Surly Darkness

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

Serve in Snifter

2010 darkness that literally coats your glass. Easily savored for the better part of an hour. Though I am not pumped over the price point, (kind of spendy) I am thrilled with the results. Darkness has opened my eyes to new extremes in deep dark beer while balancing complexities that come at you from all angles. Smooth, dark, delicious but maybe I’ll only buy one or two next year.

This is a very smooth beer, it smells of pine, citrus, chocolate, very black beer, the head was very big, overall this beer is of top quality, would love to have it again!!:)

2009 Mummy Vintage, from bottle shared graciously by Mike. Pours predictably black, viscous, and dark tan in lacing. Nose is pungent roasts, espresso beans, and piney hops. Mouthfeel is milky, fatty, long. Flavor has chocolate and oak notes on entry, with a certain meatiness that was unexpected. Soy sauce even. Piney hops start kicking in, along with restrained roasts. Far more tame than I was expecting, has the year of age really settled this beast? Still feel lucky to have tried such a special brew.

Bottle ’10 (thanks tarheels). Pours black with a moderate tan head. Flavor is chocolate, prunes, oak, hot booze, and some chalkiness. Decent imperial stout.

Thanks to Bobbydigi for this trade. Bottle @ Odense tasting. 2009 vintage. Black body with a large brown head. Aroma is chocolate, oat, bread, dried fruit, portwine and sweet caramel. Flavor is chocolate, dark fruit, portwine, oak, caramel. Very well balanced. Smooth body. Absolutely a fantastic brew.

750mL 2010 vampire ed courtesy of beeranddogs. Pour pour is clear ruby to deep brown looking opaque black in the glass. A massive mocha head erupts with infinite retention and bit webby, sticky lace. Aroma isn’t all the massive or even pleasant: salty olives, brine, lots of wood. As it warms the only thing that comes through is oxidized red apple slices. The taste is dry oak, spicy oak, slightly hot alcohol, sweet molasses and prunes. Palate is very soft, not too syrupy, ending somewhat chalky and powdery. Comes across as very basic and mediocre. How this is in the Top 25 and Midnight Sun Berserker is not baffles me. There are just so many better imperial stouts out there.

2009 vintage. Thanks to Hallinghansen for sharing. Pours black with a light brown head. Aroma is roasted malt, oat, chocolate, dry fruit, coffee and light alcohol. Flavour is roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, alcohol and cherrie notes.

2009. Bottle @ Odense Tasting, December 2010. Thanks Jacob. Pours pitch black with a creamy beige head and lacings. Dry and roasted nose and flavor with fruit and soy. Oily and sticky. Full bodied. A big one . .Nice.