Surly CynicAle

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

Serve in Tulip

Canned tasting at DLD. You’ll have to forgive me for my less than thourough tasting notes... a drunk taster with a destroyed palate does not, a proficient rater, make! I’ve had a couple of these since I traded for some surly products a while back. Not sure why I never got around to rate them, but I had it again at DLD after a number of heavy hitters. Boy, what they say is right... nothing like an easy/light/refreshing beer after a number of monsters. I’m really suprised that this is a barleywine... couldn’t tell when I was drinking it. Though the whole destroyed palate part should explain why, hehe.

A- Body is a very foggy straw yellow hue. Pours with a one finger or so head that eventually subsides to a thin collar. Retains very well from there. No lacing is left behind in the glass. Cloudiness is thick and uniform. S- What I expect in a good Saison. Pepper accents a fruity tone upfront with a slight yeast funk poking through. There is also a hint of phenols and a big presence of floral hops. T- The flavor is somewhat mild upfront and seems very delicate. Dry pear is accented by a hint of pepper while subtle tones of honey and yeast funk linger in the background but don’t ever surface. The finish highlights a pretty potent dose of floral hops and nothing lingers on after that. P-Carbonation is low to medium and body is pretty light. Decent overall but nothing exciting going on here. O- This is a great saison overall and a good representation of the style. I had been looking forward to trying this one for awhile and was glad I had the opportunity to do so. Will trade for it again! Serving type: can Reviewed on: 01-27-2009 00:58:42

Can courtesy of theBeardedBrewer. Pours clear golden yellow with a one inch head, dissipating to an 1/8 inch film. Citrus, spice and slightly skunky nose, coriander and peppercorns. Malty front with lots of citrus, orange and lemon, followed by a dry, spicy finish that lingers well into the after, pepper, coriander, and maybe some thyme. Tasty.

16 oz. can as a bonus from a trade with dalzale- thanks again, Greg! Pours a cloudy orange-gold color, more yellow-gold at the bottom of the tulip, where the glass is slimmer. Aroma of pale malts, Belgian yeast, spices, pepper, coriander, honey, and tropical fruits. The flavor improves upon that, with pale malts, pepper, spices, honey, tropical fruits, straw, farmhouse, and caramel. Medium-bodied, with gentle carbonation and a malty mouthfeel. Finishes peppery and dry. Pretty damned good for a canned saison.

16oz can scored via trade with tylerandso. Thanks Tyler! Pours a translucent, fairly clear orange, yellow with a thin, creamy white head. Aroma is very Belgian, Belgian yeast, spices like coriander, honey, flowers, sweet. Flavor is sweet, sugary, malty, honey, flowers, white pepper, coriander, pitted fruits. Finish is medium bodied with a sweet finish. Pretty nice, I find saisons are generally unfocused, but this was on point. Very drinkable.

A: The pour is a very nice looking light golden-orange color with a touch of haze and a nice fluffy white head. S: A lot of citrus and spice aromas going on in the nose. The typical pepper notes are there, along with some floral and spicy hops. T: The citrus and the pepper work well on the palate and the floral quality really comes through as well, exhibiting some honey notes. A little sweeter than usual for a Saison, and perhaps fruitier as well. M: The body is on the lighter end of medium with a moderate and refreshing level of carbonation. D: Who would have thought, a Saison in a can? A nice beer, perhaps a bit sweet for me, but still a pretty good (American) example of the style.

Golden pour with a good head. First sip tastes slightly of apples and as the beer warms tends to lean more towards pear. Slightly sweet with the perfect amount of hops and a really great aftertaste on the palate. One thing I really enjoy about this beer is the mouthfeel, it is light and extremely refreshing.

Slightly hazed amber with a medium off-white head that goes away rapidly. Aroma of grains, fruit peel, coriander, caramel, yeast and pepper. Taste of pepper, fruit, yeast, mild alcohol, apricot, sweet malt, honey and fruit peel. Peppery-yeasty finish.