Rye Not - Imperial Rye IPA - Midnight Sun Brewing Co.

sprucetip

Alaska

4.23/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Amber orange, good clarity, gently active, decent white head with some retention and minimal lacing.

Mostly hops and heat. Some boozy heat, but strong hop presence. Gooey green hoppy goodness is mostly piny, but not overly sharp, and with hints of citrus and flowers in there too. Late in the sample malty sweetness joins the party. This "late addition" maltyness to the aroma happens a lot, and I think maybe it has something to do with it sticking to the sides of the glass? Warming opens things up too, of course, but I think there is some validity to my theory.

Medium bitterness, robust mostly piny hop flavors, and some balancing malty sweetness. Pretty well balanced for what it is, but more along the line of an old school Midnight Sun hop bomb, yet without the tongue scraping bitterness.

Low but adequate carbonation, medium full body, and a finish that isn't too dry. Bitterness lingers, but is not overly aggressive.

As stated, this is more of an old school MSBC DIPA. In recent years some, in my view, have missed the mark. The Hop Dog, Meltdown, and some of the Obliterations really didn't hit the spot on my palate. But this is reminiscent of the days of Gabe. They got it done with this one. I had a hard time putting a finger on the rye, and it seemed to be mostly base malt, so the hops were allowed to really shine. I hope they make it again. On my brief visit to Los Anchorage it was gone at the brewery, but La Bodega still had some at their growler bar. It wasn't bottled.

Serving type: growler

07-23-2012 06:03:34 | More by sprucetip

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.53/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Saw this at a Brown Jug liquor store so I bought a 32 oz growler for $6.

A - Pours a dark golden, clear orange with a one inch tan head that slowly fades leaving solid lacing down the glass.

S - Very strong pungent hops. Resiny pine and grapefruit peel are what come to mind.

T - Dank hop goodness. Citrus and piney-grass. A very slight melon bight at the end, and some more over-ripe grapefruit.

D - Good carbonation and a nicely balanced body. I am sure there is some rye in there but the hops just crush it.

O - One of the best, dank, heavy, bold, resiny, gnarly Ipas I have had in a long time. Glad I stumbled upon it.

Serving type: growler

07-19-2012 00:49:21 | More by HuskyinPDX

TheBrewViking

Alaska

4.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is orange with a white cap of foam that leaves nice lacing that goes all the way down the glass. I don't know how it could get any better on appearance so I gave it a 5

Smell is pungent of grapefruit and citrus hop goodness

Taste, oh my there is a perfect balance of rye and hops with a good malt backbone. This beer is amazing

Mouthfeel is the only thing lacking on this beer which I don't have a problem with, because it's a little thin for a imperial IPA which makes it a very dangerous beer because it goes down so smooth.

This is hands down the best IPA I've tried from midnight sun, I don't review many beers but I thought this one needed some appreciation. I think they need to put this beer in cans so I can buy it in mass quatities.

Serving type: growler

07-18-2012 03:07:51 | More by TheBrewViking

lakersfan16

Alaska

4.35/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at the Midnight Sun loft on 06-23-2012, what a beautiful and sunny day...a perfect day for an imperial IPA!

Nice orange color with a thin white head. Smell is very nice, tropical fruits, mango, lots of citrus. The first taste hits you with a HUGE rush of tropical fruits and lots of citrus. I would not be surprised if Citra hops are being used heavily in this beer. Just wonderful.

I am a big critic of IPA's, and in my opinion, this is probably the best IPA that Midnight Sun has produced so far. The best part is, it is actually available for growler fills! I will be going back tomorrow for more!

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2012 23:44:46 | More by lakersfan16