Surly Darkness

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

Serve in Snifter

2010 version 750 ml bottle poured into a Darkness Snifter. A- Pitch black color, beautiful 2 to three fingers mocha frothy head, dissipates really slowly, sticks to the sides like crazy, excellent carbonation, beautiful lacing, one of the best looking RIS I’ve had. S- Wow big sweet aromas upfront, slight roastiness but the sweetness overpowers, dark fruits upfront, almost quad like, chocolate, cherries, raisins, really sweet aroma. T- Big complex beer, roasted malts, caramel, toffee, dark fruits, cherries, raisins, molasses, really sweet with some bitterness, slight coffee taste but its hidden. M- Big mouthfeel, excellent carbonation, sticky and smooth, gets thicker as it warms up. O- I’ve had this bottle sitting in my cellar for a while waiting for the right occasion to drink it, had it for the first time on tap at Mackenizies during MN craft beer week and was blown away. It’s safe to say I was not let down from the bottled version. Amazing stout, so rich and complex, one of the best RIS I’ve had, cannot wait to compare the 08 and 09 to this version.

2010 - thanks to Hoprider. Black of colour with a brown foamy head. An aroma of coffee, dark fruits and chocolate. A flavor of roasted malt, chocolate, liqueice, dark fruits and bitterness in the finish.

Pours pitch black with a strong lasting head. Heavy roasted malt and coffee in the Bose along with chocolates, black licorice, and figs. Flavor bring the same with notes of pipe tobacco and leather. has an almost burnt and acrid roast. Quite smooth and viscous and not too sweet but has a bitter biting character in the finish along with heavy fruity esters. Really the flavors could be a little more easy and rounded. Really a little less than what I expected. Wonderful to try though.

Bottle thanks to ygtbsm94: poured a thick black oil color with a creamy brown head. The head sits on top like a protective layer of goodness. Aroma is heavenly chocolate, dark fruits, and coffee. Taste is dark raisin fruit, slight sweet chocolate, and slight bitter coffee touch.

2009 bottle. Pours black with a beige head. Dark malts dominates the aroma. Notes of soy, liquor and chocolate. And something that reminds me of Kaggens honey qualities. The taste is well balanced - sweet at first, ending salty. The clash between chocolate from the malts and the fresh US hops adds a touch of mint.

2009 bottle from cracked kettle. Pours black with a tan head. Heavy aroma of chocolate licqoure Big but balance taste of chocolate (both sweet and bitter), soy and black currant.

750 ml bottle. Pours thick black with a medium sized, creamy tan head. Aroma is lots of chocolate, dark fruit, molasses and booze with a light earthy coffee scent. Flavor is rich sweet chocolate with more dark dried fruit and vanilla, the alcohol makes it’s self known and is warm going down. Full thick body with average carbonation and a smooth, creamy mouth feel. This is a massively sweet Imp Stout but remains fairly drinkable.

I’ve had the luxury of getting this on tap twice now both times was the 2010 version. Fresh and 8 months old. This review was the most recent aged version I had on tap at McKenzies during craft beer week A: Super dark with a really awesome khaki head retention probably 1.5 fingers worth and it stuck around. S: HOPS! Chocolate, toffee? Yeah this is my favorite for sure! T: First sip is malt and chocolate then the bitter hops set in, wonderful balance. This beer is just outstanding. As it warms the flavors develop and the taste becomes more in depth leaving the consumer with more malts, chocolate well rounded hoppy finish and maybe the toffee I smelled in the beginning. O: This is an all time favorite of mine and one of the first beers I had that changed my view of beer.