Surly Darkness

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

Serve in Snifter

On tap @ Mackenzie’s Pub (Minneapolis). Despite many efforts, I FINALLY got my hands on some of this (2011 version). Pitch black and "wobbles" in the cup much like pitch. Powerful aromas of sweet chocolate and some earthiness (hops?). Very thick --almost enough to put on pancakes--and extremely forward flavors of chocolate and coffee with a heaping amount of sweetness from the malt. Not one to pass up. I do knock this down a bit since I feel even a RIS should be fairly drinkable and this just isn’t. I really want to be able to enjoy a small goblet (7 oz), but even after just a few sips, it’s too much and becomes a harder to enjoy from there. Even though more alcoholic, I would point to Goose Island’s Night Stalker as a good example of achieving drinkability in a strong RIS.

Smooth dark and delicious, black with a dirty tan head. Chocolate, the dark kind you didn’t really like as a kid, and a bitter finish. Very nice.

Tasted side by side with dark lord. Less sweet with more prominent hops on the nose. Not as Boozy, clean chocolate flavors and hops on the palate. A delicious Russian imperial.

On tap at the Firkin. Pours very black, oily dark, with a chocolate brown head. Aroma has chocolate, sweet vinious fruit and coffee. Lovely. Taste brings cherry/chocolate with a heavy layer of brown sugar and our group said anise plus more bittersweet coffee, bakers chocolate. Almost too layered. Finishes long and silky. Creamy smooth and very textured.

2008 bottle, Thanksgiving dinner 2011.

Deep dark pour, rich chocolate and soy nose. Intense, intense flavor and mouthfeel somewhere in the realm of either superdarkchocolatemilkshake or chocolate liqueur. Delicious and delightful. This one deserves its reputation.

Thanks Sean 750ml Zombie Tan blocky head pitch black pour and ohh the aromas fleshy dark fruit rich chocolate expresso coffee tones molasses caramel smoothness raisins a vanilla touch soft medium bitter with flavours creamy velvety raisin prune strong toffee caramel true tastes rich and moist expresso coffee chocolate medium richness well balanced like the stout the finish velvety light creamy touch mild only dark fruits rich tasting hops and maltssmoothness throughout lovely lasting bitter sweetness so tasty a wonderfully rich imperial great on thepalate.

I’ve had this one (a 2009) for a couple of years; was going to drink it when the Vikings went to the Super Bowl with Brett Favre, but the Saints had something else in mind. Anyway, this is as good as I’ve been led to believe. Pours very black, thick, almost oily with a pretty thick head that takes a second or two to firm up. There’s coffee and fruit and chocolate in the aroma. And the flavor contains all those and more. There’s an almost sweet/sour fruity cherry tang to the flavor in addition to all the thick chocolate and coffee flavors. I only wish it was a bit easier to get ahold of a bottle of this stuff.

Bottle @ ZZT. Brown, small head on a black beer. Aroma of roasted malts, licorice, sweet alcohol. Taste starts sweet, with sweet coffee/mocca, licorice and some soft burning alcohol, smooth bitterness taking over at the backtaste. Nice.