Surly Darkness

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

’08 Darkness (served on tap): Pours a pitch-black, viscous liquid. Not quite as thick as ’motor oil,’ as some would suggest. The darkness gives way to a brilliant, dark-tan head. Initial, one-finger head gives way to a small ring of bubbles as the beer warms and is consumed. Aroma is of dark fruits, cocoa, baker’s chocolate, a little bit of burnt coffee, dark roasted malts, and actually has relatively hoppy overtones (although not citrusy, west-coast hoppy). Mouthfeel starts off pretty thick and creamy, but finishes with a slight sensation of carbonated goodness. Taste is of dark fruits, sweet malts, roasted coffee and malt, maraschino cherries, bitter chocolate, and even a slight bittering, tannin-like flavor. Bitterness is primarily due to the strong hop presence which shines through in the tangy flavor, as well as the lingering bitterness on the back of the palate after swallowing. Drinkability is relatively good, despite the thick mouthfeel and heavy malt/roasted flavor that dominates this beer. The hops add a kick that help round off and balance this huge RIS. Still a borderline sipper, though.

(Bottle, 2007, a gift from OSLO and Guerde) Pours black with creamy brown head. The aroma is perfect medium roasted/tiny burned with a nice, complex maltiness of creamy chocolate, caramel, dark bread and a whisper of tar and burned coffee beans. This bottle is a year old but there are still some aroma hops with tones of grapefruit, mild pine and resin. The thick maltiness disguises the alcohol very well. Also a bit vinous with hints of blue grapes, black cherries and black currant. Hints of yogurt, anise, black pepper, basil and vanilla. The flavour is fat malty with good blend of dark chocolate/cocoa, espresso coffee, tar, liquorice and dark caramel. Perfect balance between salty, sweet and bitter elements. Long, lingering, clean citric afterbitterness. The flavour hops brings grapefruit, resin and mild pine. The mouthfeel is round, soft and light oily without being sticky. Bit vinous in the flavor as well black currant and black cherries. Burned, roasted, black currant and hoppy finish. Near full-bodied. Wow. I love this.

The best Imp Stout I’ve had to date. Lives up to the hype, the hops make this beer. Perfect pour, dark black with very thick brown head, lacing all way down glass. Aroma is chocolate, vanilla and roasted malts balanced beautifully with hops. Flavor is chocolate, coffee, hops, dark fruits and some sugar. Palate is thick, creamy and smooth. Hmmm this deserves my 2nd 5 out of 5.

Beautifully balanced and drinkable. Just the right amount of hops come through to ease the huge malt taste. Glad I waited in line for this one

I have always liked dark, complex beers. A 30 year love affair. Ten months ago, I discovered, quite by accident, Ratebeer. Since that time I have reacquainted myself with quite a few brews from my past, and have had the pleasure tasting quite a few new that I learned of through Ratebeer. Now, after standing in line with my son and his friend for 2.5 hours Saturday, I have had the opportunity to taste what undoubtedly is the best beer I have ever had the pleasure to experience. It somehow manages to have a monster flavor, rich in malt and dark fruit, chocolate and rich, smooth coffee, and a wonderful, mystical undercurrent of hops, without any one character up staging the other. I am thrilled that I have five more bottles to share with others.

Poured black with a large brown head. Huge aroma of roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, raisins, and vanilla. Taste is of roasted malts, burnt fruit, chocolate, oatmeal, and coffee. The huge malt taste is balanced out by a sharp hop bite. Very thick and sticky mouthfeel. The alcohol is not apparent in the taste. This is a huge beer, but highly drinkable. Definitely worth the hype.

2008 Bottle. Poured an obsidian black with a two finger brown head. Aroma of roasted malt, burned sugar, bitter chocolate and some coffee, with a huge hop profile in the nose. Flavor is very complex. Flavor of sweet malt, dark fruit with a dry hop finish. Well balanced and the alcohol is not dominating. Great beer, but not as good as some others I’ve had. This was kind of like a combination of an IPA and an Imperial Stout.

Bottle from 2008 batch pours dark with a monster tan head that clings leaving lots of lace. The aroma is chocolate, malt, roasted sugar, and pretty decent hops. The flavor is sweet, fruity, chocolaty, lots of dark dried fruit, prunes, with a perfectly balanced hop profile to make it all work together in an amazing way. There is a lot of flavor and complexity, but it never tilts or leans out of balance in any particular direction. It works and works well. The palate is smooth, yet not as rich as with other monster brews that are sometimes too much. This however, is a drinkable palate without becoming too much like a milk shake. The carbonation is there, manifested in micro sized bubbles. The alcohol is not in the flavor. Overall, this lives up to the anticipation. I’ve waited a long time to try this. It is worth the hype.