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Ten Ale
Surly Brewing Company
- From:
- Surly Brewing Company
- Minnesota, United States
- Style:
- Old Ale
- ABV:
- 10.5%
- Score:
- 91
- Avg:
- 4.08 | pDev: 8.82%
- Reviews:
- 41
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jan 13, 2024
- Added:
- Jun 14, 2016
- Wants:
- 4
- Gots:
- 38
Brewed with pale ale, crystal malts, invert sugar and aged on toasted sassafras.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by largadeer:
Rated by largadeer from California
4/5 rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Jul 24, 2016
4/5 rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Jul 24, 2016
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by NelsonSauvin144
4.02/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured into a snifter glass - look is pleasant. Has the appearance of caramel sugar ready to be poured onto a baking sheet. Deep molasses type color.
Good looking beer!
Smell - Toffee, vanilla, caramel, honey and spice. Quite nice overall!
More on appearance - Poured deep molasses color with finger and a half of off white head that dissipated before too long. Nice lacing.
Taste - Taste follows the nose... deep toffee and vanilla... not unlike a nice Belgian Quad or Barleywine but Ten is classified as an “Old Ale” very nice flavors. Dark boiled canned fruits.. getting like a Fig Newton thing going on as for some reason I taste a slight graham cracker-y note on the back end. Molasses... maybe a hint of maple? Great taste. Smooth for the abv.
Feel - Pleasant overall. I’d say it’s not too thin and by no means does it feel thick at least to me. Hits the taste buds and leaves you wanting another sip or several! Warms nicely and warming as you drink it brightens the flavor profile I think. Not astringent. Consistency is spot on with the style to my knowledge. I’d very much like to try the BA version.
Summary - Great beer overall! Glad I picked this up!
Apr 12, 2020Good looking beer!
Smell - Toffee, vanilla, caramel, honey and spice. Quite nice overall!
More on appearance - Poured deep molasses color with finger and a half of off white head that dissipated before too long. Nice lacing.
Taste - Taste follows the nose... deep toffee and vanilla... not unlike a nice Belgian Quad or Barleywine but Ten is classified as an “Old Ale” very nice flavors. Dark boiled canned fruits.. getting like a Fig Newton thing going on as for some reason I taste a slight graham cracker-y note on the back end. Molasses... maybe a hint of maple? Great taste. Smooth for the abv.
Feel - Pleasant overall. I’d say it’s not too thin and by no means does it feel thick at least to me. Hits the taste buds and leaves you wanting another sip or several! Warms nicely and warming as you drink it brightens the flavor profile I think. Not astringent. Consistency is spot on with the style to my knowledge. I’d very much like to try the BA version.
Summary - Great beer overall! Glad I picked this up!
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado
3.5/5 rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On-draught @ Sheffield's Chicago.
Sherry, rich caramel, leather, toffee, oak, vanillin. The sumptuous barrel notes eclipse the base beer, which just hits on malt sweetness and molasses.
Rum isn't explicit but it's present.
It's a worthwhile old ale but isn't as evocative or expressive as would be ideal.
High B- (3.50) / WORTHY
Nov 29, 2019Sherry, rich caramel, leather, toffee, oak, vanillin. The sumptuous barrel notes eclipse the base beer, which just hits on malt sweetness and molasses.
Rum isn't explicit but it's present.
It's a worthwhile old ale but isn't as evocative or expressive as would be ideal.
High B- (3.50) / WORTHY
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina
4.21/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Pours the color of sassafras tea with a thin cap that fades to a ringlet and archipelago; dots and dashes of lacing
Smell: Caramel and sassafras tea, with molasses, apple and cinnamon tones
Taste: Apple, molasses and caramel forward with the cinnamon and sassafras developing; a bit of an earthy hop bite, in the middle, but the finish is sweet like an apple spice bread
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation
Overall: I enjoy an Old Ale every now and then and Surly did a nice job with this; drinking well, three years in
Aug 18, 2019Smell: Caramel and sassafras tea, with molasses, apple and cinnamon tones
Taste: Apple, molasses and caramel forward with the cinnamon and sassafras developing; a bit of an earthy hop bite, in the middle, but the finish is sweet like an apple spice bread
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation
Overall: I enjoy an Old Ale every now and then and Surly did a nice job with this; drinking well, three years in
Reviewed by champ103 from Texas
3.74/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.74/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Hmm, this is a surprise to see on tap in a downtown bar, in Champaign, IL.
A: Pours a dark brown color. A one finger beige head forms and fades quickly. Light lace is left behind.
S: All malts, toasted and bread like. Chocolate, vanilla, and lots of dark fruits. Like plums and raisins.
T: Like the nose, with lots of malt character. Toasted malts, baked bread, chocolate. Though this is really sweet, almost sugary and cloying in that regard. Maybe a bit oxidizes, but not bad. Dark fruits and tart plums. Lots going on, but doesn't all mesh perfectly for me.
M/O: A lighter body than expected, with high carbonation. This is enjoyable to sip at first, but becomes a bit of a chore once the sweetness and alcohol takes over.
Glad I got a chance to try this, and interesting to see a bar still having a a keg. It seems in as good of condition as this can be after so many years (unless Surly has on occasion made this again). There is a lot going on, but is almost cloying and not balanced as well as I would like. Though if anybody sees it around still, I would still say give it a try.
May 30, 2019A: Pours a dark brown color. A one finger beige head forms and fades quickly. Light lace is left behind.
S: All malts, toasted and bread like. Chocolate, vanilla, and lots of dark fruits. Like plums and raisins.
T: Like the nose, with lots of malt character. Toasted malts, baked bread, chocolate. Though this is really sweet, almost sugary and cloying in that regard. Maybe a bit oxidizes, but not bad. Dark fruits and tart plums. Lots going on, but doesn't all mesh perfectly for me.
M/O: A lighter body than expected, with high carbonation. This is enjoyable to sip at first, but becomes a bit of a chore once the sweetness and alcohol takes over.
Glad I got a chance to try this, and interesting to see a bar still having a a keg. It seems in as good of condition as this can be after so many years (unless Surly has on occasion made this again). There is a lot going on, but is almost cloying and not balanced as well as I would like. Though if anybody sees it around still, I would still say give it a try.
Reviewed by Hopheadjeffery from Illinois
4.08/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.08/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Tasted in a Rastal Teku from a 22 fl oz bottle on December 31, 2018. Brewed with pale ale, crystal malts, invert sugar and aged on toasted sassafras. This celebratory old ale is meant for sharing. Amber in color with aged flavors of toffee, sherry and vanilla sassafras. Finishes with a warming full bodied swallow.
Feb 05, 2019
Ten Ale from Surly Brewing Company
Beer rating:
91 out of
100 with
184 ratings
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