Surly Bender

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

Serve in Dimpled mug

16 ounce can. Pint glass. Poured dark brown with a medium tan head. Aroma is of pine hops, malt and cocoa. Taste has notes of coffee, dark chocolate, roast malt and caramel. Initial drinks are sweet with a creamy mouthfeel, but as you go you start to detect some of the hops and even a hint of bitterness on the finish. Very nice. I had one of these a few months back at Old Chicago and they served it way too cold. It was pretty bland that nght, but if you let it warm a bit before opening the can the flavors really come alive.

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.

Ahhh, my first beer to rate on ratebeer.com. As my first, Surly Bender is a good choice. Pours a great dark brown ale and holds a head even after the glass in half empty. Aroma does have a distinct caramel and vanilla scent. Taste has the nut toffee and nice touch of bitter hops. S Surly Brewery sells both pint and tulip glasses. Definitely use the Surly tulip glass to get the best aroma and flavor. I could see having a rib eye steak with mesquite marinade with this brown ale.

Pint can courtesy of theisti. Pours a dark, muddy brown with a small tan head and a ring of lace that follows the beer down the glass. Nose is malt and chocolate. Palate is smooth and medium bodied. Not a lot of tingle on the tongue. Flavors are roasted malt, chocolate, some nuttiness, oatmeal, caramel & maybe a hint of coffee. Nice smooth, tasty, easy drinking brown ale.

Thanks to Tytoanderso for this! Dark brown thick head and some spotty lacing Roasted malts and cocoa on the nose. Malty with subtle hints of wood. Slightly bitter finish. Very good for the style

Can from Brewso. Pours a fairly clear, dark cherry color. Its really a borderline deep ruby-purple hue. There’s a decent off-white head that quickly dissipates to a thin, patchy film. Small amounts of spotted lacing dot the glass. The aroma is of dark roasted malts, burnt caramel, cocoa beans, and the slightest hint of dark rum. The flavor is very malty up front, with caramel and cocoa showing strong. There’s also a bit of oakiness and some lightly smoky, Scotch Ale type flavors. A decent amount of herbal hops add a nice bitterness that balances this brew almost perfectly. Medium body that goes down very smooth, with a lingering burnt caramel aftertaste. Awesome brown ale!

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.

Pours a very dark brown color with a creamy tan head that dies pretty quick and leaves lacing. Smells very mild of toast, malt, and cocoa. Tastes a tiny bit of chocolate notes, roasted nuts, a citrusy rind, and some nice hops at the finish. This is very tasty and different for a brown ale as it finishes with some bitter hops. Feels crisp, very smooth and lively in the mouth from carbonation. Very drinkable. This is a light, delicious and different brew. Well done Surly.