Surly - Smoke

"How do you know when a beer is really, really important?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm.  "I don't know," she replied matter-of-factly.  "They barrel age it and put some fancy wax on the top?"

Exactly.

This is precisely the reason that I'm pretty pumped to be drinking today's beer.  Well, that and the fact that it's brewed by Surly.  Not only does Surly make amazing craft beer, but it is also a rather blue moon (er... brew moon?) when I actually get to drink it as it is still only distributed in Minnesota.  No more puns.  Let's pour!

Aroma 12/12

There is no confusing a good rauchbier!  My nose gets a frying pan full of salty bacon, smokey clothes after a campfire, and a medium-deep roasted malt.  Oddly, there is a lack of the complementary charred malt aromas that one might expect a brewer to utilize.  One may even detect a distant plum or two as well as some alcohol warmth.  The only other analogy I can think to make is the greasy, browned skin from a chicken after being roasted over wood or grilled with wood chips.  After warming a bit, the smokey and salty combine to give a hint of what smells like soy sauce.  This seems like a short paragraph to dedicate to such an important feature as aroma, but it does what it does very well.

Appearance 3/3

This beer poured much thicker than I expected and much darker than a traditional rauchbier.  Perhaps I should have suspected something a bit "meaner" after I had to fight my way through that cantankerous wax cap.  The head was a shade of brown normally reserved for dark, top of the line stouts!  It hissed as it made its descent, usually a sign of a quick-dying head, but still offered a slightly less that average retention and no lacing.  Check out how dark this bad boy is!

Flavor 18/20

Something that any craft beer drinker should appreciate is present immediately in this beer.  Sure there are some dark, strong flavors at play here, but the base beer itself is still of a very high quality!  Lots of lager elements make themselves known despite the powerful smokey atmosphere.  The first flavor sensations are that of the roasted malt and the (again) distant sweetness of a dark fruit.  The sweetness of the figs, raisins, and almost chocolatey malts are allowed to play around for a bit in the smoke, but before long they give way to a more stern and straightforward beer.  Smoke is always the overarching theme, but after the sweetness things become more bitter and less complex.  All that remains is a dark, dark chocolate malt that gives almost zero sweetness to the roasted, blackened malt.  The elements of the porter have surrendered to those of the rauchbier.  The finish is again smokey while showing off a surprisingly great drizzle of chocolate and some charred malts that had previously remained hidden.  The aftertaste is largely a dry, bitter reminder of that char on the back center of the tongue.

Mouthfeel 5/5

I like everything about this mouthfeel.  It's light enough to drink, yet big enough to carry all these robust flavors.  Especially for a lager!  Typically lagers don't get a lot of respect, but this beer is definitely a counter-argument to all the lager haters out there!  The body is medium-full, but leans more toward full and exhibits a perfect level of carbonation.  The bubbles keep this otherwise creamy beer in check and lively on the tongue.  even though it had all the dark fruit sugars to potentially make it a chore.  Also, I'm not sure I can say enough about the warmth in this beer.  I have never had a beer utilize its alcohol content like this one.  It spreads its way across the inside of the mouth, but never in a way where one would assume it is alcohol.  It nearly teams up with the creaminess to coat the inside of the mouth with very subtle sensation that makes a very large contribution toward feeling like a much bigger beer.

Wax put my Beer Stick to work, SON!  I had to carve through this!

Overall Impression 9/10

So much about this beer is good and so little of it requires constructive criticism.  It has all the hallmarks of a excellent porter such as dark fruit, big body, and color, but also is still an excellent rauchbier!  The smoke never overpowers the other ingredients, but instead either works with them or takes its turn.  That statement may seem a little far fetched if you've just opened the bottle and the smoke seems a bit dominant, but as your palate acclimates, you will notice all sorts of balance happening in beautiful ways.  It also refuses to take for granted the "lesser"characteristics of carbonation and warmth and turns them into critical allies.

