Moscow - Midnight Sun Brewing Co.

danieelol

Australia

4.25/5  rDev +1%

10-13-2012 00:08:56 | More by danieelol

Scalawags

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +1%

06-18-2013 15:55:45 | More by Scalawags

vkv822

Oregon

4.08/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

22oz : Teku

Opaque black, with a thin, bubbly brown head.

Big, cocoa and roast malt notes, faint dark fruit and a rye spice backing.

Taste follows the nose, with a slight alcohol warmth in the finish.

Creamy, lightly viscous body, mild foamy carbonation.

A very well done RIS. The rye adds an extra, subtle touch towards the finish of an already tasty base beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2013 08:43:44 | More by vkv822

Greywulfken

New York

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: pitch black and dense; milky chocolate head dissipates quickly, leaving just a trace behind

S: lots of dark roasted malt aromas, suggesting ice cold, black, bitter coffee; sweeter hints of molasses

T: rich, roasty, drenched in wet dark bittersweet malt, drier wood and oak flavors, perhaps something like anise; what I presume to be the rye creates a deeper level with some chewy grain and earthy/herbal seasonings/spices; sugars wash in up front and then fade out, dry and mellow

M: dense, heavy creamy, full-bodied, no palpable carbonation, smooth and slightly coating, dark bittersweet aftertaste

O: warmed impressively - nice, mellow and smooth; bitters are dark and shadowy; the rye and perhaps whatever hops are used create a savory/medicinal component (and perhaps the abv shows a bit, too) - almost like a dark malt tonic - a very nice interpretation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 01:08:28 | More by Greywulfken

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured out as a thick oily black color color with a deep brown colored head, the retention is very thin, some scattered lacing as well. The smell is lightly roasted with some sweet molasses on the nose. The taste is sweet and roasted with a nice bitterness in the finish. Some decent spicy notes in there as well from the rye. The mouthfeel is thick, oily and lightly carbonated. Overall it's a big thick beast of a beer. Very good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 00:35:55 | More by Knapp85

notchucknorris

California

4.49/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours like motor oil. Black as a Kardashian heart and thick as hell. A dense milk chocolate colored head wells up immediately, leaving a beautiful, dense blanket of tight bubbles. This might be the darkest head I've ever seen. This beer means business.

S: Big and roasty aroma. Wet earth, charred wood, peat, espresso and some faint milk chocolate sweetness. Liking it.

T: A big pop in the mouth of roasted and charred malt right away. Burnt oak, a quick hit of smoke, and some charred espresso. So much roastiness and it is awesome. There's just a touch of spiciness from the rye as well as a respite from the roasted flavors in a flash of milk chocolate and molasses. Finish brings some dark coffee grounds and a lingering note of rye. The mouthfeel is near perfect. It's dense as hell, with an almost milkshake like consistency, coating every inch of your mouth with roasty awesomeness. I've had stouts far higher in ABV, but this mouthfeel is up there with the thickest of them. Amazing stuff.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 00:53:42 | More by notchucknorris

bbadger

Texas

4/5  rDev -5%

06-08-2013 02:25:23 | More by bbadger

johnnyboy76

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +1%

06-03-2013 03:19:35 | More by johnnyboy76

itracy63

Alaska

4/5  rDev -5%

06-02-2013 02:10:42 | More by itracy63

ChumleyX

California

4.75/5  rDev +12.8%

05-30-2013 06:48:41 | More by ChumleyX

mdaschaf

Washington

4/5  rDev -5%

05-29-2013 04:21:21 | More by mdaschaf

reverbking

California

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-29-2013 03:17:16 | More by reverbking

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.33/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

650 mL bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Inky black. Pours with no head, but then it wells up a nice mocha head. Thick mocha collar. Rebuilds with every swirl.

Smell - Chocolate. I think I smell the rye. Alcoholic and a little ashy.

Taste - A significant improvement. Fruity. Chocolatey. Some smokiness. A little bitter and sweet in the finish. Tastes like a Baltic porter in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Odd body. Kinda thin. Again like a lager in the finish.

