about this because I've been wanting to try this beer for a while. After fighting with it over 30 minutes, I'll say that it is one of the best of the style that I've had. Deserves more than a 4.0, but there is no 4.25 overall option. The real thing holding it down in the overall is the heat. I think another year in the bottle will bring this thing to another level. Now I need to find another one...

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 00:22:44 | More by claaark13

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.33/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2011 bottle opened on 6.2.12.

A - Pours a dark copper brown with a fluffy light tan head that slowly fades.

S - Woody, subtle booze and carmel.

T - Sharp wood, then some carmel, toffee, vanilla, and strong booze.

D - Good carbonation and an average medium body.

O - Sweet and carmel and toffee that try and hide the beast of an ABV. A bit hot, but Great!

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 04:27:07 | More by HuskyinPDX

dirtylou

Washington

4.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bomber

appearance: served in oversized snifter - rich garnet body with a creamy beige head. nice looking beer

smell: rich and sweet - oak, vanilla, whiskey, dark fruits

taste: really awesome - at 13+% abv, i expected a sticky and excruciatingly sweet beer which was fortunately not the case. sweet brown sugar, dark fruits, oak, whiskey, vanilla, tannic notes, maple. Really good stuff

mouthfeel: creamy and quite smooth, light bitterness

overall: great barleywine

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 00:25:40 | More by dirtylou

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.7/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

22 oz 2009 bottle.

Pours a dark, cloudy amber brown color with a thin tan head. Aroma is a decadent blend of roast, oak, bourbon, vanilla, plum, raisin, brown sugar, caramel, and cherry. Extremely creamy and smooth body with a rich flavor similar to the nose; maple, cherry, raisin, plum, vanilla, bourbon and oak dominate the flavor. An all around, smooth, well balanced and complex barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 21:09:47 | More by yourefragile

Auracom

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

5-6 oz. poured into a CBS snifter on May 18th, 2012. Thanks to Gregg for sending this bottle!

A - It pours quite similar to Abacus but perhaps a tad thinner (which means too thin, really). Very little carbonation, retention, or lacing. Rather uneventful.

S - Red wine grapeskins. Whiskey-bourbon. A tandem of oak here. More subtle notes of caramel, spices, and alcohol.

T - Many barrel blessings to this brew. Wine grape astringency, port/cherry-fruit quality, Rear-palate highlights the whiskey oak element. Underneath toffee malts, raisin bread, and figs.

M - Medium-heavy body (heavier than it looked), good smoothness. Very fine carbonation and a semi-sweet finish.

D - Overall I really enjoy the freshness and mix of barrels. It creates this multiplicity across the nose and palate that is really unique for the style. Midnight Sun's grasp on this blend is pretty excellent.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 18:14:51 | More by Auracom

brotherloco

California

4.28/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber. 2011 Vintage. 13.4% ABV.

Pours a deep translucent mahogany. A very small beige head quickly dissipates to a small ring.

Aroma brings on strong dry-bread malt with hints of vanilla and sherry. A touch of sulphur. Noticeable alcohol.

Flavor of the malt is much more toffee-like than the aroma. A lot of oak and vanilla from the barrel aging. Still getting a little of that sulphur. Tobacco notes. Sweet through the middle and then finishes with a dry alcohol note. The heat comes on after a few sips but flavor wise the alcohol is extremely well blended.

Medium-full bodied with a nice moderate amount of carbonation. Slick and very drinkable given the strength.

A great beer at this age and one that you can tell will get even better with age.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 02:50:39 | More by brotherloco

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle into a couple of snifters. 2007 vintage. 10% ABV.

Pours a ruddy brown, with a thin sudsy head of light mocha foam. This whips up a rich cascade up onto the sides of the glass, leaving back thick swathes of lacing. The aroma is quite dense and flavorful with notes of cocoa, molasses, oak, vanilla, and then some tea-like qualities that alternate between being tannic and herbal feeling in the nose.

The taste is equally robust, with heavy flavors of brown sugar, chocolate, molasses, green tannins, and then notes of roast and some dark fruit on the back. There is some heavy oxidation going on with this, which combos with the more woody character that is present to leave this VERY dry on the finish. Honestly, one of the driest that I’ve felt on a beer in a long time. The mouthfeel is full bodied and sharp up front which then gives way to more of a chewy creaminess along the back. This is hugely smooth for the size, with the alcohol contributing some added sweetness and spice to the profiles but not any real heat.

