Surly Hell

Brewed by Surly Brewing Company
Style: Zwickel/Keller/Landbier
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota USA

Can shared by Dan (FooFaa) at the Beer Advocate - Brass Rail tasting. Poured clear gold with a bright white head. The smell was very malty with some cracker and bread notes and a liberal amount of noble hop spiciness. The flavor was slightly sweet cracker and lots of yummy noble hops. It reminded me a lot of Sly Fox Pikeland Pils (which is a good thing). Much hoppier than any other Helles style beer that I have had, not that that is a bad thing.

Can shared by shigadeyo. Poured clear golden color with an average frothy white head that mostly diminished with fair lacing. Moderate dough yeast and pils malt aroma. Medium body with a smooth dry texture and soft carbonation. Medium doughy sweet flavor with a medium bitterswwet finish of moderate duration. Good above average beer.

This one pours a crystal clear, light amber/yellow with a fairly quickly dissipating head. There is a distinct lager yeast/popcorn finish that is tempered by a Surly hops kiss that makes this a favorite of this and similar styles. I’d drink this again, but would be more likely to buy it as a trade offering and an example of something well done rather than a drink that I wanted especially.

Can courtesy of tytoanderso. Pours a clear light orange yellow with a medium sized bone white head. Light citrus, grain, honey, bread. Crisp grain, light citrus. Finishes with a crisp bitterness and bright earthy hop flavors, and a bit more grain. Sort of like a macro, but done well. Very drinkable and enjoyable, especially for a lighter lager which is not really amongst my favorite styles.

Pours a clear golden yellowish orange color with pale golden banana yellow when held to a light source and a one finger frothy soapy white head. Very good retention, only slowly fading into a thin cap and lasting ring that leaves rings of soapy lacing in it’s path. Sweet pilsner malt aroma with nice bready yeast notes, light fruit, toasty biscuit malt and subtle hops. The pilsner malt provide a slight golden apple presence as well as a very nice toasty biscuity nose. Lots of crisp light flavor but not watered down at all. Refreshing slightly creamy medium body with a nice amount of bready yeast and crisp light fruit. I’m picking up a lot of apple, first in the aroma and now in the flavor. There is a lot of sweet pilsner malt that is countered by a slight zest spiciness and an amazing crisp floral hop presence as well as a pleasant toasted biscuit malt character. This is an insanely drinkable, very flavorful session beer that I wish that I had constant access to.

Another Surly brew from buebie. Thanks Brian! Pours an unbelievably clear golden orange with a huge fluffy white head that recedes very slowly to a small cap and leaves small hints of lacing. The aroma is very clean with some light lemony hops and lots of light sweet malts and toasted bread in the background. I’m also getting some grain in the nose, definitely some corn. Kinda has a grassy character overall. The taste has the same clean citrus hop presence up front which gives way to the toasted bread of the underlying malt base. The corn sweetness is more prevalent in the taste and lingers through the finish with a dry bready character as well. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with good carbonation and smooth and slightly spicy in the finish. This is a very solid lager from Surly and extremely drinkable. Not sure it’s my favorite style, but this is a very good example.

Can thanks to Dalezale. Pours yellow with a big foamy head. Aroma is rather biscuity with some spice. Flavor is grain spice and some grass. Very good finish..lightly creamy and smooth. Very good example.

Straw gold with big, foamy white head / Nose of lemon, grain and spice / Light to medium body, some tartness and sweetness, creamy and resinous, with good balance and fine, bitter, finish / Flavors of lemon, apple, hay, and dry hops / Outstanding.