Surly Bourbon One

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

Winterfest 09 - a rich, dark amber color with notes of bourbon and vanilla a bit sweet but that did not carry through to the flavor very much. A complex beer that I enjoyed very much.

Winterfest 2009. Pour was a dark brown/amber with nice strong bourbon aroma. Flavor was a lot rich sweet malts, some vanilla and smooth bourbon all the way through. I can see why this was voted the best of winterfest last night.

On tap, Winterfest 2009 St. Paul MN. Pours a deep brownish red color with a thin whispy head. Huge sugar sweet malt flavors to start, rolls into notes of Bourbon with a White Oak aged finish. Lingering stickiness on the palate. Notes of alcohol toward the end. Thick and chewy. A bit sweet, but overall solid.

Name: BA One
Date: 08/09/2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, Great Taste

Appearance: clear dark red, fine beige head,
Aroma: sweet chocolate and dark caramel aroma, nice touch of bourbon is well integrated and not overpowering,
Flavor: rich dark caramel and dark chocolate flavor, nice touch of bourbon, vanilla sweetness, light oak,

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ***+/4

Great Taste of the Midwest 2008

Immediately after clearing the palate with some Hell it was time to begin the assualt again. This was the 4:30 special tapping and well worth the wait. Probably the second best beer at the festival I would love to try a regular version of One to see how the aging has altered in. Like a rich bock it is high in alcohol yet still deceptively smooth.

Aroma / Appearance - A brown burnt liquid filled my glass along with the smell of vanilla, malt, oak and caramel. Very balanced it reminded me of an old ale that has mellowed with time. The bourbon was there but did not overpower at all.

Flavor / Palate - The bourbon was most obvious in the thick mouthfeel. Creamy vanilla coated every nook and cranny of the mouth in sweetness. The dry finish was like vanilla ice cream which had melted into liquid form. Another one that I could have pondered for hours I wish this were more than a one-off release.

GTMW ’08. Poured a clear copper color with an off white head. Smelled of cereal grain, bourbon, and toffee. Medium to full bodied and sweet. Thick and malty with caramel, toffee, cereal grain, vanilla, and a substantial amount of bourbon flavor.

Strong bourbon aroma and flavors. Rich and tasty. Good chocolate flavors. Dark with small off white head.

Happy Gnome Surly dinner: pours dark amber with bright orange highlights and a still head of beige skin. Immediately quiet aroma of coconut, plum skins, and powdered sugar; creme brulee, cake batter and pomegranate sangria provide the richest of sweet affectation underneath, though far from contrived or overbearing. Full of malt and bourbon and sugar and force but still amiable; never obvious, with lots of mysterious earthy depth. Flavor full of milk chocolate, tangy vanilla, sweet smoke and the general tones of good bourbon. Raspberries. Honey. Lots of lagered fruity depth still present and punchy with robust character. Apple cider vinegar and peppery alcohol glinting the surface. More fruity toffee tinted sweetness. Honeydew melon, pineapple, cherry; details just rampant and ripe, but still controlled. Palate is smooth, the body heavy. Finishes with pungent, earthy and alcoholic sweetness, long and hot. Bourbon aging near its peak in this example; a rare example of a base beer not better off without the barrel.