Total 47/50

Let me first say that I have been holding onto this beer for a long time.  When fresh, it may very well be umpteen times boozier and taste like it has a dozen more bushels of fruit added.  As it stands, however, it is a smokey, dark beer with glimmers of dark fruit and a stealth-grade warmth.  I never would have guessed anything close to the bottle's claim of 8.2% ABV.  Ever.  It's just one of the surprises that this beer packs beneath its iron-like wax cap.  "What are the others," you ask?  Well, it reads "lager" on the outside of the bottle, so one expects something lighter, less powerful, and more refreshing.  This hits more like a porter on every level.  I love it when beers exceed my expectations, don't you?  Porter lager... whatever.  It's a beer that deserves to picked up if you see it and is one of the best of this style that I've sampled.

Surly - Wet

Well, this is one of those beers that I never thought I was going to be able to try. It sells quick, it doesn’t distribute outside the brewer's home state, and while I have plenty of family in Minnesota, I don’t have a go to trading partner up there. So when my wife brought back some Boston-based Wachusett beer for some friends that used to live there, imagine my surprise when they responded in kind with this little gem! Thanks Jim & Anne!  In fact, I only received this beer last night, but so much of its reputation is based on freshness that I wanted to drink it and review it as soon as possible.

For those not familiar with Surly’s Wet, it boasts on its can that the hops are picked on Day1, shipped on Day 2, and used on Day 4 so that the hops never have a chance to dry out.  Different hop varieties are used so the brew may vary a bit, but rest assured that will this much attention being paid to freshness (or "Ultra-Fresh" as the can states) you are all but guaranteed a big resiny treat.  The beer that I am reviewing today was canned on 10/1/2012.

Please excuse both my recent posting infrequency as I have just moved into my first house. There are features of said house that will definitely warrant their own post in the coming months. This also means that I haven’t yet set up a great spot to take pictures of these amazing beers, so bear with me.  Let's pour!

Aroma 12/12
Things begin with some very pleasant pine and orange rind notes. Rising up just behind those are mangos, pineapples, and some resin lingering in the background. However, once the beer begins to warm the resin takes on more of a primary role with the rind and gives a very “bitter orange” vibe to the overall character. Along with this resin comes some pretty strong grassy notes and since I happen to love that particular hop trait, it is most welcome. For those of you keeping track, yes I’ve only talked about the hop aromas thus far. The malts are in there, but are very far back and only open up once the beer has warmed. I’m thankful they show up as it gives the beer a more substantial, intense aroma and their sweetness helps to emphasize the sweet hop aromas like the pineapple. 

Appearance 3/3
This beer pours lighter than I expected, but still looks like a million damn dollars. It shines like a orange sapphire (yes, there are orange sapphires, smarty pants) and enjoys much of the same brilliance and clarity. Its robust eggshell colored head is maintained by a constantly ascending carbonation. The head forms slowly but builds tall and fluffy, before settling a bit and taking on more of a whipped cream texture. If any photographers out there are looking to create stock images of beer and what it should look like, this is it. Wow! Also worth mentioning, I’ve written the review up until this point with beer in my glass and the head is still present! I’ve never seen retention like this. Top marks and extra sparkle magic unicorn rainbow brownie bonus points to Surly for this! 

