Surly Darkness

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

Serve in Snifter

Bottle thanks to bobbypaulson. - Nice dark beer, great aroma of coffee, chocolate, toffee, and hops. Taste is much the same, fairly strong on the coffee, caramel and dark fruit side of things, but the complexity is well done. Full bodied and wonderful going down.

Bottle thanks to ewestern. Pours a rich black with very thin head. Aroma is sweet malts, coffee, and roasted malts. Notes of dark fruit, caramel, dark chocolate, brown sugar, and vanilla. Palate is chewy and thick. Flavor is sweet and a little bitter. I do not think it lives up to the hype.

750ml. bottle, 2009 (mummy), red wax, from dcschiller. Thanks Dave. Right off the top, this is a great ale. A splendid example of the style. Pours thick and black, with a tan head. Aroma of malt, raisins and chocolate. Taste is complex, with raisins, cherries coffee and chocolate. Very smooth and easy to drink. Finish is somewhat bitter with lingering flavors gently messaging the tongue. At 9.6% abv, this is a grand winter warmer, to be shared or enjoyed alone, in front of a flickering fireplace. A winner.

2010 (vampire) This long time want graciously provided to me by bauermj. Poured into my new Darkness glass that was sent by Beeruser in perfect timing. Appearance The beer flows forth languidly, boasting its full body and robust color. The collection in the glass is dense and blackened. An undertone of burnt red, much like the color of the wax that crowns this bottle, gives the beer warmth and character. The head is a yellowed khaki with a frothy and soft pretense. Creeping rings of lace adorn the glass in short order, fueled by the ever-present ring of foam. Smell Darkness carries with it aromas of soy sauce and tobacco that are uniquely its own. Rich molasses and brown sugar lay a sweetened backdrop to licorice, steak sauce and freshly laid mulch. The bouquet is indeed full of darkness but encompasses the realm of caramelized and aged sugars and sweets. A consideration of the final glass of the bottle yields strong aromas of prunes and hints of chocolate covered raisins. Taste The soy sauce and molasses flavors are the dominant ones. They grip the sides of the tongue with a sharp, rum soaked fruitcake flavor that is bracketed by sweet pipe tobacco. There is a milky creaminess that tries to push through but the denser molasses and anise flavors suppress it for the most part. As the glass warms, caramel and a faint citrusy hopping come out. A fleeting hint of smoke pops out just at the end, and only after this beer warms to room temperature. Mouthfeel The best part of this beer is the way it slides over the palate, offering little resistance. It feels frictionless. Its very low and fluffy soft carbonation furthers the effects of the full body. There is a little bit of stickiness left on the lips, but this is a sweet beer, that should be expected. Some alcohol warmth and an oily, licorice flavored coating is left behind for a long finish and aftertaste. Overall This is a great stout. It’s large in stature and silky smooth and thick. It is, however, quite sweet and wrought with tobacco and soy sauce notes that get in the way of its roastiness. So, all things considered, this did not live up to what I expected from it.

(22oz bottle 2009 vintage thanks to DalzAle at GABF party downstairs at Falling Rock) jet black pout, light khaki bubbles. Nose of raisin, toasty, caramel, graham cracker and vanilla. Complex and delicious! Taste of graham cracker, fudgey, big and bold, but smooth at the same time. Silky smooth body. Excellent!

(22oz bottle courtesy of Alpar!). ’09 edition with Mummy. Pours near black with tan head. Aroma has soy, dark chocolate and some dark pit fruit along with a bit of green hops. Taste is sweet malt with some faded hops (my preference is NOT hopped up RIS). Full bodied with an oily texture. Finish is dry. Very nice, smooth beer.

Red wax, the mummy 09. Shared with good friends, Thanks to Dave. Very black. Fantastic nose of fresh bread and malts, with some smokey soy sauce,(sounds kinda wierd). Complex flavors of molassas, cherries, coffee, vanilla and some chocolate, balanced with the hop bitterness. A little harsh in the finish, could use a little time to mellow.

Rating 800. This one’s for Cavy. Thanks to Sean for the bottle. Pours glossy black with a smallish tan head. Big chocolate, molasses, and booze on the nose. Flavor has singed caramel, cola, and a hint of something fruity. I wish it had more depth to it, and would love to try one that had mellowed out for a while -- this one seemed young to me. Still super-tasty, though.