Surly Darkness

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

Bottle with a HUGE thanks to MrBunn. Pours black with a quickly forming big ass head. Aroma is of pine resin, chocolate and strange fruit.....maybe cherries. Flavor is just amazing. Mostly of the above notes. I cant say I have ever had an Impy stout that tastes remotely like this.Damn tasty.

Bottle. Pours dark brown with a surprise head that rises up huge after the pour is done. Aromas have a sharp pinyness to them with chocolate and black cherries and currants. Flavor is sweet and fruity. Chocolate, cherries and sugar. Yummmm.

On tap at The Great Taste of the Midwest. Unbelievable can only begin to describe this beer heavenliness. A rich dark pour with an aroma of rich chocolate, dark fruits, roasted malt, and toffee was enough to tell me that this was going to be a really good brew. The thick and rich body, accompanied by the best tasting stout I have ever had, made this the best BEER I have ever had. I would go far out of my way to get more of this for it was made so incredibly well. Wow!

My friend Greg Yoder brought a 2008 bottle to a great bottle share at UJ’s on the Manatawny. Pours a dark black with slight red cast to it. Dark tan head with very little lacing. The nose is strong with coffee and roasted scents. First sip is dark chocolate & raisains with coffe and toffee flavors penetrating quicklt. Nice small hop finish. Realy great stuff.

2009 edition, firkin at 501 Club in Minneapolis. Appearance is that of...darkness. No head, sweet aroma with a soy sauce type of smell. Sweet, thick syrupy mouthfeel with little to no carbonation. Lots going on in the flavor with chocolate and coffee coming out the most for me. Nice smooth almost creamy finish. Re-rate - Had it from a keg at Darkness Day 2009 and enjoyed it much more than from the firkin. The little bit of extra carbonation brought out all the flavors so much more for me and tasted like heaven in a glass. Everything they mention mixes so well together but you can taste each flavor individually if you look for it. This beer is worth the hype.

2008 Bottle courtesy of and shared with theisti side by side with a DL. Deep brown/black pour with a nice, 1-inch lasting head. A little sweetness initiallly on the nose, with huge aromas of coffee and molasses and a dry bitterness. Flavor is a wonderful meld of chocolate, black cherry soda and coffee with a tremendous citric hoppiness. Finish is almost crisp, with a touch of licorice candy in there. I loved this beer. All 4 of us tasting the bottle actually preferred it to DL (and only 2 of us have Minnesota roots, so no bias :) ). Thanks again, Tim (assist to theiske).

Black with reddish edges and a nice coffe-brown head. Aroma is extremely sweet and fruity with notes if caramell, chocolate, sweet berries and cocoa. Flavour starts very sweet with some coffe, dried fruit, caramell and chocolate and leads to a dry, hard roasted and quite bitter finish. Somewhat out of balance but it grows on you as you finish the glass. Suprisingly fruity. The body is thick, creamy and smooth without ever being sticky or unpleasant. Nice.

Bottle at Papsø. Pitch black coloured with a medium sized fast disappearing beige head. Roasted aroma of dark chocolate and cocoa powder with notes of smoke and hops. Roasted flavour of dark chocolate, cocoa powder, alcohol and hops. Roasted and hoppy finish.