Surly CynicAle

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

Serve in Tulip

Ported from BA. Appearance: Golden, small head which dissipates quickly. Just a bit hazy Smell: Some slightly sweet malt, and a bit of earthiness. Very slight peach and apricot smells on the end. Kind of has a belgian feel to it. Taste: Not sweet at all, like the smell led me to expect. Dry and yeasty, with some earthy hop flavors. Nothing super strong, but pleasant. A kind of boozy/bitter aftertaste lingers for some time. Mouthfeel: Crisp, highly carbonated. Kind of coats your mouth, but doesn’t feel oily. Drinkability: Reasonable. It feels like a good standard. Probably more of a summer beer. Not my favorite from this brewery, but it still lands on solid ground in it’s style. I’d like to see a lower ABV though I think.

Can sent to be generously by a trader, was happy to give this beer a try, but the bottom of the can (canning date) was a bit smeared. The beer looked pretty tame, light yellows with cut hay, not much in terms of a head. Slight film remains at the top over the yellow hue body. Smell is soft, little bit of witbier-like yeast presence, not really getting saison from the nose. Taste is pepper, light pear, and just generally plain pellets of yellow grasses. I really couldn’t get into this, maybe it’s something else super fresh, but this beer put me to sleep.

UPDATED: SEP 28, 2011 Tap at SurlyFest. Pours an amber color with a creamy head. Smells of a touch of fruit and cloves. Taste has a lemony freshness and finishes with cloves. I will be buying this for my home stash!

Canette de 16 oz. Arômes très invitants de levure épicée (poivre noir) et de pain frais. Le nez rappelle étrangement la levure des bières Dominus Vobiscum de Charlevoix. Robe blonde et légèrement voilée, effervescence moyenne et légère dentelle. En bouche, de délicates céréales mielleuses supportent les accents de la levure rappelant le poivre noir. Légère présence fruitée. Finale bien sèche présentant une belle amertume de houblon herbacé. Une très belle blonde belge, très bien exécutée.

Appearance: orange under an off-white pithy head. Steady stream of bubbles.
Nose: mandarin oranges and freshly baked breads. Zest of lemon and mango in the back. Green grass and freshly picked whole hop cones. Orange oils and zest.
Palate: lots of orange and lemon with zest, oils, and freshly squeezed goodness, pulp included. Full sticky mouthfeel. Mango underneath and in the back, mingling with mandarin. Clean finish. Sweet breads add chewiness to the mouthfeel. Nicely concentrated hop oils – take hand, dip into bushel of whole hop cones, grab, and squeeze.
Final Thoughts: Surly never disappoints and yes, it comes in a can. Love me some beer and I love me some beer from a can. Vessel of beerness aside, if Surly brews it, I will drink it.

Can. Great spicy aroma - cinnamon? Not sure what I got a whiff of there. Interesting. Very clear pale in appearance. Active carbonation, but head soon dies. Flavour is sweet and spicy. Quite enjoyable.

Can courtesy of Keith. Poured a light golden color with a fluffy white head. Aroma was somewhat floral, fruity, spicy and yeasty. Very nice. Flavors were slightly sweet, light fruity hop presence and some spice. Peppery. Super smooth all around. Incredibly balanced. Mouthfeel was somewhat creamy, carbonation medium. Maybe the best saison I have tried. Now I see the appeal of this style for a hot weather Summer beer. Fantastic. I love Surly.

UPDATED: AUG 19, 2011 Can courtesy of TipTop from TBS recently...thanks Jeff! Pours a gradient gold/yellow with minimal head on it. Tons of bubbles. Definitely has a lemon and peppery notes that it promises. Surprisingly creamy mouthfeel.