Arctic Rhino Coffee Porter - Midnight Sun Brewing Co.

GilGarp

Colorado

4.45/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bomber brought back from Portland, OR a month ago.

Served cold into a goblet, Arctic Rhino is a nearly black beer with thick off-white head that is slow to settle and leaves some nice lacing.

Aroma is rich and roasty with a great cold-press coffee smell.

Flavor is excellent - just what you would expect a coffee porter to offer - roasted malt and coffee beans, chocolate, and very mild smoke.

Mouthfeel is medium-light in body and nicely carbonated.

Overall a very delicious coffee porter. I really wish we could get it here in Colorado.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 01:52:32 | More by GilGarp

smithj4

New York

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%

05-19-2013 01:07:46 | More by smithj4

metter98

New York

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: The beer is jet black in color. It poured with a three finger high brownish beige head that took a very long time to die down, leaving lots of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of dark roasted coffee beans are present in the nose.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste is all about the favors of roasted coffee beans and has a light amount of associated bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a little thin on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I liked this beer because it tastes a lot like how I lie my coffee - straight up and black.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 01:06:52 | More by metter98

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.04/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours an opaque yet clear very dark brown (approaching jet black) in color with light amounts of visible carbonation and some coal brown highlights. The beer has a four finger tall dense foamy dark tan head that slowly reduces to a thick film covering the entire surface of the beer, a thick ring at the edges of the glass, and a medium to large thick cap in the center of the glass. Very significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of freshly roasted/ground and brewed coffee underneath some light notes of roasted dark malts. Very light notes of chocolate as well.

T: Upfront there is a really nice moderate flavor of roasted dark malts with some light notes of dark chocolate. There is also a moderate to strong flavor of roasted/freshly ground coffee that overall contributes a light to moderate amount of bitterness which lingers for a long time.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly thin.

O: This beer tastes like I like my coffee - dark, strong, and slightly bitter. I really enjoyed this one and would gladly drink more of this one. Easy to drink and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 01:04:50 | More by dbrauneis

drgonzo2k2

California

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

05-18-2013 14:36:24 | More by drgonzo2k2

Pelican5

California

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

05-16-2013 07:24:00 | More by Pelican5

pin

Australia

3/5  rDev -19.6%

05-16-2013 04:33:50 | More by pin

acurtis

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -12.9%

04-28-2013 20:39:59 | More by acurtis

gwiedman1

New York

4.25/5  rDev +13.9%

04-28-2013 19:57:39 | More by gwiedman1

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Goofy colored pencil or crayon bottle art. Dark brown with a large roam dollop on top. A band of retention circles my glass and a thin film stretches across the middle. Dabs of splashy lace.

Smells, appropriately, of coffee. Bitter carob too.

Tates like coffee (warm infusion?) and dark backer's chocolate with more carob bitter in back. Tame amount of acrid porter-ish-ness. Thin body but silky and fine. Pretty easy drinkin' for a coffee beer.

My first Midnight Sun (they don't distribute by me, I picked this up on Long Island of all places) and I liked it enough to try'em again if they're around. Above Berkshire coffee porter and just below Wolaver's coffee porter on my coffee porter ladder.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 11:59:21 | More by donkeyrunner

bvermilion

California

2.75/5  rDev -26.3%

04-25-2013 02:56:09 | More by bvermilion

laxer8811

New York

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

04-19-2013 02:16:39 | More by laxer8811

methtlcai

Florida

4/5  rDev +7.2%

04-17-2013 02:19:11 | More by methtlcai

vfgccp

New York

3.18/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A - Nice dark khaki head. Great retention and lace. Black body with dark cola highlights.

S - Dry, almost dusty, high quality coffee. Hazelnut, caramel.

T - Thin flavor profile. Roasty, almost burnt grain. Hazelnut, toast, smoke. Amaretto finish.

M - Light body. Almost watery for the style.

O - Drinks more like a light brown than a porter. Tastes like cold coffee.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 00:50:56 | More by vfgccp

Sparky44

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

03-24-2013 02:57:56 | More by Sparky44

popery

California

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%

02-26-2013 07:30:25 | More by popery

mjenkins5

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

02-20-2013 02:58:37 | More by mjenkins5

magictacosinus

California

4.11/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Had on tap in a pint glass at Beer Revolution during SF Beer Week. Got to meet one of the co-owners of the brewery as well. Really nice people with a great vision in craft beer! I'll make sure I buy more of their beers in the future for sure. Review is from my notes.

Pours an opaque, blackened appearance coated with light foaminess at the top and bubbles gliding along the sides. It really does indeed look a lot like a coffee-infused dessert drink or liqueur over an actual porter. Definitely is really thick and viscous overall, although lacks a little bit in the department of lacing. A little ring seems to last for the entire consumption at the top of the glass, which does hold the espresso appearance I so desire with my coffee based beers.

As I bring my nose to the glass, I'm pelted with bittered, juicy coffee bean flavors combined with a milk chocolate sweetness and near grassy zest. Very surprised here. Coffee beers I've had in the past definitely had a far more roasted aroma combined with baker's chocolate, and any sweetness came from the boozy notes. Here, it's quite different, with the malts creating a near syrupy sweet aroma instead, and the coffee notes joining in to give the impression of a slightly sweetened black coffee instead. Also, I must mention that this smells quite clean and crisp on tap, and nothing else seems to drowned out or subdued by these ingredients, no matter how much of a backseat they may be taking here.

The flavor takes things slightly up a notch, with the coffee syrupy sweetness really coming together quite pleasantly and balanced overall. The initial flavor is coated with brown sugar, maple wood, and espresso flavors, but eventually it is taken over by the bittered notes produced by the coffee and dark malts. Not too grainy overall, although definitely slightly herbal. The texture of this beer is truly the highlight of this, as it is creamy to the point of appearing gelatinous, and also is crisp and smooth overall in each aftertaste.

As I talked to one of the co-owners, she told me that this was in fact brewed with more coffee than I initially expected. In fact, she said this is really good blending with vanilla ice cream to make a shake of some kind, and I totally believe it. Honestly, I have no idea how this is in the bottle, but on tap, it's an interesting twist on coffee beers, and while it's sweeter here, it's still very tasty. Definitely enjoyed this one.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2013 19:07:09 | More by magictacosinus

adkieffer

Washington

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

02-16-2013 16:05:18 | More by adkieffer

unclekeith

Alaska

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

01-20-2013 23:21:40 | More by unclekeith

Texasfan549

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%

01-18-2013 17:44:06 | More by Texasfan549

kjkinsey

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

01-17-2013 01:36:29 | More by kjkinsey

blackcloud

Alaska

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

01-03-2013 22:36:16 | More by blackcloud

BrewTasting

Nevada

4.5/5  rDev +20.6%

12-21-2012 00:18:44 | More by BrewTasting

Markito

4.25/5  rDev +13.9%

12-15-2012 15:28:54 | More by Markito