Surly Barrel Aged Darkness

[tap] Poured jet black with a small, creamy brownish head. Aroma was candi sugar, bourbon, vanilla, and chocolate. Flavor was surprisingly sweet. The bourbon doesn’t overpower the beer, which is nice. The alcohol is not hidden at all, but doesn’t detract from the brew in the least. There are very little hops present, and the bitterness has faded, which would have to be my one complaint about this otherwise fantastic beer.

Happy Gnome Surly dinner: pour of thin oil. Viscous demon blood. Huge tangy aroma of seared venison and chocolate, with fruit impartations of blackberries and burnt pineapple; withering spice of cinnamon, leaving a near-dominant and enormously intriguing note of aged balsamic to coat the senses, given some breathing. Citric, bitter hops have faded to the dominance of oak. Chewy, burly roast and bourbon flavor; charred beef, toasted coconut, vanilla. Bourbon is noisy but can’t dominate. Like honey marinated rare red meat in its impression. All milk chocolate in the mid palate with hints of sweeteners and some greenness of roasted sweet vegetables, though again the piney hops of the fresh version are noticeably absent. Smoothness of oats abundant and caressing. Finishes on a long, sweet, marinade and caramel pulse that turns to wet leather after a bit. Stellar, balanced example from start to finish.

6th Beer of the Beer Spot Tasting Sunday March 30th, 2008. Bottle provided by Tiptop, via the brewers at Surly. This is a rare treat. Pours black like oil with a light brown ring. Nose of bourbon, oak and sweetness. hops absent from this version. Taste is sweet, chocolate, big bourbon and aggressive, very very nice. Awesome!!

On tap at the 2007 Great Taste: Worth the line! Dark chocolate and coffee dominate, but lighter flavors keep coming up: toast, cherry, vanilla, wood, charcoal, brandy, burnt sugar, avocado. Very complex. Alcohol makes itself known in the nose and finish, but toherwise clean throughout. Full body and smooth, but a little cloying towards the end.

pours dark, dark deep brown, with a thick, thick tan head. coffee and alcohol in the nose. flovor was chocolate, alcohol, chocolate & alcohol. finished kinda creamy. an after dinner brew.

On tap at 2007 GTMW Black color with a cappuccino colored head. Aroma is roasted malt, vanilla, bourbon, and oak. Taste is oak, bourbon, dark fruits, roasted malt, and cola. Light carbonation. Nice mouthfeel. Nice beer, but a touch too boozy.

This poured out thick and black with a tall, creamy tan head. The aroma was heavy with Bourbon and alcohol (fine with me), also with burnt dark malt, cocoa, vanilla, oak, and dark caramel. Much the same with the flavor except that a sharp astringency developed near the finish that was something of a distraction. Otherwise, a dandy little beer.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/events-detail.asp?eventID=6174>Festival of Barrel Aged Beers, Chicago, IL 11/03/2007<font size=-1>

On tap at the 2007 GTMW: Pours a completely opaque with an airy rich dark brown head. Aroma of heavy sweet dark chocolate and caramel malts with a big, fresh grapefruity hoppy presence and some mild bourbon oaky notes with a touch of vanilla. Body starts full, sweet malty and viscous with lots of dense dark chocolate caramel and fresh resiny grapefruity flavor hops toward a sticky, bittersweet warming finish. Good balance of oaky bourbon throughout. A smooth, flavorful and enjoyable, dense, barrel-aged imperial stout.