Midnight Sun Brewing Company T.R.E.A.T. Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Midnight Sun Brewing Company T.R.E.A.T. Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter. This is the second Halloween seasonal I’ve tried from Midnight Sun Brewing Company and like Trickster I had read A LOT about T.R.E.A.T. I picked up this bottle at Royal Liquors (here) in San Jose.

From the Midnight Sun Brewing Company website: “Intriguing doses of sweet spices, cocoa nibs and pumpkin transform an exceptional porter into a mesmerizing potion. Pour this tantalizing brew into a snifter and experience its many eccentric nuances, which will delight your taste buds.

This is the same award-winning recipe that garnered a GOLD MEDAL at GABF in 2007. Formerly known simply as Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter, we’ve named it T.R.E.A.T.: The Royal Eccentric Ale Treatment.

TREAT melds rich decadent flavors into an enticing brew that is perfect for pairing with both sweet and savory dishes. Add depth to desserts like pumpkin cheesecake, bread pudding and tiramisu. Reduce this porter down then glaze grilled meats. Mix Moroccan spices with TREAT to marinate lamb shanks before slow-roasting. The options are endless. But the most important step is pouring yourself a lovely glass of TREAT to enjoy with the rewarding results of your efforts.

With so many tones and textures to experience, will you find this brew…
Demented…or delightful?”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours black with an almost non-existent khaki colored head and a tiny bit of lacing.

Aroma: Chocolate, dark roasted malts, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and pumpkin.

Taste: Sweet chocolate, nutmeg, allspice, clove, cinnamon, ginger, caramel and roasted malts and pumpkin.

Overall: Creamy and smooth, Midnight Sun Brewing Company T.R.E.A.T. Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter is tremendous.  I would dare say this is probably one of the most perfect Halloween beers ever – chocolate and pumpkin!!! This 7.8% ABV offering is one to be sought.  I put this in the “must have” category for any Halloween or Fall celebration.  I plan to source a few bottles since I think I’m going to need to drink this one often as well as cellar some to see how it ages.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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