Surly Bender

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

16oz can thanks to photomike. Dark brown with a lasting beige head. The aroma is a nice grain blend with some oats, dark toasted bread, light chocolate malt, dusty cocoa powder and a hint of caramel. It is subtle, but there is a lot of nuance. The flavor is light on sweetness but still has a nice toasty, chocolatey and lightly roasty malt component with a medium grapefruit peel bitterness that is mostly in balance with the malt. Creamy body that is a little on the heavier side, but certainly not thick. A very good brown ale that I thoroughly enjoyed. I have to say that I have been nothing but amazed with Surly thus far.

16 oz. can acquired via trade with tennisjoel. Dark brown pour with a foamy tan head. Aroma of roasted malts with light vanilla notes and some floral hops. Very good full-flavored roasted malt flavor along with some hints of chocolate, smoke, and coffee. This is probably the best brown ale I have ever had. Whereas I find most of them to be rather dull this is more of a slightly lighter version of a porter. Very nicely done.

Bottle@Omhpers place. Apperance: Dark red/brownish with a decent sized head. Aroma: Coffee, Roasted malts, Ripe fruit, Dark bread and some sugar. Flavor: Coffee, Milkchocolate, Roasted malts, Dark caramel, Citric notes. Palate: Very well balanced and very drinkable. Really nice coffee-flavor in this one. A wee bit thin. A very interesting brown ale indeed. Nice to see that there are now more and more good beers available on can.

A: Deep, clear, burgandy color. The pour produced almost two fingers of tan head that retained extreemly well, and left tons of leggy lace. A: Big roasty malts. Very nutty. I also get a prominent chocolate, a small amount of coffee, and a nice earthiness. T: Again, this is all about the malts. Very nice blend of the roasty and chocolate malts. The earthiness from the hops helps the beer to finish slightly dry, with a small bitterness. M: Silky smooth mouthfeel from this medium body beer. Very light carbonation. D and overall impression: Drinkability is high, given the low abv and the tastiness of the malts. Overall, this is one fine beer. Just a great example of how malts can be used. If all other Surly offerings are as nice as this, I can’t wait to try more. Skal.

Thanks to Dansting for this one. 16oz can served in a shaker pint. Poured a clear brown with less than a finger of tan head. Nose is pretty subdued. A little chocolate malt and some faint hops. Gets a little more pronounced as it warms. Light to medium bodied. Chocolate malt and cocoa are the predominate flavors. Hops show up in the dry finish. Also a nice lingering flavor of chocolate. Solid Brown Ale, very drinkable.

16oz can. Dark brown with a light tan head. Very roasty with a big coffee aroma. Bitter flavor, with more coffee and some chocolate and a real nice hop kick in the finish. Pretty tasty.

Another Minnesota treat. My 1st canned micro. Pours very dark brown in glass. Ruby to light. Smooth tan head. Sweet smells of oat, chocolate, and hop. Excellent mouth. Nutty malt and creamy vanilla taste. Crispy hops highlight the oat and coffee on the dry finish. Nice lacing. REALLY great beer.

My wife brought back a 16oz can from MN while traveling on business, she’s gone again and should be bringing back a Coffee Bender! Brown pour with a large tan head. Aroma is of hop and oatmeal a little sweet. Flavor is earthy hop, caramel, chocolate, and oatmeal which adds a nice smoothness. A very solid brown ale.