Surly Darkness

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

Serve in Snifter

08 version. Pours a bit lighter than I was expecting, but with a beautifully thick head. Displays a lighter floral aroma with a bit of citrus. Not nearly as intense as I was expecting from what folks had said about the previous years vintage. Huge creamy character that really stood out. Very much the calling card of this vintage. A dryer overall beer and quite easy drinking compared to other beers in its class that leave a much higher finishing gravity. However, too sharp of a contrast between the sweet/roasted malt backbone and the citrus/orange hop profile. Overall, it left me a bit confused. It seemed like it was trying to be both a sweeter/creamier imperial stout and one of the more highly hopped examples of the genre at the same time. While I really loved the first side of this along with how nicely attenuated the gravity was, and is why my score is so high, I really didn’t care for the choice of hops. They just seemed to detract a bit from the overall experience. I know there was a change in the recipe, particularily in the type of hops used, but I think they would’ve been better off doing what made this beer so exceptional initially.

TAP at Darkness Day 10/22/2011. Pours jet black with a tan head. Aroma is rich, roasty, chocolate, dark fruits, hops, caramel. Lots of character. 2011 A good yet slightly bitter hop profile and smooth chocolate are the major notes.

2010 version Deep black body with a lightly brown head. Aroma of grapes, chocolate, coffee, malts. Very intense flavour and extremely well balanced: moderately sweet, lightly bitter of chocolate and caramel.

Vintage 2010 bottle thanks to Klaas @ RBBWG. Black coloured imperial stout with a very small and diminishing off white to brown head. Somewhat alcoholic slightly roasted malty hinted aroma. Full palate. Finish is strong alcoholic and roasted malty. Very good.

Sample at Vermont BA Winter Gathering - Samples included both "Vampire" and "Zombie"... rating is for 2011 (Zombie). Served at room temp. Poured a very dark black in color with a small dark tan head. Aroma was strong of dark roasted malts, chocolate, a bit of coffee, dark fruits and molasses. Flavor is surprisingly fruity... dark fruits (prune, date, raisin) mostly. Lots of chocolate/mocha and slightly bitter, Finish is lingering bitterness and chocolate... slightly sweet at the very end. Really good!

2010 Version - I have a love hate relationship with this beer. Ok I really never hate this beer but for some reason the last two version of Darkness never really match up to the greatness that I thought the 2008 version was. One of my favorite beers of all time. 2009 was more like a Black IPA to me. 2010 was closer but the mouthfeel and complexity just didn’t match what 08 was. It wasn’t as thick and smooth as I would of hoped. But more of the usual suspects that you would think a great RIS would have come out. Nice bit of roastiness, dark fruits, toffee, and chocolate. Hops toned down from the 09 version. Still just not as complex as 08 was. I’d kill for another bottle of 08.

"Had this at a local BA’s house. Very kind of him to open this up. Served just below room temp into a Riedel Snifter: A - No head, brown bubbles lingered around the edge of the glass. The beer was black as hell. No brown or amber hints at all. S - The smell is DFH’s World Wide Stout and Brew Dog’s Tokyo hooked up and made whoopie. Lots of figs, vanilla, raisin and cupcakes. T - Lots of malt, some toffee and sugar. I’m getting a a ton of burnt on the finish with some hints of banana. M - Huge carbonation and lots of lingering. It’s quite the heavy beer. O - This beer is still too sweet. Maybe lay it down for a while and wait. I bet this would be a great beer 2 years out."

2010 Vintage (vampire edition) 750 ml. bottle sampled @ RBWG 2012 – thx to Klaas – pitch black with a mocha head, smells of roasted malts, dark fruits, mocha, slight molasses & chocolate plus cocoa, taste is bitter followed by a nice sweetness afterwards, similar to smell, roasted malts, dark fruits, mocha, only this time around lots of chocolate here, solid but thick with dark fruits, mocha & touch of hops in the finish, sludgy coffee, soft carb. yummy stuff

Vampire, 2010
Jet black beer, disappearing tan head. Aroma of burned malts, mocha, chocolate and vanilla. Rather sweet flavour, chocolate, malts, light bitter coffee. Thick oily texture, finish rather sweet, with roasted malts and some wood tones. Nice!
(From 75cL bottle @ RBBWG 2012, Antwerpen. Thanks for sharing, Klaas!)