Surly Bourbon Smoke

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

Notes from FoBAB. Pour is black with a nice brown head. Aroma is large malt, faint bourbon, light wood, and only a touch of smoke. Flavor is wonderful round malt with the vanilla bourbon notes permeating the beer. There is also some light tobacco. The smoke does not really come out until the finish and is subtle but present. THe finish is also lightly sweet. A subtle yet tasty smoke beer. I liked it.

FoBAB. Pours brown with tan head. Aroma of smoke and bourbon. Good smoked flavor with bourbon and vanilla in there also. Smoked meat flavor, I like it.

FoBAB 2009. Pours a dark dark brown with smoke colored swirls. Aroma of smokey bourbon. Ash, Ham. Flavor is very smokey and bourbony, tasty, ham and bacon, a bit of alcohol in there too. Smooth mouthfeel but the barrel makes it a bit thin. Another ridiculous brew from Surly here. This beer was like camping.

FOBAB 2009. pours a deep brown with a brown head. strong bourbon, vanilla, and booze notes. too much alocohol. over powering. rubbing alcohol on the flavor. and some nice chocolate, smoke, and wood notes as well to compliment the vodka taste. aroma is much more enjoyable than the flavor.

FoBAB 2009: Deep brown with ruby highlights topped by a small wispy tan head and okay lace. The aroma has notes of meaty and woody smoke, tobacco, vanilla, roasted malts, plum, fig, and herbal esters. The taste starts meaty smoke (but not too much), sweet malts and light ripened fruit. Chocolate and vanilla before a charred ashy smoke finishes it off. The mouth feel is smooth and rich but a touch thin. Overall a solid brew but left wanting more.

Vwry dark brown with a bit of tan head. Oaky nose with some blunt smoke. The blend of booze and smoke gives this a bit of menrthol character. Its good though. Substantial body. Quite dry.

ABR 2009. Still hands down one of my favorite smoked brews. Tastes of the original version (peat, coffee, tobacco, etc.) but quite a bit more subdued/mellow. Well done, I hope I can get some more of this again somewhere locally.

Sampled at Autumn Brew Review ’09. This for me was the highlight of the event. Bourbon was well done (not too strong) where it really melded well with the smoke flavor of the Surly smoke. Bourbon, cherry, vanilla, peat were all detected. Very complex and very good.