Surly Darkness

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

Thick rich viscous our, thick dense off white head. Aroma is awesome. Coffee, rich creamy chocolate, molasses, caramel and sugar. Flavor is sweet, rich, thick, milky, raisins, sugar and molasses. So sticky and sweet just the way I like it. Awesome!

Pours a deep dark blood red burgundy brown that almost black and completely opaque with a thick frothy 2.5 finger dark chocolate coffee colored head that has excellent retention, lasting throughout and leaving large chunks of soapy lacing. Roasted malt aroma with sweet bitter dark chocolate and hints of molasses, honey, burnt toast, caramel, oatmeal, coffee bean, toffee, licorice and sweet alcohol. Possibly the best aroma I’ve experienced yet. Thick chewy viscous mouthfeel with some slight carbonation and a huge roasty malt flavor. Soooo smooth with a full viscous mouthfeel. The ABV is so well masked that it’s almost undetectable. Slightly dry finish with some slight alcohol warmth. Extremely quaffable with awesome raosted malt profile. Lots of sweet bitter dark chocolate, coffee bean, toffee, molasses, honey and caramel sweetness that balances out the deep roasty and burnt toast characteristics. Very subtle hops in the finish as well as some slight alcohol warmth. This is one of the most complex, flavorful and drinkable Imperial Stouts I’ve ever had and possibly one of the best beers I’ve ever had the pleasure of sampling. All I can say is WOW. Highly recommended.

Bottle with a HUGE thanks to MrBunn. Pours black with a quickly forming big ass head. Aroma is of pine resin, chocolate and strange fruit.....maybe cherries. Flavor is just amazing. Mostly of the above notes. I cant say I have ever had an Impy stout that tastes remotely like this.Damn tasty.

Bottle. Pours dark brown with a surprise head that rises up huge after the pour is done. Aromas have a sharp pinyness to them with chocolate and black cherries and currants. Flavor is sweet and fruity. Chocolate, cherries and sugar. Yummmm.

On tap at The Great Taste of the Midwest. Unbelievable can only begin to describe this beer heavenliness. A rich dark pour with an aroma of rich chocolate, dark fruits, roasted malt, and toffee was enough to tell me that this was going to be a really good brew. The thick and rich body, accompanied by the best tasting stout I have ever had, made this the best BEER I have ever had. I would go far out of my way to get more of this for it was made so incredibly well. Wow!

My friend Greg Yoder brought a 2008 bottle to a great bottle share at UJ’s on the Manatawny. Pours a dark black with slight red cast to it. Dark tan head with very little lacing. The nose is strong with coffee and roasted scents. First sip is dark chocolate & raisains with coffe and toffee flavors penetrating quicklt. Nice small hop finish. Realy great stuff.

2009 edition, firkin at 501 Club in Minneapolis. Appearance is that of...darkness. No head, sweet aroma with a soy sauce type of smell. Sweet, thick syrupy mouthfeel with little to no carbonation. Lots going on in the flavor with chocolate and coffee coming out the most for me. Nice smooth almost creamy finish. Re-rate - Had it from a keg at Darkness Day 2009 and enjoyed it much more than from the firkin. The little bit of extra carbonation brought out all the flavors so much more for me and tasted like heaven in a glass. Everything they mention mixes so well together but you can taste each flavor individually if you look for it. This beer is worth the hype.

2008 Bottle courtesy of and shared with theisti side by side with a DL. Deep brown/black pour with a nice, 1-inch lasting head. A little sweetness initiallly on the nose, with huge aromas of coffee and molasses and a dry bitterness. Flavor is a wonderful meld of chocolate, black cherry soda and coffee with a tremendous citric hoppiness. Finish is almost crisp, with a touch of licorice candy in there. I loved this beer. All 4 of us tasting the bottle actually preferred it to DL (and only 2 of us have Minnesota roots, so no bias :) ). Thanks again, Tim (assist to theiske).