Surly Bender

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

A big thanks to theisti for bringing this one back from Minnesota for me. Pours a clear beautiful ruby/brown with a frothy, tan, diminishing head. The aroma is heavy roasted caramel malts, chocolate, light coffee and faint vanilla notes. So, yes the description on the can is actually pretty accurate, for a change. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied and creamy-smooth. The flavor is sweet roasted malts, chocolate, coffee and a lightly bitter roasted finish. A tasty brown. Thanks again, Tim.

Deep brown body, nice tan head. Aroma is a bit of nuttiness, plenty of caramel, some chocolate malt, little bit of mollases. Taste is rich for a brown, nice hazelnut touch, with chocolate, light coffee, and almost a cereal type taste to it.

Quick re-rate...12-20-2007 <P> This beer is a kick ass session beer and I wish I could get it locally. <P> Original rating.... <P> Courtesy of Quake1028. Thanks, John. Sharp malt base aroma with some bright fruit skin featuring apple and grape skins and hints of toasted chocolate and caramel. The body is brown with amber highlights. Very full mouthfeel at first sip. Toasty malts, chocolate, fluffy feeling, but with an edge to it. Roasted grains and hints of baked white fruits. Great brown ale.

Thanks to fly for beaming this up. Light tan rocky head, soft effervescence, hops detectable in the nose and a big part of the flavor profile though the malts are fine too, toffee and lighter malt flavors, bright an true. Take an English mild, hop it up to an English extreme and dial up the malts heavily without coming in over 5.1% ABV. Wow. Biggish beer in a small package.

Can (1 pint). Shared with LagerLoather, courtesy of Oakbluff. Nearly opaque clear mahogany with a decent lasting creamy/rocky mottled beige/tan head. Solid aroma of chocolate malt, well-roasted, the nutty sweetness well-balanced by solid herbal, slightly funky fresh hops - very good. The taste follows, dark almost burnt roast malt, chocolate and a hint of coffee beans, cereal grain softness and balancing hop bitterness (not much alcohol). Body is light but a little chewy, nicely astringent, perfect carbonation, and it has a nice lingering slightly lactic roast finish. Excellent.

Can for theisti. Pours a dark red color more than a brown. Lasting tan head. Aromas of English Toffee, cherry juice. chocoalte and roasted malts. Well blended hop flavor with a nice bitter finish. Rich palate make this a robust beer, but I’d drink this at any time. Thanks Tim.

Can... Rating # 3500... Beautiful, deep, dark, ruby ale with a mid-sized, creamy, khaki head. Terrific, everlasting retention. Cocoa, rich caramel, Merlot and brown sugar nose with a healthy helping of piney hops and a whisper of lactic acidity. Roasty, bitter-sweet flavor provides creamy caramel and chocolate, alongside medium, earthy bitterness and light acidity. Remarkably, almost full-bodied and velvety with lively carbonation. Bitter, mildly sour finish. Mega-Thanks to robertsreality for shipping this treat to Florida!

16oz can-pours a retaining creamy light brown head and dark brown with ruby red. Aroma is medium/dark malt-sweet/chocolate, dark fruit-cherry, faint citrus hops. Taste is lots of malt and hops, nicely balance with a lot going on. Medium/dark malt-sweet/chocolate, nutty, dark fruit-cherry, faint citrus hops. OK carbonation.