Overall - Not sold on this. All over the place. Some is good, some is bad.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 01:32:58 | More by Alieniloquium

KiMiRaiK

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-27-2013 03:44:37 | More by KiMiRaiK

lsummers

California

4.63/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Pours like motor oil. Black and thick as can be with a dark chocolate frothy dark head. One of the best looking beers I've ever seen.

Smells of cocoa beans, raisins, burnt dark chocolate and a touch of coffee. There's a slight nutty toffee note. You can almost smell the creaminess.

Taste hits with the burnt roasted cocoa beans and transitions into a more raisin and burnt caramelized brown sugar sweetness. Ends with some great dark chocolate aftertastes. Roasted caramel malts mix in throughout.

Mouthfeel is fairly viscus yet moderately carbonated. This is perfectly balanced on the tongue and maybe a bit too drinkable for the abv. Not a bad thing though.

Overall, This is a top Russian Imperial Stout. A definite try and retry. Can't wait to find this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 04:02:50 | More by lsummers

PerHops

California

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-22-2013 03:19:13 | More by PerHops

drewone

California

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%

05-20-2013 01:47:01 | More by drewone

jaminjohnson

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-08-2013 03:13:02 | More by jaminjohnson

LordChesterfield

Oregon

5/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Typical Russian imperial in every aspect accept for the taste and smell. It has a wonderful mix of oaky and floral smells and the taste is smooth and inviting. Notes of coffee, hints of molasses with a well integrated hop flavor, also a vague fruitiness. It has a very light aftertaste that only adds to the drinkability. It has a perfect level of bitterness. The alcohol level is dangerous as hell though, and isn't convenient for quaffing. Youz'll get drunk fast.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 01:32:10 | More by LordChesterfield

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-02-2013 22:59:30 | More by xnicknj

zestar

California

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

04-30-2013 08:19:49 | More by zestar

Adamostella

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -16.9%

04-27-2013 19:42:03 | More by Adamostella

harrymel

Washington

3.83/5  rDev -9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

2013 release.

This is black with a broken sheet of toasted graham foam. When I first cracked this beer and took a whiff off the bottle, it smelled great. Now that I've poured the beer and let it breath for a few minutes, we have chocolate banana oatmeal. There's some molasses and booze there too, a touch of spiced grains and warm milk. Flavor is sweet, roasted, some metal, some oats, plenty of cocoa and burnt toast, maybe a touch of coconut as it warms. Medium on full bodied with really low carbonation - this all comes together beautifully; honestly a really, really fine body and feel with a wet finish. I'm kinda torn on this beer, on one hand I really dig it, on the other, I think it's an absolute strikeout for the style. Fuck it, grading to taste.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 06:56:35 | More by harrymel

vande

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

04-20-2013 22:03:55 | More by vande

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.46/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from Belmont Station.

Pouring an impressive black with a dense, dark brown head that's thick, creamy and long-lasting, this is a gorgeous RIS. The lacing is decent too. The nose has in incredible amount of rye up front, but it pairs very well with the heavily roasted grain character. Roast, mild char, unsweetened cocoa, a little bit of smoke, along with a little bit of spicy anise and a touch of fennel. Pretty excellent.

The palate opens with a big, bready rye flavor along with an excellent stout base. This is not a plain-vanilla RIS, this is a well-done RIS. Unsweetened dark chocolate, smoke, a mild but perfectly balanced ashy/grainy acidity. The mid-palate does have some sweetness, but it's more along the lines of a blend of buckwheat honey and pumpernickel bread. Mildly spicy as well, with a little bit of fennel and some anise and even some licorice. Full in body (does the rye add to the silkiness I feel?), soft and creamily carbonated, this beer finishes with a blend of grainy bitterness, a little bit of burnt grain (but no acrid notes) and a nice rye flavor. Alcohol is very well-hidden too. As it breathes, it gains a mild vinous character. Very good, this is highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 04:20:57 | More by DefenCorps