Surly Coffee Bender

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

This poured a darker brown color with a big off white head. Aroma was just loads and loads of coffee, some caramel as well. Flavor was lots and lots of coffee some sweetness as well. I think this stuff is much better at room temp than chilled.

On tap at The Happy Gnome in St. Paul, MN. Pours with just a ring of head. It’s a fairly dark but translucent beer, almost with a hint of red to it. Lots of coffee in the smell and taste. I also got a pretty hoppy flavor from it.

Can at the 3rd release of CL Cuvee de Castleton: Pours a hazy brown with a dense tan head. Lots of dark crystal malt character in the aroma- deep and toasted with just a mild coffee roast hint. Light body- but with firm malt character. Lots of crystal malt in the flavor- dark husky flavors and mild coffee presence offering a touch of tannic roast. I like that the coffee is subtle. Pretty nice.

Can @ Cuvee de Castleton release. Nice coffee infused brown ale. The act that the base beer is a brown ale gives it a different flavor than most coffee beers. Great aroma and flavor and the fact it doesn’t fit the coffee mold makes this a must try.

On tap at brewery for brewery tour. Bender with coffee. D’uh. Very nice. Tons of coffee in nose and body but as a brown ale, no dark color.

Can - Pours reddish brown with a massive frothy tan head. It looks like a root beer float! Feels like one in the mouth, too--all creamy and smooth. Smells of sweet, caramelly malt, but not really much coffee on the nose. There’s a bit though, along with just a hint of chocolate. The taste is nutty and malty, with some bitter coffee and lactose coming through. There’s just enough hops on the finish to bitter it out and balance it a bit. This is really my type of beer, and if it was sold in WI and wasn’t $12 for a 4-pack, I might replace my water intake with it.

Can brought back by my lovely wife. A dark red brown with a huge fluffy tan head. Aroma is slightly sweet and fresh coffee. Flavor was caramel, a little chocolate, and then the most awful coffee flavor I have ever tasted. Most coffee beers have a lovely deep rich coffee flavor but this was crappy pre-ground Folgers that had been left unsealed in the freezer. Bad bitter and stale coffee. This beer could be great if a better coffee was used, I had a hard time finishing it, stick to the standard Bender.

Can. Pours deep coffee brown with a 2 finger thick tan head that left some spotty lacing. Tons of fresh ground coffee on the nose along with roasted dark malts and faint hops. Flavor was very roasty with lots of coffee and a fairly dry finish. One of the best brown ales I’ve had?......I think so.