This was nice and aged very well, with that oxidation that was present mostly complimenting the other flavors and only got to be mildly distracting in spots. This was very rich and smooth overall though and I was glad that I finally found a proper time to open this guy. Now I just need to find a fresh bottle to compare…

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 14:26:42 | More by Kegatron

nrbw23

Ohio

4.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a dark mahogany brown color with a few light tan bubbles for a head. Very light lacing if any at all.

S- Picking up caramel and bready malts, light bourbon, oak, vanilla, dark fruits, and brown sugar.

T- Tastes is caramel malts, bourbon, oak, toffee, vanilla, sweet dark fruit, sugar, and alcohol. A good amount of barrel here too.

M- Fuller side of medium and carbonation was pretty light.

O- This is a very solid brew for sure. A good balance of everything and pretty complex as well.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 18:53:24 | More by nrbw23

starrdogg

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Jon for sharing this one. Newest batch.

Beer pours a reddish-brown with a thin white head and nice lacing. Smell is a nice nutty/toffee aroma with a little bit of booze in the background. Flavor is a nicely balanced mix of toffee malts and a little bit of hops with some oak in there. Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied. Overall, this beer is good, but it's not nearly as good as some of the past vintages I've had. Maybe this beer needs some age to be truly great.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 02:45:18 | More by starrdogg

PerHops

California

4.63/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- reddish brown color with a thin head and visible carbonation.

S- Alcohol right off the bat. Doesn't by any means shock me at 13 percent, but the other times I've had this it hasn't been as evident. Oak, bourbon, cherries, chocolate, tobacco, leather.

T- Maple syrup, chocolate, dark fruits, hops. Almost no alcohol noticeable when cold. Such a wonderful depth of flavors. I can't think of a better beer for a cold winter night.

M- Medium high carbonation, but it has a nice overall feel

O- This is the best barley wine I've tried. Fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 04:31:39 | More by PerHops

merc7186

New York

4/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer poured from a bomber into a snifter glass.

A: Dark Amber Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head, Mild Lacing

S: Bourbon, Maple Syrup

T: Maple, Bourbon

M: Average Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Sweet, Boozy

Overall, a decent barrel aged barley wine with some sweet, boozy finish.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 00:54:18 | More by merc7186

jdense

Oregon

4.33/5  rDev -1.4%
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

siege06nd

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A. Pours a dark ruby brown color. Really love the crimson hues in this. About a quarter finger of thin, swirly, cream colored head. Moderate spotty lacing. One of the prettier barleywines I have seen.

S. Ripe dark fruit (cherry, fig), leather, caramel, vanilla, traces of chocolate, and some faint earthiness.

T: Caramel, chocolate, oak, bread crust. Very malty, but not quite as sweet and not nearly as much dark fruit presence as I've had in other barleywines. I get some faint toffee and roasted marshmallow as well. A solid beer, but was expecting a sweeter and fruitier flavor profile.

M: Full bodied, light carbonation. A lot of bitterness in the finish, though, that tastes like barrel and isn't quite evened out by the rest of the flavors.

O: I wanted to love this beer, but I think it needs some age. It's big and malty, but it hasn't quite acquired that sweet, ripe fruit flavor that I've come to expect from the style. Good, not great.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 00:54:29 | More by siege06nd

axeman9182

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle of the 2011 vintage, with the hookup coming from FunkyMacGroovin. It was allowed to warm some before being poured into my petite Duvel tulip.

Arctic Devil pours a fairly clear polished mahogany. There's about two fingers of khaki colored foam capping the beer. Head retention is solid, but lacing is fairly spotty. The nose is just a series of wonderful aromas washing over me one, after the next. Port inspired dark fruits, coconut, vanilla, caramel, and nutty sherry-like aromas all take a turn in the spotlight, not to mention a slight smell of alcohol. After all that, the flavor profile has a hard time living up. Darl fruits and a nutty sweetness are the dominant flavors, with vanilla and caramel showing up as well. A lid more presence from the base barleywine would be great, because what's in my glass is tasty, but I think I could come up with something similar just by blending some port and sherry to taste. The slight alcohol warmth creeps in pleasantly for the finish of each sip. The body is pleasantly rich and full, though not as heavy as I might have expected from a 13+% beer. The carbonation is wonderfully understated, doing its job while staying out of the way of the malt and barrel flavors. Arctic Devil is a great brew to have in your glass for a couple hours, I just wish it wasn't so clearly dominated by the barrel aging.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 06:00:59 | More by axeman9182

schwaeh

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2011 bottle sent to me by scotchboy. Gotta give a big thanks for this one.

