Surly Darkness

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

Serve in Snifter

Bottle, 2009 edition. Pours a pitch black beer with a light brown head. The aroma is malt, licorice, vinious, portwine, dried fruit and some roasted notes. The flavor is close to the nose with some additional notes of alcohol. The palate is smooth with sweetness. Overall a really good beer with high complexity and a good balance.

2009 bottle poured a dark black in color with a big brown head that melted down the glass. aroma has molasses, dark malts, bitter chocolate, dark fruit, and some roast. mouth feel is so rich and full it is like a beer milkshake. flavor loads up on heavy malts, molasses, brown sugar, rich over ripe dark fruit, and some underlying hops still intact. this is definitely a sweet beer and as big and chewy as they come.

750 ml bottle courtesy of Secret Santa, 2010. Pours black with a 2 finger tan head that lasted through till the end. Lots of tan lace was left on my snifter. This beers aroma is a stout lovers wet dream. Chocolate covered cherries, dark alcohol soaked fruit, toffee, molasses and, last but not least, a touch of citrus hop. Flavor follows the nose. Palate is heavy, full and a tad sticky. A serious beer indeed. I am not poetic enough to do this beer justice. It was awesome.

Much thanks to Josh for sharing this 201 bottle. Pours a deep black with a creamy tan lacing head. Aroma of molasses, chocolate, toasted nuts and caramel. Flavor of molasses, dark chocolate, caramel, roasted malt, tobacco and leather.

2010 Black pour absolutely no light goes through it ... light tan head aroma of dark fruits and roasted, cocoa ..... taste of dark fruits roasted coffee, cocoa and dried fruits with a dry bitter fruity finish abv hidden well very well put together and tasty

Largely reminded me of Bell’s Expedition Stout except a very tiny step down as far as flavors and it has a lighter body than the Expedition Stout. A very fine imperial stout.

This classic gets better with age. Purchased two bottles locally and poured one upon arriving home. Slightly disappointed...as the 2008 version had set the bar so high. Missing the hop surprises and the toffee undertones...until I opened bottle #2 three weeks later. All the memories came rushing back: the malt and hop collaboration, the sticky residue on the sides of my mouth and the complex textures. Definitely stash a bottle away or locate an establishment where the keg wasn’t recently opened. Surly does it again!

On tap at Downtime. Aroma is a malty goodness with hints of chocolate. The taste is huge on toasty malts and espresso with chocolate in the finish. The best part of this beer is the silky, viscous mouthfeel. Great beer, can’t wait to crack one of the bombers after a few months of aging.