Surly Bender

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

Serve in Dimpled mug

Can from Grimreeser. Thanks Chad! Pours brown with a tan head. Aroma nuts, milk chocolate, and wet grains. Medium bodied with the thin british texture (but not watery). Initial flavor of tea, nuts, caramel, and tobacco. Subtle herbal and spicy bitterness that carries through to the finish, which has more notes of tea. Moderate amount of residual sweetness. Very good beer in a style that is usually boring.

16 oz. can courtesy of mreusch, thanks Matt. Pours a clear rich mahogany color with a medium sized beige head. The aroma is fruity, sweet chocolate malts, some coffee, and a touch of caramel. The flavor parallels the nose with the malt coming in a little ahead of any fruitiness. There is even a little roast that appears. Medium/full mouthfeel and silky smooth to drink. It’s a shame that all of the great canned beer is not available in my area.

A dark brown appearance with beige head. A chocolate, nutmeg, and toffee aroma. The flavor is quite sour with a lot of nutty and caramel notes. A sweet finish. This was a nice brown ale especially from a tall boy can.

Can received from Secret Santa Winter 2009 - thanks! Pours a deep brown with a slightly off-white head. Nose is a bit restrained, but what is there is a very nice toasty malt, caramel, honey, a bit floral, maybe a little tea. Flavor is a really great toasted malt, balanced by a somewhat grassy bitterness with just a dusting of cocoa. Toasted bitter finish. This is a solid beer.

Thanks to Ian for smuggling this back from Sturgis. Pours a nice dark brown with a small dark head. Some Chocolate malt, coffee, and I guess oatmeal in the nose. Tingly carbonation in the mouth with chocoalte malt, coffee, and a hint of vanilla. Nice tinge of coffee in the aftertaste. I have been waiting to try this brewery and it certainly did not disappoint. This is a very complex beer and I think a few more would help me get a better understanding of all the flavors. This was a great beer for my number 99!

Pours brown with a creamy tan head. Light aroma of roasted malts. Flavor is pretty good. Dry, bitter with coffee, chocolate, roasted maltds. Dry finish. Nice hops, and Nice mouthfeel. One of the better takes on a Brown ale I’ve ever encountered.

can. Pretty hoppy upfront, piney bitterness, followed by rich and smooth caramel malts. Very thick mouthfeel. There are notes of coffee and hints of roasted malts, but its pretty bitter overall. Very good beer.

Split can. Poured a rich reddish-brown ale color, small off-white head. Aroma was mostly sweet, with notes of caramel, touch nuttiness. Relatively run of the mill.