Surly Three

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

Draft at Bavarian Lodge, Lisle. I wasn’t feeling well this day, but just the smell of this nectar made me feel better right away. Belgian-type smell of dark, but not bitter malts, and golden honey. Solid black color, with a slowly dwindling, creamy tan head. Taste is just amazing: the honey sweetness of a mead with chewy malt mouthfeel of a schartzbier of Belgian black wit. Yes, some vanilla, a bit of cinnamon, wood and then way in the back is some tart orange. And that lovely honey. Yes, I’m probably over-rating this, but this just exactly was what I needed when I’m feeling poorly. The country needs more braggots! And this site needs to give it its own category!

Tap at ACBF. My first braggot, and honestly I didn’t know what a braggot was when having it, other than it was classified as mead on here. Aroma of decadent pastries with lots of blackberry and black currant filling, also prunes, earth, lots of dark fruit skins. Flavor an onslaught of sweetness, but very sip-able sweetness, addicting honey, nectar and pastry sweetness with lots of ripe fruits. Tantalizingly luscious, very glad I got the chance to try this.

On tap at Sheffield’s. Pours dark reddish-brown with a lingering tan head. Smells great- bourbon, honey, cherries. Caramel malt is more prevalent in the taste.

Draft at Kuma’s Corner. First of all, a black braggot. Just to throw that out there. Pours a great black with a brown head. Nose is honey, interlaced with nuts and chocolate. On taste, distinct honey/mead notes bolstered by a huge malt background. Bitter and floral, honey. Nutmeg and cinnamon comes through as well. Taste is very smooth and clean and couples very nicely with somewhat tangy chocolate note. Melds together flawlessly. Definitely, the malts come through. For as black as it is, minimal roastiness. Very drinkable and clean. Excellent anniversary beverage!

on tap at the Maproom. pours black with khaki head. nose of sweet honey, malty, currants, beerys, vanilla, and oak. flavors of sweet honey, raisins, very mild roast, caramelized malts, port wine, and vanilla. lots going on with this and i think it somehow works very well. i can’t believe it is 10% braggot cuz it drinks like a 7% porter. a really enjoyable combination of honey and carmelized malt that never get too sweet or syrupy.

Hopleaf. I recognize the honey qualifies this as a "mead," but that descriptor is a bit misleading. This is not like the great Polish meads or other European varieties. This is really a quality beer, and one that must warm up from the cold draft temperature to truly appreciate its complexity.The dried fruit and honey notes are much more prominent when warm, whereas cold is dominated by toffee and caramel. Cold, this reminded me of an exceptionally made Altbier, warm, the notes of honey and some hops appear. The complexity and flavor profile is reminiscent of the Livery’s Trippelbock (non BA version). In terms of specific flavors, buckwheat honey, dried fig, demera sugar, candied orange peel, nutmeg, and toast. Very well done.

draft at maproom. this was pretty crazy because i didn’t get a description at first. so i thought it smelled like fruit, chocolate, sweet, and alcohol, and i kinda wondered if it was a blend of 3 beers perhaps (in fact, i later saw that the maproom describes it as an american strong ale). but theni saw on my phone that it’s listed as a mead here, and that made it make a lot more sense. uber honeyed, uber sweet, a little bit of nuts and bourbon, perhaps. still fruity. really delicious.

On tap at the Bavarian Lodge. Dark brown pour. Aroma of honey, and some dark chocolate, caramel, toffee. Flavor had an interesting balance of sweet mead and chocolatey dark malt. I also get some cherries, caramel, a bit of spice. The mead imparts a really soft, active carbonation. Finish has some wood and some alcohol.