Surly Bender

This 5.1% ABV American brown ale is from the Surly Brewing Company of Brooklyn Center (and now Minneapolis), Minnesota. Surly is the "Beer For A Glass, From A Can."

The beer pours very dark brown and ruby, almost black, opaque except around the edges where the light makes a ruby translucence.  The head is small, thin and light brown/tan, but leaves medium lacing down the glass.  The aroma is malty, caramel sweet, lightly nutty, dark roasted malt, a bit of coffee and dark chocolate torte with a touch of raspberry.  The taste is black and bitter coffee, dark chocolate and raspberry.  The taste moves from an initial subtle hit of piney hops to roasted malt, a bit nutty, a bit toffee. The finish is dry and quite bitter for a brown ale. The beer drinks hops, malt, malt, and then hops again linger in the finish, tangy and bitter. The beer drinks smooth and medium bodied. This is a like a liquid bittersweet dark chocolate, mocha, raspberry flourless torte that leaves a lingering but bitter aftertaste.