Surly Bender

Brewed by Surly Brewing Company
Style: Brown Ale
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota USA

Serve in Dimpled mug

Good malty smooth brown ale. Not exactly a showstopper, but still tasty. Maybe a touch too sweet, but it all works. Furious is way better, but you wont hear me complaining if I am drinking this.

Can, thx to akevitt. I had some doubts how to rate this one, as it was surely infected or way past BB-date. No date on the can though. I ended up trying to ignore the sourish aromas and flavors and I hope I will get a new chance some day. It poured a clear, dark brown with a beige to tan head. The aroma had chocolate, lots of fruity hops, a little smoked hint and some sourness. Chocolate, some sourness, malt and caramel in the flavor, leading to a quite bitter finish with some chocolate. Full body. Even though it was gone bad in a way, it was still a good beer, but I think a can in this condition would have been way too much to finish on my own. (080301)

UPDATED: MAY 2, 2008 1 pint can from a trade with mcbackus. pours very dark brown with a red hue around the edges. pours with a mid sized tan head that stays with you. not much in the way of aromas. vanilla, chocolate and toffee if you really put some effort into it but the aromas dont jump out of the glass. flavours are very nice with chocolate and toffee for sweetness and a splash of hop bitterness. not dazzalingly complex but there is a lot going on here. the best brown ale ive had.

big heavy malt flalavors and aromas. a delicious hop bitterness reaally adds to an otherwise extremely roasty nutty brew.

1 pint can thanks to Badbeer. Pours a deep brown color with red highlights, very small tan head, no lace, no retention. Smells sweet and dark, fruity with a touch of chocolate and brown sugar. Tastes dark and sweet malty, a hint of alcohol and some sweet hoppiness. Medium body with crisp carbonation.

Aroma is roasty, milk chocolate, hazelnut. Taste is milk chocolate, pine and citrus. Easy drinking.

Oct. 2007 - I was really liking this one. Dark brown pour, nice head and lacing. Strong aroma of coffee, english malt and roast. As many stated, this defies style, part brown ale, part porter, part oatmeal stout...the best of each part. Caramel malt with roast, chocolate, oatmeal and nutty notes as well. Some sweetness, maybe bubblegum with a bitterness and even a sourness that was strangely pleasant. Wonderfully smooth and thick mouthfeel. Amazingly complex. Really excellent.

Brown in color with a frothy tan head. The nose showed scents of maple syrup oatmeal, chocolate covered toffee and figs. Medium-bodied with fresh carbonation and a tartness running through the midpalate leading to a bitter chocolate ladden finish.