A: Deep red-brown color. Nice off-white head form quickly and fades just as fast. Good legs and light lacing.

S: Bright, sweet, hoppy aroma. Lots of caramel malts. Maybe some spices, none that I can individually pick out. Hops and fruits stand out here.

T: The whiskey is relaxed and real sweet. It's very fruity and bright for the style. Sweet caramel, real soft whiskey. The hoppiest barleywine we've had so far, not real bitter but nice hop flavor. Nice woody vanilla makes this beer great.

M: Soft and smooth with a fluffy feel. Medium-heavy body.

O: A great barleywine. It kinda sucks that it followed king henry but this guy fought really hard to stand amongst the top of the crop. Great stuff. Nice woody vanilla makes this stuff great, it's an awesome flavor in this. Awesome flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 19:26:27 | More by schwaeh

tewaris

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Arctic Devil (2011 vintage)
Poured into a snifter. Thanks Dan.

Dark and rusty with good head. Ripe fruit, burnt sugar and dark caramel. Great barrel notes in the taste, dried fruits and chocolate. Good mouthfeel too. Very smooth with a good barrel character and a good beer overall. However, it seems to more about barrels and less about the base. Didn't really stack up to other barleywines at the tasting.

4, 3.5, 3.5, 4, 4

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 06:17:40 | More by tewaris

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

poured into snifter glass.

reviewed from notes taken on friday 4/14/12.

vintage 2011.

Appearance: brillant copper / gold bodied beer with a solid finger worth of white head. nice lloking beer.

Smell: nice caramel and toffee notes. Barrels notes of vanilla, oak and bourbon are easily detected. Smells delighful.

Taste: Big and sweet malty caramel notes lead this beer off. The barrels are right behind the malt profile. Vanilla, oak, and bourbon are all lingering around, without being overbearing. Just a hinting of hops, this is very malt forward english barleywine.

Mouthfeel: full bodied beer that drinks like its a medium bodied beer. Carbonation is on the low end of moderate. really smooth beer that drink like its are easy beer to drink. No booze burn or harshness from this beer.

Overall: This beer is ready to be drank fresh. Its in my top 3 favorite BA barleywines. Really solid beer from Midnight Sun Brewing! I recommend drinking this slightly higher than room temperature.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 07:25:43 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

HamFon

Florida

4.93/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I had this at the Walk The Line On Barleywine judge thank-you tasting. It came from my cellar, and vintage 2008.

Wow!

A: clear deep copper with nice slight-off-white head of small bubbles that faded quickly (probably since it's a 10% beer)

S: yummy - all kinds of malt, caramel, English floral and earthy hops, and some dark fruits

T: yummy again - big caramel, toffee, malt, floral, black raisins

M: medium body with lots of malt flavor but not too sweet or cloying

O: This is one of the best English style barleywines I've had - a perfect balance of malt accentuated beer with enough supporting hops to keep it from cloying, and also with some interesting fruitiness that adds more dimensions and complexity.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 16:02:12 | More by HamFon

schmoopsbeer

California

4.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2011 vintage
bottle poured in to duvel

Color: It shines a caramel/copper color with a light off-white head that quickly dissolves into a dime thick ring around the glass. No head retention and minor lacing.

Nose: Wow!!!! Caramel,vanilla,bourbon, and mold oak shine. As the beer warms hints of toffee and dried apples appear. Just a wonderful aroma emanates from this beer.

Palate: Regal... yes I said it, this beer is just that... regal. Once this beer hits your tongue it is an elegant presentation of flavor and craftsmanship. For such a high abv this beer is highly drinkable. The alcohol is well masked and the carbonation is just right. Waves of bourbon and caramel hit your taste buds first, followed by the smoothness of the vanilla and the boldness of the oak. Gentle fruit appears as the beer warms adding another level of complexity.

Finish: Warm,smooth, and mildly sweet. the taste of bourbon lingers with hints of vanilla at the back end of the tongue. This beer is at another level... simply outstanding and an achievement in beer making.

Rating: 97/100

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 07:35:32 | More by schmoopsbeer

vkv822

Oregon

3.88/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into tulip snifter.
2011 vintage.

Pours clear, dark red with a bubbly, light toffee head.

Deep oak, caramel, toffee, very light vanilla.

Taste is caramel toffee malts with prominent bourbon notes, slightly boozy harshness.

Medium body, with prickly carbonation, light alcohol burn.

A well done English barleywine. Definitely one of the top-tier in the example, though I felt the booziness became just a bit harsh at times.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 05:43:01 | More by vkv822