Surly Mild

Brewed by Surly Brewing Company
Style: Mild Ale
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota USA

On draught at the Happy Gnome in St Paul, Minnesota. Pours a clear reddish amber brew with a creamy off-white head that has excellent retention and thick/spotty lacing. Aroma of fruity caramel malt, a touch of tart pears, toffee and some citrus hops. Taste is smooth, medium bodied, very light carbonation with a fruity/caramel malty flavor. Finish is just as creamy and smooth as its taste along with a semi-dry finish, a light mild bitterness that quickly clean cuts to a crisp aftertaste. Another excellent brew by the Surly guys.

On tap at the Happy Gnome during the 1/16/08 release. Dark ruby color with a thin head. Slight bready aroma. Nutty taste with a bit of a chalky feel to it. Very bready. It tastes like a dark grain bread, like rye. Really quite delicious as a session and every day beer.

I thought it was like a bitter, and a good one. Light red in color and very low carbonation. The aroma is simple malt. The flavor has abundant malt as well, and has a lightly roasted flavor to it. Good palate and fairly full bodied for a beer that is in no way complex. Very drinkable, like a mild or bitter should be.

I was told by the bartender that this is 4.1% abv--not *exactly* mild as I know it (I tend to like it around 3.5, maybe 3.8%)--indeed, if it is 4.1%, it begs the question of how I distinguished this beer from an English bitter. There are a lot of similarities: there’s a strong nut note driving this, but the overall profile is marked by the mildly sweet maltiness producing fruity qualities, esp. raspberry. The underlying profile, when I could dig it out (served too cold), suggested La Folie. Yes, that’s right, La Folie. Only, not really because you’re dealing here with a very subdued beer that is marked more by its notable carbonation than its elegance of composition. Deep red/maroon/amber in color. Basically this seemed more like a bitter on carbonation than the milds I loved most in England. But then, mild isn’t a distinct category. Only, the best milds I had were essentially lunchtime stouts, rich brown/black with complex chocolates and roastiness. This brew is forgettable, aided only by the good reputation of this fine brewery. (on tap, The Happy Gnome)

Semi-clear, reddish brown, with a nice, tight, light tan head. Mostly malty aroma, caramel & chocolate, toasty, solid. smooth, creamy. Nothing jumps out, but it isn’t supposed to. Taste: It’s all about the smooth, and it’s all about the malt. Hops are here, and higher than other milds, (25 IBUS, if I remember right), and you can just taste them on the tongue, but they’re playing it cool, too. Crisp malt flavor, judiciously applied, lies right underneath every gulp & swallow. Body is medium light, not anywhere near watery, but surprisingly thin for a Surly brew. Well, this, I guess, is their notice to us, saying, "Watch out, don’t categorize us, we can be boring, too!" I can’t help but like Mild, it’s easy to drink and easy to enjoy, and the malt profile is tasty. There’s just enough flavor to make you happy. And yet, it wasn’t designed with my palate in mind, for I keep wanted a bit more...I keep missing the Belgian malts of Bender, or the hop attack of Furious. I got that from my customers, too. Many had a sample and went back to Bender...or Furious. Nice low, languid finish, malts hang tight on the tongue and the deliciousness sticks around. I take back what I said. This is not a boring beer, just a bit more mellow in flavor than their usual entries. That’s one thing I don’t think Surly is capable of: brewing a boring beer. I don’t think, like any true artist, Todd has it in him to do so. Mild does serve a nice niche, though, and I hope to see it again in the future, ...but not at the expense of Furious or bender!

Tap at the nile. Solid biscuity malt aroma with chocolate hints. A faint hop in there as well. Toasted malts with a definite chocolate character and some hops for balance. Dark brown color.

Dark amber pour with slight head. The nose is sweet malted barley. The flavors are sweet malted barley, bread dough and biscuits. Very refreshing and drinkable. Nicely brewed.

Surly Mild release at the Happy Gnome 1/16/08. Malty aroma; a little syrupy. Sweet & sugary. Murky, reddish brown with a thin, tan head. Nice lace. Very little hop. A little vacuous. Malty and dry. Sweetness in nose doesn’t translate. Has a nice yeast in the finish. A pleasant, easy drinking session brew that I’d order again. The yeast finish makes it.