Surly Bender

At first I got caramel and cola aromas. Now I’m getting some more barley wine like smells like plum. Always sweet. Smooth and crisp. Taste is slightly hoppy and slightly bitter on the backside. Some candied sugar as well. Pours a deep brown color with a faint red hue. Almost opaque until you hold it up to the light. The smells are really entertaining but the flavor leaves a little on the table. All in all a good beer though.

Enjoyed at NoogFest III. A dark walnut pour that is very clear. Malt aroma with molasses. Nice brown ale. Good toasted and nutty grain with minimal hops that are complimentary to the hints of sweetness that remind me of bread and molasses. Body is creamy (perhaps the oatmeal) and full. Good.

If you don’t like this beer, you can BITE MY SHINY METAL ASS! Does anybody make Futurama references anymore? Anyway, clear brown, no head. Bready, spicy aroma, and what I’d call typical brown ale flavors - chocolatey, bready, and lightly spicy rye-ish note at the finish.

Pours a dark brown with a well retained light tan head. Smells of dark malts and dark fruits. A little bit sweet smelling. Taste is quite nutty, a little bit of roast and dark malts make up the flavors. very roasty on the palate, with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Get a small dose of some caramel in the finish with some nuts and malts. Pretty good brown, especially for a canned beer. I find myself liking more and more canned beers, as i try new ones.

16 ounce can. Dark ruby color with a full, wispy light tan colored head. Light chocolate and grassy hop aromas. Very light chocolate and roast flavors, with hints of hazelnut. Smooth with a nice finish. Better than most brown ales, but still as a beer, it’s just ok.

16oz can, courtesy of Schutzenliesel. Thanks, Tom! Pours a dark mahogany color; light tan head with good retention and lacing. Generous, dried fruit and candy sugar aroma; red fruits and tea-like malts. Medium-to-full, malt-dominated mouthfeel: surprising amounts of milk chocolate and roasted malts (almost like a light porter); medium-to-lively carbonation; dense, layered maltiness with a hint of sharp citrus hops; beautifully done. Lengthy, caramel and chocolate finish. Probably the best brown ale I’ve had.

16 ounce can. Pint glass. Poured dark brown with a medium tan head. Aroma is of pine hops, malt and cocoa. Taste has notes of coffee, dark chocolate, roast malt and caramel. Initial drinks are sweet with a creamy mouthfeel, but as you go you start to detect some of the hops and even a hint of bitterness on the finish. Very nice. I had one of these a few months back at Old Chicago and they served it way too cold. It was pretty bland that nght, but if you let it warm a bit before opening the can the flavors really come alive.

Can’t believe it’s taken this long to rate this one. Dark brown, slightly red edges with a thin head. Coffee aroma with a bit of a Lysol effect. Sweet oats up front. Definitely some chocolate, nut, caramel and vanilla flavors. Slightly dry finish with a bit of hops. Very rockin.