Surly Smoke

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

Draft on tap at Tribes Alehouse (Mokena, IL). Excited! Pours a pitchblack opaque pour, a bit of darker brown at the bottom where a bit of ruby light gets through, a small brown head sits atop, dense, laces a bit. Aromas are dark roasted malts, a touch of chocolate and coffee, with a decent ashy smoke to it, a touch of bonfire, cocoa, and roasted malts. Initial is a decent smokey kick coupled with roasted malts and coffee, a medium body, shorter of what I expected, fairly smooth on the palate with a more dominant smoke, then roast, coffee comes in behind with a bit of mocha chocolate behind, a bit sweet to help balance the roast and smoke. Pretty good bitterness and roast to finish, a pleasant aftertaste and light smoke and roast sticks to the palate overall. Very nice drinkable brew, quality body that doesn’t make it overdone.

On tap at Stub and Herbs. Poured black with thin brown/tan head, smelled instantly of smoke and nothing else. Tasted much more balanced, with a nice malt start and thick smoky finish. Though not a fan of smoked beer, this one was the best!

Hand bottle courtesy of StFun – thanks a ton J! Pours pitch black with a thin tan head. The nose is campfire, smoked breakfast meats and charred malt. The taste is campfire coffee, ham, burnt malt and dark chocolate. Medium boided. Nice beer – thanks again Josh!

Old draft rating. Pours a brune body with a tan head. Oak, vanilla, chocolate notes, light roast y notes and some light minerals, a hint of smoke and vanilla. Decent ale.

Glass at Darkness Day. Pour is opaque black with some lighter brown head. The smoke here is fiarly light and is ahy, not porkish like some smoke beer tends to be. This isn’t all that smoked at all. A decent Baltic Porter. Chocolaty with a smidge of roast and dry ash smoke. Medium body with a dry finish.

Sampled at GABF. Um, YES. Very excited to try anything from Surly obviously, and finally CaryTheDude can stop bragging about having this one. Dark pour with a smoke colored head. Delicious smokey, chocolate flavor. RIch, delicious beer.

WTF. I already rated this beer, but my rating is no longer here. I don’t knwo what to say about it since my notes are gone. Damnit....well, I had the beer and feel free to send me a message if you’re pissed off about my lack of an actual rating. It’s a placeholder for me...get over it.

on tap. pours black with a white head. The aroma is smokey and chocolate. The taste is huge yet very smooth with a lot of chocolate and vanilla. The beer is very balanced with a great lingering flavor.