Coffee Bender | Surly Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Surly Brewing Company
Minnesota, United States
surlybrewing.com
Style: American Brown Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.10%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Bender steeped cold for 24 hours in coarsely ground coffee beans from the Vinca Vista Hermosa plantation in Guatemala.
Added by feloniousmonk on 05-28-2006
Ratings: 2,654 | Reviews: 854
3.81/5 rDev -8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
4.5/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Dark brown color with a thick thin caramel head with short retention.
Strong aroma with predominant roasted coffee bean notes. Hints of nuts and vanilla.
Flavor with predominant notes of roasted coffee beans, but it feels different, I guess it was the cold extraction process. Hints of cinnamon, oranges, pine, nuts, grapefruit citrusy, vanilla, oat and some dark chocolate. Dry aftertaste with a medium bitterness and a lingering roasted coffee note.
Light to medium body with appropriate carbonation.
Fresh cold brew coffee with an American Brown Ale in the background. The 45 IBUs didn't shine it through the coffee notes. I would increase its stake beyond the Bender regular recipe. Though, once it warms up, complexity starts to increase.
Anyway, the ultimate result was an was utterly pleasant and balanced brew. Perfectly executed and a must for coffee lovers.
867 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Dark brown color with a thick thin caramel head with short retention.
Strong aroma with predominant roasted coffee bean notes. Hints of nuts and vanilla.
Flavor with predominant notes of roasted coffee beans, but it feels different, I guess it was the cold extraction process. Hints of cinnamon, oranges, pine, nuts, grapefruit citrusy, vanilla, oat and some dark chocolate. Dry aftertaste with a medium bitterness and a lingering roasted coffee note.
Light to medium body with appropriate carbonation.
Fresh cold brew coffee with an American Brown Ale in the background. The 45 IBUs didn't shine it through the coffee notes. I would increase its stake beyond the Bender regular recipe. Though, once it warms up, complexity starts to increase.
Anyway, the ultimate result was an was utterly pleasant and balanced brew. Perfectly executed and a must for coffee lovers.
867 characters
4.06/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.5/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
3.87/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.06/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.21/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
Picked up a single from TW Arrowhead 3-12-17 for $3.49. Canned on 2-13-17.
Beer poured brown with a decent tan head that dissipated fairly quickly.
Nose offers huge steeped coffee like the beans were freshly roasted.
Taste is a sweet brown ale that melds quite nicely with the coffee adjunct to form an impressive session brown ale. Finish is like sipping my morning coffee - very nice!
Mouthfeel is light bodied and rather underwhelming giving the huge flavors going on but was expected for this session ale.
Overall a very nice brew that i am glad we were able to try!
577 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
Picked up a single from TW Arrowhead 3-12-17 for $3.49. Canned on 2-13-17.
Beer poured brown with a decent tan head that dissipated fairly quickly.
Nose offers huge steeped coffee like the beans were freshly roasted.
Taste is a sweet brown ale that melds quite nicely with the coffee adjunct to form an impressive session brown ale. Finish is like sipping my morning coffee - very nice!
Mouthfeel is light bodied and rather underwhelming giving the huge flavors going on but was expected for this session ale.
Overall a very nice brew that i am glad we were able to try!
577 characters
4.22/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.27/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Straight across the board 4's. The name don't lie. If you like good coffee this beer is for you. Another Highly worthy beer from Surly. Glad they have made it to AZ
164 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Straight across the board 4's. The name don't lie. If you like good coffee this beer is for you. Another Highly worthy beer from Surly. Glad they have made it to AZ
164 characters
4.03/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A- Medium to full brown in the glass with a good bit of red as the light hits it. Good head and retention, as well as great body clarity.
S- Strong coffee is the predominant scent from front to back. Just a hint of sweetness mingles into the middle of the smell as well.
T- Similar to the scent, but not quite as one dimensional, still, the coffee is the leading flavor. The coffee is light in roast profile and a little on the bitter side. The middle of the drink shows a bit of the brown ale base that is a little sweeter and more grainy. The end is more coffee and it lingers as well.
M- Lighter in weight, yet still full and smooth, this one drinks like a great, smooth porter. The weight is just enough to handle the coffee flavor while still being a balanced drinker.
