Surly Furious

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

Thanks to oakbluff for this one. Paired with Garlic Chicken. Poured from a 16oz. can. Aroma: Hops & malty aspect come to mind right away. Appearance: Copper color with a thick head (3 fingers) & lots of carbonation. Flavor: Wow, bitterness of hops hits you & also taste of pine & spices float around in there. What i like is that even though there is a powerful hop presence, it’s very well balanced with the different flavors in it. Palate: Heavy on the palate but as it warms, the pine & citrus are more dominant. Very pleasant bitterness that lasts well after the sip. Overall: I love hoppy beers & usually have no problem with them, but as i was finishing it, the bitterness was almost too much for me. A very good, well constructed beer with a powerful hop wallop. Flavors abound from all over & are very pleasant. I would like to revisit though as maybe i was tired or something because the hoppiness really got to me near the end. A must for hopheads!

Can: Courtesy of pepsican...thanks Andy. Pour is a translucent copper with small tan head with decent retention and lacing noted. Aroma hits immediately with massive doses of pine, citrus and floral hops...their is enough of a malt backbone to keep this from being too one-dimensional. Medium bodied mouth feel, slightly creamy. Very nice indeed, flavors are massive Simcoe hops and pale malts along with a bit of citrus. I must say I’m impressed with my first Surly brew.

16oz Can Recieved this long sought after brew from my Secret Santa Tayner, you’re the best. Furious pours amber with a mild case of chill haze. Tiny streams of carbonation bubbles stream to the surface. A one finger light beige head appeared on the pour and although losing about half it’s height becomes ultra creamy and leaves thick drink lines. Furious smells like what an IPA should smell like. Caramel maltiness is there but way in the background where it should be. The middle brings sweetened grapefruit for a flash before some bitter grapefruit and big pine break through and overtake everything else. There’s also a slight aspirin bitterness. This is a high quality IPA. Again the caramel is there but is knocked back so quickly that you have to pay attention to catch it. That sweetened grapefruit comes along mid-palate just before the bitter pine and grapefruit pith destroy your palate. I love me a good ol’ fashioned hop whompin’ and Furious delivers. Medium bodied with a lively carbonation that not tingles every tastebud but awakens them for the stomping they’re about to take. Leaves a solid lingiering bitterness after each sip. The drinkability is so good I’m already getting teary eyed that my one and only can is just about gone. I could sip this all night long. I just want another mouthful after mouthful of pine. Furious is one of my new favorite IPAs and without question lives up to the praise it recieves. Guess I’ll be making a trip up to Minnesota in the very near future. I just need to get my hands on the other Surly offerings. 12/15/07

Pours a bright hazy amber color with a big, thick two-finger head that hangs around for quite a while. Lacing is excellent. Smell is dominated by big floral and citrus hops dominated by grapefruit and lemon zest. Balanced out with a nice underlying malty sweetness. As in the smell, huge citrus hops up front balanced out by a bready malt flavor. Sweet caramel taste gives way to a piney hop bitterness in the aftertaste. Creamy mouthfeel coats the mouth in hoppy goodness but still stings the tongue with bitterness. Medium body with solid carbonation. This is one of the better IPAs I’ve tasted and would make this a staple in my fridge if I had access to it. Big and hoppy but with a nice malty balance, this one is quite nice.

Have sampled many places from Minn. to Il. and now have gotten around to finally rating what, I believe, was first commercially described as a strong pale ale. On tap at Lunar Brewing Co. A deep amber/orange color, with a medium, off white, reducing head,& clingy lace. Aroma is tangerine, pineapple,& tads of other citrus. Resin, more citrus, malty sweetness, & a strong but pleasant hop dryness continue in the flavor to the end and beyond. One of my hop favorites since it’s inception. Has stayed very consistent since my first sampling in Minnesota.

16oz. can served in a pint glass. A bit of a gusher when I opened it. Poured a hazy dark gold. There appeared to be yeast, can conditioned? Huge citrusy hop aroma. Initial hit of hop bitterness. Plenty of caramel malt flavors to back it up. Some orange, citrus in the middle. This is a really nice IPA, plenty of hops for the hop heads, but a nice malt backbone to support it. Thanks to Dansting for this one.

20 oz. Imperial Pint draft at the Galway Tribes (Frankfort, IL). Poured a wonderous dark amber with a translucent body, nice tan head, and a very inviting appearance. Aromas were like a bouquet, very floral with some nice citrus notes and a touch of sweet malts. Initial taste was heaven. Very assertive floral hops that broke way to some citrus notes. A nice complimentary malt body that balances extremely well with intense hop character. Beautiful!

9/28/09 notes: poured at GABF, sampled both Thursday and Saturday. Because it is delicious. Pours amber with a surprising amount of brown coloration. Head is cream white. Aroma has a strawberry-piney aroma, with a dash of citrus. Palate is a success of creamy-crisp contrast, which works well with the flavors. I got a tart-bitter blend of strawberries and pine, always flirting but never actually perceived as sweet. Finish has refreshing bitterness. I great IPA, balanced, bitter, and interesting.