Surly Darkness 2009

Darkness
Surly Brewing Company
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota
10.30% ABV
Style: Russian Imperial Stout

C: Way to dark to tell
H: BLACK BLACK BLACK
N: Hints of Chocolate, Coffee, Dark Fruit (Prunes/Figs/Raisin)

The Ferm: Shared this bottle at the #FlaBrew Meetup with some good friends. This was a bottle that I have heard good and bad things about. Given the beer is about a year old, I did not know what to think.
Darkness day is similar to Dark Lord Day just on a lower scale. That made this bottle one that had a lot of hype behind it. Luckily, it was able to stand up to the hype, toss it in a grave, and then dance a nice little jig on top of the burial site.
The beer is filled with sugar and sweetness. Lots of brown sugar, chocolate, followed with a very subtle hop presence and a touch of coffee. Overall almost exactly what I expected and then some.
Drank a bottle of 2010 at the same time and it was a bit hot and more hoppy. A year of sitting did this beer great!

Score: 4.7896

Bitter Brewer

Bitter Brewer
Surly Brewing Company
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota
4.00% ABV
Style: English Bitter

C: Clear
H: Gold
N: Hoppy...Strong Pale Ale Quality, Light Malt with Hints of Hop Bitterness

Miguel: This is the first time I've ever reviewed something from Surly. The yellowish/orange can makes it look like an energy drink but it probably isn't as bad as most of those. It is ultra clear but the small white head is gone before I could type a sentance of this length. I just get a ton of hop notes in the nose. They are citrusy, grassy, piney. The taste is more of the same. It's just a bitter attack at your taste buds. Tons and tons of hops. BA classifies this as an English Bitter but this is much more bitter than what I get from more traditional versions of the style. I thought it was a very hoppy pale ale. This was a little too bitter for me. I would have like a tad more balance. Oh well.
Score: 2.9248

The Ferm: Craft Beer in a can! I am a true sucker for this. While there is nothing special about this beer flavor profile wise, I could see myself using this as a go to beer for outdoor events. At only 4%, this English Bitter is refreshing and a lot more flavor than our typical tall-boy can! Great beer to share with someone else or drink by yourself at the beach, a tailgate, or while walking the dog (if you really need to drink while walking the dog.....just saying!). Good beer, but nothing overly special.
Score: 2.817

Overall: 2.8709