Surly Mild

Brewed by Surly Brewing Company
Style: Mild Ale
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota USA

Serve in English pint, Shaker

On draught at the Happy Gnome in St Paul, Minnesota. Pours a clear reddish amber brew with a creamy off-white head that has excellent retention and thick/spotty lacing. Aroma of fruity caramel malt, a touch of tart pears, toffee and some citrus hops. Taste is smooth, medium bodied, very light carbonation with a fruity/caramel malty flavor. Finish is just as creamy and smooth as its taste along with a semi-dry finish, a light mild bitterness that quickly clean cuts to a crisp aftertaste. Another excellent brew by the Surly guys.

UPDATED: FEB 4, 2012 On tap at the Happy Gnome during the 1/16/08 release. Dark ruby color with a thin head. Slight bready aroma. Nutty taste with a bit of a chalky feel to it. Very bready. It tastes like a dark grain bread, like rye. Really quite delicious as a session and every day beer. 6/4/8/4/17

Rerate. Minnesota Winterfest 2012. Dark brown color with a large head. Dry chocolate aroma. Light chocolate flavor. Chalky mouthfeel. Slightly acrid.6/4/6/3/14

I thought it was like a bitter, and a good one. Light red in color and very low carbonation. The aroma is simple malt. The flavor has abundant malt as well, and has a lightly roasted flavor to it. Good palate and fairly full bodied for a beer that is in no way complex. Very drinkable, like a mild or bitter should be.

On tap at Stub & Herbs. Poured an amber brown with minimal head. Aroma was full of grain notes with a bit of toast and nuttiness. Flavor was very malty as well with a strong toasted flavor with a hint of chocolate and just a touch of hops.

On tap @ Muddy Pig. Deep brown appearance with a light tan head. Bland dark malty nose. Bitter, dark malty, yet light bodied flavor. Easy drinking session ale.

I was told by the bartender that this is 4.1% abv--not *exactly* mild as I know it (I tend to like it around 3.5, maybe 3.8%)--indeed, if it is 4.1%, it begs the question of how I distinguished this beer from an English bitter. There are a lot of similarities: there’s a strong nut note driving this, but the overall profile is marked by the mildly sweet maltiness producing fruity qualities, esp. raspberry. The underlying profile, when I could dig it out (served too cold), suggested La Folie. Yes, that’s right, La Folie. Only, not really because you’re dealing here with a very subdued beer that is marked more by its notable carbonation than its elegance of composition. Deep red/maroon/amber in color. Basically this seemed more like a bitter on carbonation than the milds I loved most in England. But then, mild isn’t a distinct category. Only, the best milds I had were essentially lunchtime stouts, rich brown/black with complex chocolates and roastiness. This brew is forgettable, aided only by the good reputation of this fine brewery. (on tap, The Happy Gnome)

16 oz draft on tap at Binnys South Loop (Chicago, Il). Pours a nice reddish copper with tannish decent head that sticks around, just a touch hazed. Aromas are a nice biscuity malt, light carmel, and bready with minimal floral aromas. Initial is light and quaffable, carmel and bready malts dance on the palate lightly, with a nice malt body that doesn’t get in the way. Moves into a subtle creeping bitterness in the finish with light floral and a nice cereal crispness in the aftertaste. I could drink a lot of this for long periods of time.

Draft at Map Room.I wonder if people that have sampled this understand what a mild is. At any rate, it pours a pale brown with thin head. Nose is malt forward, mild chocolate. Taste is much the same, watery, minimal hop bitterness and a touch grainy. Nice and easy drinking.