Surly Bender

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

Ok, now I know why Daknole sent this one to me. Thanks alot man! This beer kicks ass. I enjoyed every bit of it. Looks great. Dark brown with a thick fluffy beige head that sticks around. Aroma is full and strong with roasted malts and some hops. Flavor is more bitter than you would expect from a brown ale. But that makes it unique and I love it. Sweet malts, caramel, and some coffee combine with hops and oatmeal to make a sweet, bitter, dry finishing beer. No it’s not the strongest, most complex, or extreme beer out there. But the balance is excellent and it’s extremely smooth and drinkable.

The can-can? Would you dance with me? I loved it! The bender was just what I expected except I felt better the next day (I hope so). Carmel, coffee, chocolate malty goodness. I love brown ale. I’m glad it’s local.

[Can] Pours reddish brown with a huge light tan head. A lot going on in the aroma--malty, fruity, slightly hoppy, hard to place everything. Taste is very nice--light bitterness up front, followed by roasted malt, hints of chocolate. Ultra smooth with a very long finish...dangerously drinkable. I had been really disappointed with SurlyFest, but they hit a homerun with this one!

Nice hop aroma found in the same “location” as in the Darkness; if it were a 3D object the hops in the aroma would where the engines are in the Star Trek Voyager if you flipped it upside-down, with the bulk of the ship being the malt & everything else. Subtle notes of vanilla & chocolate. Flavor composition is like the Darkness as well in that each flavor comes at you separately, rather than as one mixed substance; works very well in these instances. Mouthfeel is very smooth with just the right amount of body. Great finish.

Poured a two finger head into my pint glass. Color is a deep amber -- not quite opaque. Smell: first thing I get is British hops. Next is roasted malt. nice. Taste. Pretty typical for a good american brown. Oh wait... incredible mouthfeel.. must be the oatmeal. very silky smooth. I don’t want to swallow. Drinkability. I had one and I’m wanting more. I guess that rates at least a 4 in my book. A very nice brown ale. This is my first Surly and I’m impressed. I have more in my fridge to keep me waiting in anticipation. Serving type: can

Dark brownish color with foamy tan head. Quite a unique flavor including roasted hops, malts, chocolate, coffee. Surprisingly balanced beer; full of flavor and slightly bitter. Excellent beer.

Pours dark brown with a finger high tan head. Descent lacing. Sweet malty raisin nose with hops. Sweet then coffee and chocolate followed by a nice semi dry hop finish. Not at all what I was expecting. You can taste the nuances of a traditional brown ale in there somwhere the complexities are truly amazing. So smooth!!

Original rating, 12-19-06: 16 oz. can. The aroma is strong, hoppy, yeasty, and complex. It smells like a much stronger beer, perhaps a barley wine, imperial stout, or Belgian strong ale. It pours a dark mahogany brown with a red glow and a large amount of fluffy, tan head. The delicious flavor contains bitter coffee, chocolate, and roasted nut notes. The taste reminds me of that of the classic Samuel Smith’s Taddy Porter. It also has a good, bitter aftertaste. This medium-bodied brew is crisp and lively in the palate and quite drinkable. <P>I first drank this beer at the Happy Gnome in St. Paul, MN. The other beers I had that night were Rochefort Trappistes 8, Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, and La Trappe Quadrupel. Surly Bender more than held its own against this stiff competition. <P>This is a superb, genre-defying, and unforgettable beer. Surly describes it as an "oatmeal brown ale," and that’s an apt characterization, but in the end it tastes most like an interesting, excellent porter. Bender is an exciting product from what is quickly emerging as one of America’s great microbreweries. Good work, Surly! Keep it up! <P>8:5:9:14:18 ==> 4.4 <P>Re-rate, 1-15-08: I had this on tap at The View in St. Louis Park on 1-14-08. I’ve realized for awhile that I had overrated this beer, but every time I have it, it’s so delicious that it has been hard for me to rate it down. I still consider this an excellent beer, but it doesn’t blow me away quite as much as it used to: <P>8:4:8:4:17 ==> 4.1