Surly Bender

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

From a growler shared by El Poundo,aroma was chocolate cake batter,with hints of caramel and cola soda, taste was cocoa,bottom of the cup coffee,some kind of wood,finishing with a bitterness that may or may not have been hop,the bitterness and carbonation gave it a sharpness,definitely did not experience a smoothness of the oatmeal. Very tastey,enjoyable,if the can is this good ,its a must try

Tap at the Happy Gnome. Colored like maple syrup with a creamy, thin head. Aromas of black licorice, vanilla, berries, and a touch of citrus hops. Feels a bit acidic in the mouth with syrah tones of pepper and chocolate. An interesting blend of sensations very well balanced.

Special thanks to my buddy Craig in Mn. Pours a deep, deep brown with a fluffy oatmeal colored head. Nose is malty and caramel. Flavor is incredibly smooth, with caramel and chocolate influences, with a wonderful creamy mouthfeel. Very subtle bitterness wraps up this beautiful brown. Very nice.

can.....aroma: caramel and toasted malt...apearance: more of the caramel brown for this brown ale with medium ivory head....taste: essentially all caramel malt with hints of vanilla. incredibly smooth and very agreeable with the palate. not too much complexity with this one but i still found it to be quite enjoyable.

Pours brown with a creamy tan head. Light aroma of roasted malts. Flavor is pretty good. Dry, bitter with coffee, chocolate, roasted maltds. Dry finish. Nice hops, and Nice mouthfeel. One of the better takes on a Brown ale I’ve ever encountered.

Ah, the $205 glass of beer. I wouldn’t have had a chance to try Bender, but for missing a flight to NYC (and $100/each in fees for my wife and I to get on a later flight.) So with an hour suddenly free, I remembered that Surly’s website mentions that you can get Bender at Ike’s in the airport, so off we went. It was really fun that even the 60-something waitress there also knew they had Surly, and was happy to talk about this exciting new local brewer. (It strikes me as a really healthy sign for the craft beer movement when what the "normal" craft beer fan looks like is less and less predictable.)

On to the beer. Gold highlighted-brown, small sticky cap of light tan. Coffee, brown bread aroma--creamy and fresh. Dry toast flavor, caramel, robust bitterness, lingering rustic bread sweetness. An unpretentious beer, done with skillful, bold strokes. Yum.

Can thanks to footbalm. Pours a dark reddish brown with medium sized creamy tan head. Aroma of nutty malt and oats, with hints of cocoa and caramel. Flavors of sweet nutty malt, roasted oats, caramel, and a bit of chocolate and hops. A tasty light beer, thats easy to drink. Very good for a brown.

Can courtesy of tytoanderso most likely. Pours a deep clear brown with a medium tan head. Coffee, plum, caramel, and vanilla on the nose. Medium bodied with coffee, malt, and roast flavors balanced with a touch of sweetness. Smooth roast and vanilla and plum finish. Tasty stuff.