Surly Bourbon One

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

From my notes at FoBAB. Pour is very dark and rich looking brown with a thin tan head. Aroma is bourbon, lightly fruity, large malt and a light milk chocolaty sweetness. Flavor is surprisingly smooth with the huge malt well controlled by the light sting of bourbon and a fruity smoothness that makes the beer incredibly round and drinkable. Tasty stuff.

FoBAB. Pours brown with a tan head. Aroma of bourbon, caramel, chocolate. A little boozy and fairly sweet. Solid beer.

Sampled this at FoBAB 2009. I love a nice doppelbock, I love a nice bourbon. This had a nice bourbony nose with a rich sweetness. Maple, brownies, a bit of booze. Sweet bourbon flavor. Chewy, malty, fruity. And lots of bourbon. This beer is like being the luckiest beer drinker in the world.

FOBAB 2009- pours a deep brown. notes of chocolate, vanilla, bourbon. a lot of bourbon. oak. bourbon was a little overpowering. some bread and toastiness. still a bit hot. curious what the ABV is.

Old ebf rating. Pours a bruin body with a tan head. Bourbon and oak notes, some lighter chocolate and vanilla notes. Sweet and rich, decent brew.

Sampled at GTMW 2009 (Madison, WI). Pours a very dark brown amber, hazed, good big tan head that laces well. Aromas are bourbon, a touch of dark fruit, caramel and brewhouse smell. Initial is biscuity and warming, with a touch of dark fruit, caramel, syrupy sweetness, with light bourbon and oak. Lighter bodied, but great flavors. The barrel adds some character and finishes with a decent warming bourbon / booziness with fairly potent sweetness.

[Tap] at Winterfest 2009. Pours a deep brown with a small tan head. Aroma is pretty much solid bourbon, with maybe a touch of sweeter malt. Flavor is, again, mostly bourbon. I haven’t had the base beer so it was a bit difficult to notice any subtleties when I didn’t really know what to look for. Sweet, malty finish with a lingering bourbon note.

I didn’t care for One that much, and usually I don’t like bourbon in my beer, but Bourbon One is a great success. Sweet and thick, and very low carbonation. Lots of sweet malt, some fruit. No perceivable hops, but there is a significant amount of bourbon, and it tastes and smells great. One of the highlights of Winterfest 2009.