Saint Brewis

A St. Louis Craft Beer Blog

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Surly Brewing Co. (Collaboration) – Blakkr

Brewery: Surly Brewing Co.
Location Minneapolis, MN
Style Imperial Black IPA
 ABV 9.99%
 IBUs 85

 

Best Quote During Tasting

This could help me make bad decisions.

Justin:

Aroma - Slight dark fruit (mostly raisin), some dry, chalky dark malts come through the hops.  The hops are definitely there as a mix of citrus and resin. Some chocolate sneaks in at the end.
Score: 9/12
Appearance - It's quite viscous and black in color.  There's a nice mocha head that sits on top of the beer and never leaves.
Score: 3/3
Flavor - It's slightly vinous with some dark fruit (raisin and plum). There's also a decent alcohol bite which was to be expected with the ABV.  The malts are coming through as roasted and chalky.  The hops are huge and give off nice tropical fruits (pineapple, mango), grapefruit and dank resin which all balance out the dark malts.
Score: 17/20
Mouthfeel - Medium body and low-medium carbonation make this one slightly creamy.
Score: 4/5
Overall Impression - This was good.  This was very good. It wasn't as good as the other beer we reviewed from Surly, Abrasive Ale, but it was definitely a good beer.  The balance was great and the dark malts mellowed out the hops in a good way and provided an amazing balance.  I would recommend this one all day if you have the chance to try it.
Score: 9/10

 

Blake:

 

Aroma - An intriguing mix of roasty, sweet dark malts and floral and piney hops. There is a fair amount of dark fruits as well, mainly raisin and plums. Just a touch of black licorice as well.
Score: 10/12
Appearance - Pitch black with a khaki colored head. Leaves some nice lacing on the glass.
Score: 3/3
Flavor - I get a bit more black licorice in the taste than I did in the aroma, same with the dark fruits. The roast and chocolate notes actually mix very well with the citrus hops. They aren't flavors you expect together in a beer, but they work really well here. It works in candy, why couldn't it work with beer?
Score: 17/20
Mouthfeel - Medium body with medium carbonation. Finishes with a bit of the bitterness from the hops.
Score: 4/5
Overall Impression - I'm kicking myself for not grabbing up more Surly on my recent trip to Chicago. Don't make my mistake. If you see some on the shelf, bring some back to share.
Score: 9/10

 

Blakkr Final Score
  • Aroma
  • Appearance
  • Flavor
  • Mouthfeel
  • Overall
4.25
User Rating: 0.0 (0 votes)
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Justin Phelps

Justin Phelps

Co-Founder at Saint Brewis
Justin Phelps is a Certified Cicerone® who was born and raised in St. Louis. His passion for beer goes beyond just drinking it as he is also an award-winning home brewer. While he may be a marketing professional by day, he's a blogger, brewery hopper, and beer enthusiast by night.

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