Surly Bender
Surly Bender is an American Brown Ale. 5.1% ABV, no canning date. Nothing rare or out of the ordinary about this beer, except that I have been trying to get a hold of one for years and it somehow never happened. (not entirely true, I had a can from a trade and someone drank it out of the fridge when I wasn’t home) I was pleased to see this in Chicago when we visited this summer, and found a way to get a four pack into the suitcase!
The beer pours from the 16oz can with a dark brown, black coffee color. A nice light tan head to start that settles to a decent ring and thin layer after a couple of minutes. This has a pleasant aroma with notes of roasted malt, toasted nuts, and a hint of toffee. The taste certainly carries the aromas of the nose onto the palate. I’m enjoying some serious roasted and chocolate malts, roasted nuts, and maybe more of a brown sugar sweetness as opposed to toffee. I am tasting a bit of an acidic coffee thing toward the finish as well. The mouth-feel is perfect, not too much but miles away form being thin.
This is the kind of Brown Ale even guys like me who aren’t all that into Brown Ale like. So glad I finally got a chance to drink one!
