Surly Furious

Brewed by Surly Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota USA

Guest tap pint at Flossmoor Station. Hazy brown with light at the edges. Spongy head already gives the impression of a hearty beer. Big, but not quite overwhelming hop smell, circled by wreaths of malt. Tasting, of course, starts with big citrus hops that tear at my uvula like an orange peel studded with pips. As the glass warms, it gains a little earthiness and even some Italian spice. An almost syrupy malt texture with caramel on top, but those darned hops stay front and center all the way down.

16 oz can, thanks again General Gao. Hazy copper with a lasting quarter inch of foam. Aroma is delicious blend of earthy caramel, tea leaf and orange-chocolate. Front flavor is similar with a finish of dirty grapefruit, nut shells and resiny oak. Nice frosting of lace is left behind. The medium-heavy body is smoothly carbonated, hop-tingly and dry. Definitely one of my top two IPAs.

Courtesy hopscotch. Pours a dark caramel color with a light white head. Smells of big hoppy grapefruit and some nice malty characters, form the background. Taste is just monster hops, attacking me from all angles. Big grapefruit action, not much else to pull out of this beer, seems almost like a double IPA to me. I need to try more of this breweries beers.

One fantastic IPA...probably one of the most sessionable of the big IPA’s I’ve had in months. Great coppery crimson pour, with a moderately fluffy head that dissapates quickly. The nose is huge grapefruit and touches of pine resins. The big rich malt bottom oozes quality and balances the big bright hop bite very effectively. I wanted to order another one as soon as I finished my third sip...I wanted to avoid the two minute wait between pours...Finishes on a lingering hop slap that is equal parts bitter and dry. NICE!

A darker colored IPA, more of a dark brownnish/burgundy color with a full, wispy head. Extremely fragrant hop nose, it’s extremely piney and sappy, also a bit medicinal and foresty. Hints of lemon and lime as well come from the sensational aroma. Sweeter and maltier than most IPA’s, but with a lovely, fresh hop flavor. Awfully complex and well brewed. This is deserving of its high score.

A crisp fresh salt of pungent hop kicks my nostrils into gear. Wowzer. Cascade citrus orange peels meld with bright lemony hop resins and a nip of pine. A wonderful quaf of floral and citrus, with rising heat and a nip of malt caramels in the nose. Pours a crystal clear ruddy amber, with sunset fire fringe. Foamed with creamy tan sticky lacing, sheeting the glass and floating high. On the tongue a deft hand of hops, with articulate loblolly pine resins, burning red pine sap and a whole bouquet of floral orgasm. The hop flavors are right there, as if off the vine. So fresh and ripe. Scarcely does an IPA seem to hold onto the crisp resins and hop sugars as this beer does. Maintaining a biting alcohol-fueled hop frenzy in the middle, this is a bitter beer, but only in a good west coast cacophony. Lucious, wet and sappy. This is a damn fine IPA. The malt backbone kicks in with light caramels, sweet maple syrup and drying raisin bread. A top IPA for sure. I do think that the canning has helped preserve this beer’s better qualities and many have said that it doesn’t differ from the tap version all that much.

16 oz. can from slob, thanks for this goodie! Pours hazy dark reddish copper, with a huge, fluffy beige head that leaves thick lace. Aroma features caramel, toast, floral and citrus, spice and ripe fruit. Rich malt backbone with toffee, citrus peel and pine needles, nice balance to the flavors, sweet orange juice in the finish. Smooth, medium to full body and easy carbonation. Wow, this is a great beer - especially from a can!

Wonderfully dark, and excellent breadiness and caramel sweetness mixes perfectly with the super pine and citrus. Excellent body. A melded IPA, very drinkable despite the high IBU. Sesionable even. Thx iahereye.