Surly 16 Grit

Brewed by Surly Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota USA

Draft at Binny’s south loop. Pours a mostly clearly amber. Nose is well hopped, tropical fruits, a bit of resin and funky hops. Nothing too over the top. Taste is comparable, very hop-forward with some nice, clean bitterness. Not harsh at all. Lots of fruity notes come through, as does the resiny pine notes. This one is super easy to drink. Good stuff.

on tap at Binnys South Loop, Chicago. pours slight hazy amber with white head. nose is very piney, earthy, melon, and grapefruit hop forward nose. flavors are piney, bitter!, juicy, mango, nice balance here, slightly sweet middle, very tasty.

At Happy Gnome, served in a mini tulip, appearance is clear gold with a minor head. Aroma is quite citrus like, hops, and sweet. The flavor is solid citrus IPA with sweetness and lots of warmth. The palate is rich and delecate. Overall, nice.

Golden color. Not my favorite double IPA by any stretch. I found the hops to be massive, but not so much on the front end. There’s the usual assortment of citrus flavors on the front end, with well controlled alcohol and a bit of candy sweetness too, but it was really the finish that marked out this beer for me. It finished with a kind of hop unidimensionality, where it lingers (only moderately bitter) but with an acidic pine flavor that seemed both crass and unwelcome. The malts here aren’t doing enough to give this sophistication and subtlety. I couldn’t finish my pour. I thought in Minnesota we had some chance of avoiding the banal excesses of West Coastism in brewing. I guess not. (on tap at Muddy Pig, St. Paul)

Draft @ Galway Tribes. Watch out for the teetering bar stools. Amber pour into what appeared to be a water or soda glass? Short off white tannish head? Aroma of zesty citrus, hops. Mouth is great, with creamy feel and good carbonation. Not @ all the hop bomb I expected. Tastes dominantly citrus with a good malt back. Bitter rind finish, and a buttery breadiness. Balance and drinkability paired with a decent bitter linger redeem this. Not Surlys best. Highly drinkable. Would try again.

On tap at Galway Tribes. Pours a darkish orange with a small fomay head. Aroma is of grapefruit, malt, pine, and caramel. Taste is of juicy citrus, mostly grapefruit with lots of pine and slight caramel. Has a very biscuity malt backbone. Body is medium, and surprisingly buttery. Finish is very acidic, with an alcohol burn. Not nearly as bitter as I had anticipated. Too acidic and buttery to be very drinkable. Good, but dissapointing to a degree.

Pre-tapping sample at Lunar Brewing Co.,Villa Park, IL. Poured a clear, golden amber, with a thick, small bubbled, white head and some solid lacing. The nose was a very pleasant aromatic blend of tangerine, grapefruit, and smooth malt. The flavor added to these some rich, malt sweetness, and a strong but mellow bitterness that followed into the finish and beyond. A very nicely balanced DIPA, almost a carefully aged, big Furious.

12 oz draft poured on tap at The Galway Tribes (Frankfort, Il). A true gem of a find. Pours a lovely fiery amber, well hazed, with touches of orange, a decent offwhitish head that clings to the sides of the glass and laces well. Aromas are powerful: a lovely floral hop bouquet pushing large grapefruit bitterness and zest coupled with orange, moderate tropical fruits of mango, and a sweet balancing malty backbone of carmel and biscuit. Initial has a good body, stepping down a little on harshness, but certainly bringing the taste. Big grapefruity hoppy bitterness coupled with a balancing sweetness. Some tropical fruits lie a little deeper, mango and papaya, florals, and some nice sort of piney resin comes through towards the finish. This doesn’t weigh you down, but certainly asserts itself. Finish is bitter, balanced, lovely aftertaste.