Saison Of The Sun
Midnight Sun Brewing Co.

Saison Of The SunSaison Of The Sun
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From:
Midnight Sun Brewing Co.
 
Alaska, United States
Style:
Saison
ABV:
7%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.67 | pDev: 11.72%
Reviews:
10
Ratings:
10
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 26, 2009
Added:
May 06, 2006
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  0
Celebrate the Season of the Sun! Our sun-inspired Belgian-style ale boasts a beautiful golden color, delicate pale malt character and vibrant hop flavor. We’ve accented this lively beer with the tart apple aroma of chamomile and the peppery tang of grains of paradise. Alaska’s short season of long days provides the perfect springboard for seeking (and finding) adventure at a frenzied pace. In times of rest and celebration, enjoy our deliciously refreshing Saison of the Sun just as you do all things in life--with GuSTo!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by AKBelgianBeast:
Photo of AKBelgianBeast
Reviewed by AKBelgianBeast from Alaska

3.25/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Wow. This is the first beer from m sun that i really feel could have been much better. It pours hazy yellow, with thin head. The nose is very yeasty with alot of spice in it. coriander, pepper, and grain. The taste is far too thin and very overspiced. Funky spice combinations here, tastes like it should be some kind of winter bread, but not in a good way. abrasive carbonation mouthfeel. The spice flavors in this beer do not make me want to drink alot of it. Maybe it just didnt do well in the cellar but im not that impressed with it.
Dec 29, 2007
More User Ratings:
Photo of MaggieReed
Reviewed by MaggieReed from Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A-hazy yellow pour with a thinner head and sparse retention-

s- spicy pepper and the yeast comes through right up front- slight citrus shows in the back- quite a sweet smelling beer

t- excelent! floored me- one of the best beers I have had in a while. Everything the smell suggested is there but it is very much a total package beer- individual elements are strong, but all together its utterly magnifique.

m- good- small, bouncy fine bubbles that work well with this style, which I have always enjoyed..but this is even up there for saisons I have had.

d- definitely a different beer, and maybe not smooth, but exciting, intriguing, and very drinkable.
Jun 26, 2009
Photo of hopdog
Reviewed by hopdog from Pennsylvania

3.22/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
22oz bottle shared courtesy of TomDecapolis. Bottle labeled bottled on April week 4.

Poured a medium and slightly hazy golden color with a small sized white head. Aromas of mainly spices and citrus. Tastes of the same. Peppery and lemons.

Notes from 9/7/07
Nov 09, 2008
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

3.67/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Pours a clear, orange-yellow body bordered by a thin ring of white bubbles.

Smell: Spicy, grassy aroma with notes of pale malts, bitter herbs, dried out flowers, apple peels, and yeast.

Taste: Light, chewy maltiness with a touch of honey sweetness. One or two apple cores. Very floral, very grassy. Slight musty yeastiness. There's a jolt of spicy, herbal bitterness that holds until the finish. Peppery, biting bitter herb finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Slight stickiness to the mouthfeel.

Drinkability: It's different, I'll give it that!
May 05, 2008
Photo of ATLbeerDog
Reviewed by ATLbeerDog from Georgia

3.85/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours cloudy yellow with a small 1/8 inch head, with average lacing. Average carbonation with a light sweet smell of malts and mild hops. Tastes malty with a hint of spice. It finishes sweet and spicy with cloves and light pepper. A very good Saison and worth trying and buying.
May 04, 2008
Photo of weeare138
Reviewed by weeare138 from Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to TomDecapolis for bringing this bottle back from Alaska...
Appearsa hazy, straw toned gold with a small white head of fluff that slowly fades out. Spotty lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is of floral notes, coriander, pepper, yeast, bread, and grain.
Taste doesn't bring out anything more than that brought forth from the aromas.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, spicy, yeasty, bready, and dry.
Sep 11, 2007
Photo of warmstorage
Reviewed by warmstorage from California

2.96/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
22 ounce bottle, $5.49 at Oaken Keg -- Northern Lights & Minnesota, Anchorage. Served in goblet at ~54*F. Label cuts indicate it was bottled the third week of March (tasted and rated 8/6/2007.)

Appearance: Pours a deep yellow, almost light orange. Moderate white fizzy head, slightly rocky, and visible carbonation, leaves light but distinct, soap-suds lacing.

Aroma: Bright and spicy, hints of coriander, celery. Slightly yeasty but not pronounced. Hints of grain and corn as it warms to room temp.

Taste: surprisingly and disappointingly uncomplex, and with a distinct metallic note especially on the finish. A little bready and a little yeasty, with a spice note. I don't find any of the chamomile or grains of paradise the label mentions. (Yes, I have tasted grains of paradise before.) Maybe a little bit of cardamom, and a bit of white pepper, both of which I know some people think grains of paradise resemble, but mostly because I'm now looking for it.

Mouth: a distinct tingly finish lingers for a LONG time, might be a hint of the peppery grains of paradise.

Where other are finding the distinctive "farmhouse" and earthy characteristics is a mystery to me. I do note that other reviewers aren't apparently buying and consuming the beer in Anchorage, so maybe it benefits from some oxidation and shaking in transit?

Overall, quite a disappointment. Not a good saison (a style I love) and not that great a basic beer either. The strong metallic tone is a serious problem. MSBC is capable of much, much more than this.
Aug 07, 2007
Photo of grumpy
Reviewed by grumpy from Missouri

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
This is a fairly clear, straw-colored, substantially carbonated beer that produces a short-lived head with minimal lace. Flavors are sweet honey malt, chamomile, pepper, and cardamom. Distinct for the style, and one of the best Saisons I have tasted. While not a big beer, this is certainly not a light, subtle Saison, either. All in all, pretty tasty.
Oct 30, 2006
Photo of brewandbbq
Reviewed by brewandbbq from New Hampshire

3.8/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours hazy light gold, with a white, creamy head of moderate retention. Settles down from a quarter inch to a skim coat fairly quick, leaving some light lacing.
Aromatics are unique to say the least.
Lemon pledge and potporrie candlewax. Light peppery notes are underlying, but the oily lemon and dried pungent floral notes are huge.
Body is light and crisp, lingering with a light wheat twang.
Pallet is spicey and exotic. Citrusy in a tart fashion, with lingering, sticky lemon pith and waxed overtones.
Finishes long and slightly bitter with lingering pungent herb notes.
The chamomille seems to take over in this saison, mostly on the pallet.
Perhaps after a couple of years on it's side, it would become more balanced.
Big thanks to Timmcd64 for hooking me up!
Oct 18, 2006
Photo of umfskibum
Reviewed by umfskibum from Maine

4.07/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
22 oz bottle with date of bottling clearly marked.

A: Even with a fairly vigorous pour, not a particularly sizeable head, and even this disappeared quickly. Wonderful lacing throughout, however. With a nice foggy golden hue and visible bubbles, this brew looks like the Belgian style it aspires to.

S: Earthy. Apple, pepper and clove scents are prevalent. A certain spiciness apart from the pepper as well.

T: There is a real lemon taste to this beer I didn't expect from the nose. Other flavors were pretty predictable, tart apple and pepper. Really a delicious beer, the interplay between flavors is tasty and quite complex. There are a number of tastes I regretably can't explicitly identify, but they are all of a nice earthy "farmhouse" ilk.

M: Nice and bubbly throughout. Pretty respectable in the mouth, not too thick or thin. Tart and dry.

D: Nice and unique. This is a brew I will probably get again.
Oct 09, 2006
Saison Of The Sun from Midnight Sun Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 10 ratings