Axe Man
Surly Brewing Co.

Wow, I had no idea this was in the top 250 beers of all time... really? And, let's see here... the top American IPA on BA?! Huh. Well then. I picked up a can of this, my first ever Surly offering (though I had the Amagher/Surly collaborative version of this at Lord Hobo for Zwanze Day like five years ago or so, if I recall correctly), at my local Craft Beer Cellar just yesterday afternoon, which I found weird. Maybe that means we'll get more Surly soon. I've kinda always wanted to have a glass of Furious, so I hope that happens.

Anyway, this is a Citra/Mosaic DDH IPA that borders on (but doesn't quite become) a double IPA, and it has a lot to live up to based on those reviews down below mine. Pours a deep golden color, almost like a medium-amber honestly. Remember IPAs looking like this? Yeah, I know, I barely do either. The head is decently foamy, measuring about two-fingers of slightly-off-white suds that lace pretty nicely. Good legs and structure to the head here, for sure, and I can see a lot of carbonation rising from the bottom of my glass, which is always a good sign. I think this is a tad darker in color than the current trends, but the recipe is very 2014, so kudos to them for sticking to their guns.

Even though this was only canned 5 weeks ago (just hit my distribution area, so it's not like I've been sitting on this review or whatever), it smells kind of... old? Sure, there are the requisite tangerine, papaya, pine resin, and grassy notes that every decent Citra/Mosaic IPA should boast, but it just doesn't have a lot of vivacity to it. Some light tannins and crisp biscuity malt come out too... almost has an English IPA bent to it for whatever reason?

The flavor profile is, once again, a bit malty and stiff, though with some good grassiness and citrus pith. However, it just feels kinda stale and been-there-done-that. There's no excitement to be had here! This was great when I had it on that Zwanze Day when it was a new beer, as I recall, but this doesn't do much for me nowadays. Feel is pretty good; medium-bodied and well-carbonated with a nice biting bitterness toward the finish and a smooth, massaging mid-palate. Anyway, I don't know if it's the recipe that's changed, or if this really falls off after only a few weeks, or what, but... yeah, I'm not loving it. Definitely not the top "American IPA," and it would honestly be nowhere near my top 100 if I bothered to assemble such an exhaustive list.

 

 

Dark opaque gold pour, patchy off white head. Nose is pine, citrus, and roasted malt.

Taste brings spicy orange marmalade, resiny pine needles, dollop of caramel, floral. Full mouthfeel. Finish is hop spicinessiness balanced with velvety malt.

Big header, hazy yellow-orange body.
Nose is hop aroma, a leathery note, and melon fruit/ cantaloupe.
Taste is mostly a delicious blend of dank citrus and malt, just a solid IPA. Not too complex, just tasty. Earthy pineapple, grapefruit, pine. corn-sweet malt, nothing close to overly sweet and it finishes nice and not too dry either.
Feels smooth and medium-thick. Light heat and nice carbonation.
Terrific IPA, great bitterness factor, glad to see it in TX.

Never seen such active carbonation - the beer was itching to get out of the can & bubbled like champagne. Classic Citra & Mosaic notes on the nose, with hints of orange, grapefruit, malt, and some pine. Tastes of grapefruit, orange, pineapple, guava, cracker, and grass. Very solid but somewhat on the dry side as far as mouthfeel goes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 oz. can poured into nonic pint glass
(7/19/25 best by date)

L: gold topped by 1/2-inch head of white foam; no major sticking or lacing; keeps a thin but constant collar of big-bubbled white foam; beer is about 80% clear, hazy but not overly so; SRM 3-4

S: grapefruit, sweet grapefruit juice, lemons, lime, lemongrass, cilantro; it has a candied sweetness to it that's not too sweet, and it mixes in a nice green onion almost umami or savory aroma that balances the sweetness

T: classic grapefruit bomb with some mango, papaya and perhaps even a hint of pineapple in there; definitely cantaloupe; it's got a nice lingering bitterness, grapefruit peel mostly; the malt is not adding much sweetness, but you can tell it's there, almost biscuity and bready amid all the hop notes

F: full fluffy quaff but not overly hefty or thick for so big a beer ... I like the lighter weight, though I wouldn't call this a lightweight, probably a dead middle midweight

O: pretty much exactly what I look for in a good West Coast style IPA, or at least what I think of as the old school WC style loaded with grapefruit and plenty bitter but still very drinkable; this is very similar to Lone Pint's Yellow Rose, perhaps a bit less malty version

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice foggy orange color, big foamy white head leaves just a little lacing. Nose says melon, pine and fruit and plenty of hoppiness. Taste is oranges, peach, nectarines, some dank hops, sweet malt. Medium bodied, well carbonated. Terrific IPA.