Brew52 » hops

Oktoberfest + Hops = Surlyfest

Josh — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 01:17:12 +0000

Surlyfest is a great tasting Oktoberfest style beer with a healthy dose of hops. I like many oktoberfest beers but this one is a little bit better because of the extra hops. Funny how that works, seems like you could add a little more hops to just about any beer and it would be better. Good job Surly!

I think he’s a teddy bear…

ryan — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:15:24 +0000

…despite the long hair and the affinity for Satan’s music, I think Surly brewer Todd Haug is a softie and the “bitter” thing is just a front. I have a sinking suspicion that Todd was more bitter in the 80s while playing in the Twin Cities’ metal band, Powermad. But that’s just me. Of course he ain’t exactly emo, either.

On to the beer… Slightly toasty and earthy with some spiciness from the hops – this comes through in both the flavor and aroma. Pretty nice, though not exactly what you’d expect from an English Bitter (and that’s fine… no one is pretending that this is such a beer). Very drinkable. I threw three 4-packs of this beer in my messenger bag when my neighborhood liquor store started carrying it and either the dog started drinking beer or Dawn and I consumed the beer at a furious pace. Yum. Glad to see this in cans this year.

Love the Surly

Tina — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:21:08 +0000

I love Surly. I always have cans of it waiting for me in my refrigerator. Only problem – if I have more than one, I get surly so I can only drink one if I’m out in public. I’ve tested my theory on my boyfriend (I don’t think he appreciated it). Maybe it’s all the hops going to my head?

Sessionable English ale, from Duluth

al — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 09:32:19 +0000

Haven’t had one of these in a while. Let’s crack a crown and jump right in… Cloudy coppery color, slim off -white head…nice…Aromatic bitterness greets the nose…classic English-style hopping. Green apple tinge to it, with a bit of the pine thing from American hops, mixed with caramel malt.Tastin’ it…bitter hop smack on the palate, then the apple and a bit of butterscotch,…bitterness reigns, though isn’t overpowering, just right for an English style pale ale. I’m no expert, I can’t say if it’s Fuggles or East Kent Goldings, I just know it tastes British, and fits right in for the style.Though I favor American style pale ales and IPAs these days, I can drink this down without a problem. Just enough hops and flavor to keep my tastebuds occupied. Haiku #9 (for week 10)…”Lake Superior/ Northern-most of the Great Lakes/ not bad beer, either.”

It tastes best when there’s no beer in my mouth.

Erica — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:42:59 +0000

The part I’m enjoying most is the finish.

Hoppy, but without the lingering aftertaste I expected from it. I think if I drank more than one it’d make an appearance, though. I bet it would be good with pizza.

I drink your pilsner! I drink it up!

al — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 06:25:46 +0000

In a Flat Earth pint glass (too lazy to search the cabinet for a proper pilsner glass), it’s a clear golden color, lovely white head, starts proud and slips down in size. Flowery aroma, and the hops are happening, clean and level headed.Drinking it…smooth, even, mild, and watery. Tidy bitter smack from the Hallertau hops right up, and then they slide back and merge with the water and disappear down the throat without a thought. Hops return with each sip and enjoy a nice visit on the palate each time. Light bodied, easy drinking, and right on for style. Almost perfect. And I’m no huge fan of lagers or pilsners, but this suits just fine. Haiku #7: Czech town of Plzn / birthplace of clear, golden beer / look what you started!

“this is..

flashmcduff — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:37:33 +0000

..the hoppiest beer I’ve tasted to date.”

–Spoken by me after taking the first sip of one at Pizza Luce in St. Paul. I had one more. Enjoy.

EDIT 2-15-08: the hoppiest beer award now goes to Bells 3rd Coast which feels and tastes even more like a cleaning agent.

Please follow dosage instructions.

slickrick — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 01:36:10 +0000

The back of the staggering, Strongbow-esque, Surly Furious can asks this query, “A tempest on the tongue, or a moment of pure hop bliss?” Where doth this scribe come from? After reading this and taking a few swigs of the beer I felt my review was written for me.

That is, at first tongue splash, understatedly I am unequivocally unimpressed. But after imbibing and cocking my head to contemplate, I reconsidered. A subtle yet striking flavor. I definitely couldn’t drink the whole four-pack, which they are sold in, better yet finish off two. Though, it’s too solid and strong a brew to be downed with such frivolity and not recommended.

All in all, it’s a beer that catches its drinkers off-guard, after they’ve already made their own presumptions. It is after a good half-can that like a true tempest with all its furiousness comes out of the green skies and makes you realize just how strong a force of nature it really is.

Hoptastic

peteryan — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 04:23:07 +0000

I have loved this beer from the moment it first hit my lips. Not everyone loves a hoppy brew but if you do you can’t miss this tasty treat from the friendly folks at Surly.

Purchased at Cellar’s in Eagan for $8.99+tax.

Okay, yeah, hops. Seriously. Hops.

Erica — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:24:19 +0000

Only because I’ve homebrewed do I really know what hops smell like (probably because nobody’s ever pointed it out to me while drinking a beer). Hops smell like green. Grassy, earthy (but not like dirt), and a little sweet. Sniffing a can of Surly Furious is exactly like cutting open a package of hops and taking a big whiff. A sweet smell that turns into a sour taste on the tongue, and back to that sweet green on the aromatic finish (and upon burping). I needed a water chaser.

It’s definitely flavorful, just not my kind of flavor, so it gets a higher score than if I thought it was just bad.