Surly Two

Formerly brewed at Surly Brewing Company
Style: Fruit Beer
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota USA

The Blue Nile may have run outta traditional serving glasses while trying to get everyone in the place a glass of this wonderful brew but the Blue Moon pilsner glass I got will do just fine. Pours a deep brown/black with a slight purple hint when held up to the light. Nice fairly thick foamy brownish head sits atop the beer and sticks to the walls of the glass as you drink it down coating them nicely. Smells of smooth malt with a hint of creaminess. The cranberries come through nicely and have a bit of a bitterness. Allowed to warm a bit, a nice bit of chocolate comes out. Mmmm. Very smooth and malty body with a medium carbonation. Hint of light caramel and chocolate in the distance. The cranberries are great. Sweetness that is shortly followed by a bit of bitterness and a touch of sourness. Alcohol isn’t present in the taste and this one goes down very smooth. Some commented that they could drink only one glass but I’ll be back for plenty more.

mmmmmmmmm. this is good. tap at the nile on the 24th. great deep color with hues of red mixed in. ultra creamy head that laces like a champ. starts very smooth, but very complex as well. slight sweetness up front but fades very quickly to tart, sourness, but not overly so. i was a big fan. some subdued hoppiness towards the back side, but don’t last long once the tartness from the cranberry attacks the palate and hangs on for a while. great beer. excellent sipper. Would be great with fat steak and baked taters!!

Bottle #139. Pour was almost black with the barely noticeable hint of red and a little bit of carbonation. Aroma of mellow bourboned cranberries and rich sweet malts. Flavor of toasted malts, vanilla, very smooth bourbon and tart cranberry all the way through. I’m very sad they won’t be making this again, as it tastes much better aged than it did when I had a chance to try it on tap a year ago.

On tap at Cafe 28 on 2/3/2008. I really did not think they had it as I drove over for Super Bowl Sunday brunch. However, when I got there, it was on the menu and I asked the cute waitress if it was really on. She smiled big and said it was - and that it was good (with an evil eye). Served in a Darkness snifter, it has a dark brown red appearance and a nice and sustaining off white to tan head that laces all the way down. The aroma is more focused on the roasted malt, with some fruity notes. The flavor starts out all stout like chocolate and roasty, but then out of nowhere the cranberries slam in your face. It really suprises you as it reveals the fruit late. Almost like a dark and malty fruit lambic or farmhouse due to the tartness. Awesome smooth palate. Yep, good!

[On-Tap] Pours black with a big tan head. Aroma is cranberry, chocolate, almost a light citrusy orange at times. Taste is cranberry, chocolate and light roasted malt. There is a little bitterness from the cranberry in there too, which is to be expected. Medium mouthfeel, long cranberry chocolate and malt finish. Smooth. Wow, what a beer. Amazingly unique and the flavors blend together so well. I was really, really impressed by this beer. Re-Rate: 9-5-9-4-18=4.5
Re-Rate: After loving this beer the first time and then seeing some of the ratings that followed, I was left wondering if I had just gotten an exceptional keg or what. I have had it again and I liked it nearly as much. The palate was a bit thinner than I remembered it as being, but otherwise it was still an outstanding, unique beer.

(on tap at the Blue Nile) Pours black with a large tan head that never leaves. Nice aroma of cranberry, cocoa, and some nice hops as well. Taste is just amazing with a great balance between the chocolate and light roast flavors, and the tartness from the cranberry. This mixture just dances on the tongue. The finish is also remarkable with a lingering tartness with the cranberry as well as just a slight bitterness from the hops. Full mouthfeel and perfectly carbonated. Wow, this is one great beer.

Courtesy of Immy at Immy’s Backyard Throwdown (a BIG thanks to Immy for sharing this one). Very dark red pour. Aroma of chocolate and cranberries. Flavor is of coffee, dark chocolate, and tart cherries (I know they are cranberries but tart cherry is what comes through). This is an incredible beer. I tried it once at GABF in 2008 but I jumped at a second chance. Many thanks to Immy.

On tap: Black in color with almost no head though there is a bunch of extremely fine bubbles when swirled. Aromas were of semi-sweet chocolate, roasted malt, tart red fruit and vanilla. In the mouth the cranberries really show themselves along with the roasted malt. The palate is very well-balanced with good weight and wondeful acidity, likely due to the abundance of cranberries. A very nice transition beer from the heavy winter beers to the crisp summer ones on the way.