Flavor 19/20
First impressions are everything and this beer’s impression is bitter. I’m anxious to see what happens once my taste buds acclimate a bit more to the bitterness. Interestingly enough, the bitter in the first sips can be sensed in accented waves, each punctuating its own beginning. My initial notes read as, “woody, resin, long lasting bitter” and I’m pretty sure a part of my tongue went numb. Thankfully it recovered, finally acclimated, and then other flavors begin to emerge. Most notably are a muted pineapple and a sweet malt that I am having trouble placing. It’s sweet and lighter and almost sugary, which makes me think honey but the flavor isn’t correct for honey. This malt flavor is more fruitlike and definitely not the typical caramel malts used in making heavy duty West Coast IPAs. A quick wine taster’s slurp gives me little additional information, only a splash pineapple, a hint of the warmth, some nice pepper spice, and shot of pure resin. The finish is (obviously) not as intensely bitter as when I started this glass, but it still unapologetically offers its own take. Immediately after swallowing is a mellow sweetness, detectable only after one’s tongue has been adequately prepared for the resin, and then an intense aspirin-like bitter that fades in to tie up any loose ends. In hindsight, the sweet malts that confused me earlier are probably caramel malts that taste sweeter with melding with pineapple from the hops. It’s a great combination!

Mouthfeel 5/5
A big bodied beer to hold some big flavors. It rolls around in the mouth like mercury, but the hops’ spicy pepper note give a prickly sensation on the tongue and keeps it from becoming sluggish. The carbonation that was so present in the glass and contributing to the head is still ascending in subsequent pours, but this diminishes its presence in the mouth. The result is a beer that feels exceptionally smooth and silky thanks to an unobtrusive carbonation that dies quickly once inside the mouth. The warmth that became present during a slurp really never had much more presence than that. 

Overall Impression 9/10 
This beer is impressive, but definitely has the potential to be more-so if drank closer to its birth date.  I feel that the main consequence is that the fruits in the aroma do not come out as well in the flavor, resulting in a less complex beer than it was created to be. At 2 ½ months of age, this beer still has plenty going for it. It’s head and appearance were fantastic, its aroma was excellent, and it’s tasty as all get out. Right now it stands as a strong West Coast IPA, but at a younger age it could truly stand out from the pack. The only question is how to do that. How can you possibly get this beer with any less hop deterioration than Surly has tried to do?

Total 48/50

The answer to the question in the previous sentence is, “you don’t.” Surly has made more than an earnest effort to get a beer into its customers’ waiting hands that is as fresh as they can possibly make it and can it. Any further action lies in the hands of distributors, retailers, and how quickly craft beer drinkers can snatch it off the shelves. I dig this beer as a whole, with only minor nit-picky issues here and there. If Surly had the same distribution abilities as Oskar Blues, this beer would compete nationally with Deviant Dales. Hop heads should of course seek it out as fresh as possible, but if you’re not accustomed to how relentless hops can be, you may wanna sit this one out. This beer is a stern reminder than Minnesota is not just a state of quiet, polite, church-going folk. It’s also a state filled with potential hockey defensemen ready to administer a hockey stick enema if you stand in their crease too long. So noted, Surly. So noted.

Surly - Furious

Red has long been the color that signifies anger.  We see it when raging, bulls charge at it, and that little button that always threatens global nuclear war seems to fancy it as well.  It only follows that I could only take so much of this red can glaring at me like the eye of Sauron every time I opened the beer fridge.  "Too long has it watched me.  Too long has it haunted my midnight snacks." (I'm pretty sure that's a direct quote from Tolkien)  While I'm ready to finally sample this brew, I may have second thoughts if I have to throw the One Ring Tab into Mount Doom in order to finish it.  OK, enough Lord of the Rings references.  Let's pour!

I'll never get tired of juxtaposing cans next
to big, fancy tasting glasses.

Aroma 11/12

This smells like a big, damn IPA.  Pine and resin are front and center, ready to take on all comers and they brought back up.  Citrus fruits are abundant and one can easily find grapefruit, lemon zest, and pineapple without searching too hard.  Put those fruits together and you've got one acidic combination.  Alongside the citrus are the malts that smell like dark caramel candies that have just begun to crystallize.  They provide the semblance of balance, but this is a true hop-leaning IPA.

Appearance 3/3

It doesn't pour especially thick, but everything else in its appearance says that it is.  The head is stiff and barely moves when first poured, the bubbles slog around the glass slowly when swirled, and there's a pretty nice amount of lacing.  This looks a big beer.  The color is phenomenal!  I can't even call it copper; it truly is a red beer.  Though there are shades of copper in it along with magenta, ruby glints, and bright sunset oranges.  Wow!

