Surly Bender

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

Thanks to MuenchenerKindl for the chance to try this one A 16 oz shinny can poured into a pint glass two fingers of tan head on top of a mahogany brown body Aromas of oatmeal, roasted malts, coffee, chocolate and some light hops Taste great lots of sweat malty goodness along with chocolate with a nice light hops to balance it all out Smooth and creamy awesome palate on this one Great brown ale I could drink these all night real easy drinking

Poured a very dark brown with mahogany hints when held up to light. Off-white head is nearly two inches thick and shows some retention and great lacing. Smell is of roasted malts, oatmeal, and a bit of coffee. There is also a subtle brown sugar or molasses sweetness. Smells are all very subtle and the nose is not overpowering. Taste starts with the sweetness up front with molasses, caramel malts and some nuts. This flows into a coffee and oatmeal taste that gives way to the hops which are much more present than in the aroma. The finish is crisp with a slight hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, extremely smooth and creamy with moderate carbonation. This is one hell of a sessionable brown ale and I could drink it all night long. Extremely well balanced and easy going down. Highly recommended!

Can thanks to tytoanderso. Pours a deep brown color with ruby highlights in the light and a beige head that receded to a ring. Nice malty aroma with some hints of caramel, chocolate, and a nice oat and nuttiness. Definitely one of the better brown aroma’s I have encountered. Nice, chocolaty malt entry gives way to sweet, caramel flavor with nice oat and even coffee undertones. Pretty creamy body for 5%, and thoroughly enjoyable. Thanks Tyler, I liked it a lot.

12 oz glass on tap at the galway tribes (frankfort, I’ll). Pours an extremely dark brown, slightly hazed, with ruby highlight and brown moderatr head that laces. Aromas are heavy on coffee and brown roasty malts up front, coffee and tobacco mix in. Initial is very chocolatey and tobacco, mixes well with a touch of smokiness, coffee, and overall very welcoming malt profile. Light bitterness, but the malt really steals the show. Flavors are spectacular, balanced, quite yummy. Complex. Another kudos to the fine people at Surly Brewing. Cheers

Pours a nice dark brown with a tan head. The aroma is thick with malt, vanilla, toffee and oatmeal. The flavor is very nicely balanced with a good amount of malt sweetness, coupled with lots of vanilla and a very pronounced velvety oatmeal flavor. That oatmeal smoothness carries over very nicely to the palate, lending the brew a very smooth mouthfeel. Overall another great brew from Surly.

Can courtesy of tytoanderso. Pours a nice reddish brown with a bubbly 1 finger head. Aroma of malt, roasted nuts and vanilla. Nice medium bodied mouthfeel with flavors of caramel, malt, nuts, chocolate and rasins. This is a really nice brown ale. Viva Surly!

Draught sample at brewery during the Surly tour, RBSG Minneapolis, June 23 2007. Near-opaque molasses color with a bit of dark tan head receding....nutty, lightly fruity (grapy) and significantly hoppy aroma, much more agressive than most brown ales but still within the style parameters I think; caramel cream shows up with a little bit of time....the body is juicy, vanilla-nutty, earthy with light candied fruits....remarkably luscious, full, velvety mouthfeel. Certainly among the 5 best brown ales I’ve had and I can’t wait to pop the can I brought back for a proper pint of it.

Sample at Brewnosers’ meeting April 2008. Brown colour with a mostly lasting frothy off-white head. Chocolate, citrus, coffee, and molasses aroma. Chocolate, bready, earthy, and coffee flavours with a citrus and piny bitter finish, medium bodied, rich, and lightly chewy but refreshing.