Surly Bender

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

On tap at the Blue Nile. Got to meet Pigfoot, who works there. This is my first from this new brewer, and this one did not disappoint. Bready flavor, with roasted nut and coffee overtones. Head was light brown, mostly diminishing. A clear body. Hard to categorize the style, but nonetheless, it was enjoyable. I can’t wait to try the furious; I’ve heard it’s pretty good from others.

Scored this in a trade with Scubarex. Many thanks! Pours a nearly opaque dark, nut brown from the can with a thin head that faded fast. Aroma is malty with biscuits and dough enticing you to come in. Flavor is very sweet and drinkable. Slightly roasted nuts (think dark peanuts) with crackers, biscuits, sweet blonde brownies, caramel and toffee all working well together. Dry finish allows the beer to go down easy. Great session beer that I can’t imagine anyone ever getting sick of.

Thanks to Flyer for bringing this beer from a recent visit to Minneapolis. I found this beer to be rather good, but I didn’t find it to be spectacular. It pours a dark brown with striking blood red hues as light dances through it. Bender has a somewhat scarce but pleasing light tan head composed of inconsistently sized bubbles. Aroma is a pleasing but understated caramel and toffee smell with some alcohol esters. Flavor is pleasingly sweet and roasty, but with a bit of a watery mouthfeel which seemed to get stickier as I drained my glass (and as it got a bit warmer). Quite good.

Thanks to zrrbrrt for opening this... Appears a slighty hazy(though still transparent), dark brown with a mild red hue. A rocky, tan head slowly quickly fades out and leaves scattered spots of lacing around the glass. The smell is yeasty, toasty nuts, fruits, grassy, light caramel, brown sugar, cocoa, and a touch of clove like spiciness. The taste is of the mentioned aromas with perhaps a touch of mild sourness picked up, along with an astringency that is noticeable. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, mildly roasty, with cocoa hanging on the palate leading to a gentle bitterness. Overall, I’m not really sure what the hype is about. I thought it was good but it didn’t really knock my socks off in any way. Maybe I’m just not a huge Brown Ale fan?

can, pours dark brown with a medium tan head. Aroma is brown sugar, toffee, and carmel malt. Delicious bitter sweet malt with notes of chocolate and coffee. Finishes slightly spicey with notes of clove and pepper. Really nice sessionable brown ale.

Poured from a 16oz can supplied by tytoanderso and served in an English pint glass. This brew poured a deep, dark mahogany color with a frothy tan head that quickly faded down to a thin layer of lasting bubbles. Just a touch of faint lace was left around the glass. The aroma of the beer was mildly roasty and made up of milk chocolate, caramel, and also some light vanilla notes. The flavor included oats, caramel, cocoa, and lightly roasted malts. Also a hint of chocolate, finishing up lightly bitter. The mouthfeel was medium-bodied and creamy with a nice dose of tingly carbonation. An excellent beer with a wonderfully balanced flavor. This beer brings some excitement to a style that tends to be a bit mundane. Well done!

Pours a dark brown. Aroma of light coffee, toffee, caramel and some light chocolate. Taste much the same. Not a big brown ale fan, but this is good.

Can via trade with Scoobydank. Pours a medium to dark brown. Nose is caramel and cola maltyness. Entry is a earthy medicinal tone to it. Flavors build with caramel, with tones of cinnamon and nutmeg. The flavor has a bit of perfume to it. Medium bodied.