Flavor 17/20

After the first two categories, this beer has raised its expectations exponentially and, for the most part, meets them.  First to the tongue are the malts.  They're somewhat brown sugary sweet, show caramel, and have a nice authentic grain flavor to them, but they fall short of the dark, rich, sugary notes detected in the aroma.  Things then lighten a bit and become a distinct, delicate citrus.  This citrus is not what one would expect given the plethora of hop aromas, but it does blend extremely well with the malt's more sugary notes and the resinous bitter that has taken shape.  If this brew sits in the mouth long enough, it turns almost entirely bitter and it's not hard to believe the label's 99 IBUs.  Slurping really lets the spicier notes of the hops come forward.  The finish is another example of the hops present in this beer!  They're a deep, inky bitterness that quickly vanquishes any of the prior flavors and lingers to prevent any hope of a clean finish.

Note: This particular beer was canned on 12/13/11

Mouthfeel 5/5

This is a monstrous, full-bodied IPA.  All the malts make this beer a giant, but without feeling syrupy.  It has the carbonation to thank for that.  The bubbles are so diminutive, but span the border between acting as "normal" carbonation and lending the beer a creamy texture as it foams ever so slightly.  At 6.2% ABV, there is no noticeable warmth, but on a good, deep slurp you may sense some among the spicy hops.

Overall Impression 7/10

A great first impression likely ruined by deteriorated hops.  The aroma is huge, the appearance spectacular, and the mouthfeel is spot on.  The flavor is wondrously malty, but the depth of hop flavors is lacking at this point.  Not to say that they are absent, but they're not what I caught in the aroma: pineapples, grapefruits, pine, resin, and lemon.  I would be very interested in reviewing a fresher sample.  The fact that this beer scores this highly even under the suspicion of hop deterioration speaks very highly of it.  A fresh can could yield even higher marks.

Total 43/50

Dammit, even though I kept this can in ideal conditions I feel that may have spoiled a great drinking experience by trying to hold on to this beer.  This is the second review in a row where this has happened (although the first one may have already been older as it was from a trade), and it really motivates me to get cracking on all my hoppy beers!  Long story short, this is a great beer as is, but I can only imagine it fresh.  If it has all the hop flavors that I think it might, this beer is an out of the park home run.  Looks like I'll be visiting those relatives in Minnesota sooner than I thought.

Surly - Abrasive Ale

Well gang, it's time for another DIPA review before they lose that great hop characteristic!  This is a beer I've heard a lot about and definitely had to pick up a 4 pack of 16 oz cans.  Allow me quote the can (propaCANda?) before continuing.

My beer run.  Not pictured on top of the BEERamid: Surly Furious

"Sure we're abrasive.  We were abrasive long before we were Surly.  If you visit the brewery you can still see remnants of the industrial manufacturing factory Omar's parents ran for 35 years within those same 4 walls.  Bandsaw blades, grinding wheels, and sanding discs came long before ales and lagers.  Bu let's be honest, this is a lot more fun.  Pale in color, this over-hopped, under-brewed Double IPA has almost twice the amount of hops & malt crammed in the can."


Four thoughts.
1.  That's the only time I wish to use the phrase "crammed in the can."
2.  Does anybody know if this beer is exclusively available in MN?  I have heard rumors of such things, but also seen a number of people with access.  Help clear me up on this, won't you?  Please comment.
3.  This beer was canned on 01/09/2012, so I should still be getting a pretty good representation of this beer as it was when it was fresh.
4.  I'm glad Surly mentioned their industrial roots in the propaCANda.  It goes a long way to explaining the angle grinder depicted on this can.

Let's pour!

