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Brewery: Surly Brewing Company
Date: February 14th, 2014
Style: IPA
ABV: 6.2%
Similar To: Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA
Description:
As I'm sitting down to write this, I can't remember the last time I that I drank a beer from a can. I should probably rephrase that slightly to say that I remember drinking beer from cans on several occasions and even had a pretty damned impressive pyramid of the most God-awful rancid tins of Milwaukee's [expletive] in my dorm room in college, but my point here is that the end of my drinking beer from cans roughly coincides with a vast improvement in the quality of the beer I consumed and probably has something to do with why I'm still ambulatory and not currently spending my afternoons in a dialysis clinic. Pleasantries aside, I'm bringing this up because cans are definitely part of Furious' schtick, their motto being "Beer for a glass, from a can". However they spin it, the beer pictured above, Surly IPA, was well worth drinking regardless from what it was poured, so read on.
First Impression:
Poured a rich, almost glowing red, the above photo doesn't really do it justice. Nice off-white head with very good retention.
Smell:
Lots of hops, citrus, floral notes, pine, and some caramel sweetness. The persistent head retained those pleasant aromas and added a lot to the experience.
Taste:
The bitterness from the hops was nicely balanced with lemon or perhaps grapefruit. Definitely some underlying sweetness there too, though not as pronounced.
On the Palate:
Great carbonation. Strangely enough, this is what I recall the most from my days of can consumption and have strangely missed. Fits quite well with the style and adds to the feeling that this beer is really fresh.
Why You'll like It:
A very good IPA that doesn't simply crush you with it's bitterness. The combination of aromas, flavors, and mouthfeel make this a experience to savor.
...and why You won't:
While not a one-trick pony, Surly is still quite bitter and may not appeal to those who don't enjoy the style.
In Closing...:
Though this certainly doesn't apply to all areas of my life, when it comes to beer, I love having my preconceptions shattered. Having overcome my previous aversion to returning to cans, I'm eager to try some of Furious' other offerings, and based on Surly's promise, would recommend the same to you.
Rating: 4 Stars (out of 5)
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