Surly Bender

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

Dainty light tan/off-white head, very frothy, which tops a medium, reddish brown body. Potent aroma - surprisingly hoppy for a brown ale, but also has a pleasant dose of hazelnuts and sweet malts, with hints of caramel. I’m surprised and very pleasantly pleased that the flavor is not particularly sweet, but it is very rich and creamy. Nicely balanced, with the hops not too much in the fore-front, yet not too malty. Thick, like a good chocolate malt. Very nice.

Can, thanks to footbalm. Pours dark vrown, with a tan head. Aromas are roasted malt and coffee. Flavors are coffee, roasted malt, and some hops. Not bad, not great.

16oz can from the new roommate Megan (what’s better than a roommate that brings you beer back from their weekend vacation?!?!). Dark brown almost black color with large, creamy tan head. Aroma is caramel and light pine hops, and chocolate. Flavor is nice roasted malt, med sweet, pine hops, light chocolate, quite a lot of flavor. Very nice body to balance out flavor, ful bodied and creamy. A very good beer.

Canned. Much more complex and flavourful brown than is typical. Dark brown pour with a medium offwhite head than dissolves into a ring with a little lacing. Aroma of roasted caramel malt. Flavour has some coffee, hops, chocolate and a quick finish. Easy drinking.

This poured a murky brown color with an off white head. Aroma was roasted malts, nutty, and some chocolate. Flavor iwas realyl smooth and blended well with hints of mild chocolate, oatmeal, burnt malts and nuts. Pretty good for the style.

Can, thanks to kosko20. Brown pour with some light brown head. Meaty smoked malt and toffee in the aroma. Flavor is the same; a little nutty, smoked / meaty and sweet also. Pretty good flavor.

From a 16oz can. Pours a dark brown, semi-transparent color with a massive serving of thick, well sustaining beige head. Nutty aroma of toasted peanut skins that are balanced nicely by a wave of perfumy hops that contain notes of marigold petals, gentle pine, and celery leaf. A bit of graham cracker and cookie dough support the malt aroma nicely. Light to medium bodied, silky smooth mouthfeel. Soft on the palate, but not overly chewy. The malt character is much stronger than the aroma let me believe. Plenty of toasted bread crust, hazelnut, and a hint of unsweetened baker’s chocolate give this a refreshingly dry palate. Clean finish, with a subtle white grapefruit hoppiness left lingering with some toasted oatmeal. A very satisfying example of the style without deviating to extremes. Thanks, Tom!

Clean and malt for ward nose witha nice up front bitterness on the palate. Medium roast with a bit of chocolate and caramel. Nice clean and dry finish.