Aroma 12/12
Starts strong and sweet with distinct honey, pine, and musty straw notes.  This eventually melds into a splendid citrus bouquet, which itself then blends into an orange and caramel candy.  If you let this beer warm a little, you'll soon find that the caramel strengthens with every minute and becomes a rich, sticky caramel note that you'd swear you could suck from between your teeth.  It even holds its own against the plethora of hops!

Appearance 3/3
A perfect head that initially appears wet and solid, eventually takes on a more lumpy, traditional look and then remains as a disc in my tulip glass.  The color is quite nice and the heavy malt presence allows to take on a variety of shades.  Copper, gold, dark honey, bronze, and rust all make up this virtual fireplace of bright red/orange hues.

Flavor 19/20
This beer certainly comes in waves at your tongue and each newly introduced ingredient seems to fight the one before it for your tastebuds' affections.  It's like a tasty game of King of the Hill!  At first, the beer offers a light wash of caramel with a brighter citrus mixed in with it.  Next the caramel becomes dominant, but only as long as it takes me to count to two!  It is interupted by a sudden splash of bitter before taking the reins again and being gradually overcome by a bright hoppy citrus and a lighter bitter.  The citrus is quite a surprise!  It is quite lemony and instantly demands your attention at the tip of the tongue.  When holding in the mouth a "caramelized sugar" version of the malt can appear from time to time.  Quick "wine tasters' slurps" quickly bring forward the warmth, citrus, & caramel.  The finish is initially gentler than the backbone, as it continues with the bright citrus notes, but eventually it too becomes bitter and with a detectable alcohol warmth that more than once elicited an "Oh, HELL yeah." from this reviewer.  The aftertaste is a bitter made somewhat tangy by the abundance of citrus, and very dry.

Mouthfeel 4/5
The biggest problem here is that the carbonation is all but gone toward the end of the pint.  Granted, I could be drinking it a little more quickly, but I'm writing a review and other beers have dealt with this problem so why can't this one (especially at its price of around $16 for the 4 pack).  The malts make it smooth and full-bodied, and it seems like the beer is sliding around the mouth.  It foams up ever so slightly and leaves a prickle of warmth on the tongue after swallowing (a neat sensation).  The warmth is certainly detectable at times, but is never distracting nor unpleasant.

Overall Impression 10/10
This is a DIPA that offers more than just shouting "HOPSHOPSHOPSHOPS!" at the drinker.  It has a great smooth body, a caramel that is balancing for the most part, and a bright citrus in unexpected places.  While I wish the caramel had been as strong in the flavor as it was in the aroma, it is a wish that is more a fancy than a demand.  Thankfully, the intelligent use of hops allowed for sweeter citrus flavors to come out and not make this beer a bitter bombshell.  Granted, the hops only showed one real flavor (lemon zest goodness), but the prowess used when utilizing them truly made the difference.

Total 48/50
With a name like Abrasive, I was very afraid that this renowned beer would turn out to be a one trick pony.  And while I love pony rides as much as the next bearded 30-year old beer blogger, I'd rather have a beer with complexity of flavor or brewed very, very well.  Luckily, in Surly's Abrasive Ale we have both.  Far from subtle, this beer smashes the drinker time and time again with flavor like waves upon rocks.  Also like waves, the flavors come and go in the mouth; first citrus, then bitter, then sweet, then bitter/CITRUS, and then begins to settle down a bit.  The best part of this beer is, and if you read nothing else about this review, then read this: this flavor pattern happened time and time again.  It's truly remarkable!  Most beers have flavors that can be detected at different times or during different swallows.  Abrasive Ale gave the same consistent waves time and time again (which, by the way, makes reviewing MUCH easier).  It really is a neat sensation to pick up on and try to follow along with.

Kudos to the boys at Surly.  I finally found you (after 6+ hours of driving) and I'm glad I did.  I picked up one of every kind of beer that this particular liquor store had, so be on the lookout for more Surly reviews in the future.  Cheers!