Overall, this is one of the better, non-imperial coffee beers out there. The coffee is dark and flavorful without overpowering the base beer. Definitely one to try if you are a coffee lover.
968 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A- Medium to full brown in the glass with a good bit of red as the light hits it. Good head and retention, as well as great body clarity.
S- Strong coffee is the predominant scent from front to back. Just a hint of sweetness mingles into the middle of the smell as well.
T- Similar to the scent, but not quite as one dimensional, still, the coffee is the leading flavor. The coffee is light in roast profile and a little on the bitter side. The middle of the drink shows a bit of the brown ale base that is a little sweeter and more grainy. The end is more coffee and it lingers as well.
M- Lighter in weight, yet still full and smooth, this one drinks like a great, smooth porter. The weight is just enough to handle the coffee flavor while still being a balanced drinker.
Overall, this is one of the better, non-imperial coffee beers out there. The coffee is dark and flavorful without overpowering the base beer. Definitely one to try if you are a coffee lover.
968 characters
4.25/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.93/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16 oz. can poured into a Surly tumbler glass. Sold singley at The Ale Jail in Saint Paul, comes in a 4-pack. An off-shoot brand from their Surly Bender, a brown ale with pale, oats, chocolate malts, Williamette and Fuggle hops, and English Ale yeast. Cold-brew Guatemalan coffee is to create an iced coffee tasting beer. "Beer For A Mug, From A Can."
L - ruby-brown color, hazy hue, bubbly white-brown foam dome, thin layer of foam across the top, no lacing
S - for a tumbler glass, the aroma is really strong. Really nice coffee smell, more like cold brew coffee rather than a hot cup of coffee. English malt/yeast I believe some through, similar to ESBs and Mild Ales.
T - chocolate, mocha, coffee, hazelnut. Dark malts and black roast coffee really sums it up.
F - full-bodied mouthfeel, dryness like Guinness, light alcohol, really solid cask ale feel
O - slight watery taste, but that is consistent with the style. Coffee brown ale might be out of the realm of the true purist beer drinker, but this a coffee beer in a crowd of coffee porters and stouts that are at least 7% ABV and might even be 10% imperial stout aged in a bourbon barrel. This is a solid brown ale that is not heavy in body and very easy to drink. This would make an awesome kegs and eggs morning! Cheers!
1,289 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16 oz. can poured into a Surly tumbler glass. Sold singley at The Ale Jail in Saint Paul, comes in a 4-pack. An off-shoot brand from their Surly Bender, a brown ale with pale, oats, chocolate malts, Williamette and Fuggle hops, and English Ale yeast. Cold-brew Guatemalan coffee is to create an iced coffee tasting beer. "Beer For A Mug, From A Can."
L - ruby-brown color, hazy hue, bubbly white-brown foam dome, thin layer of foam across the top, no lacing
S - for a tumbler glass, the aroma is really strong. Really nice coffee smell, more like cold brew coffee rather than a hot cup of coffee. English malt/yeast I believe some through, similar to ESBs and Mild Ales.
T - chocolate, mocha, coffee, hazelnut. Dark malts and black roast coffee really sums it up.
F - full-bodied mouthfeel, dryness like Guinness, light alcohol, really solid cask ale feel
O - slight watery taste, but that is consistent with the style. Coffee brown ale might be out of the realm of the true purist beer drinker, but this a coffee beer in a crowd of coffee porters and stouts that are at least 7% ABV and might even be 10% imperial stout aged in a bourbon barrel. This is a solid brown ale that is not heavy in body and very easy to drink. This would make an awesome kegs and eggs morning! Cheers!
1,289 characters
4.27/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.09/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Another nice beer from Surly.
29 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Another nice beer from Surly.
29 characters
4.29/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
16 oz can poured into a a pint glass.
Look is nice. A dark brown / light black color with a finger head that lingers likea mofo! It's been close to 5 minutes and the head hasn't gone down at all. Not much lacing.
Smell is huge on roasted coffee bean, cocoa, and vanilla lactose. Some hazelnut also.
Taste is more of the same. Coffee bean is up front along with the milky lactose and some more cocoa and roasted malt.
Feel is unsurprisingly light bodied and not very thick. Drinks like a typical lower ABV stout. Reminds me of the feel of Stone Milk Stout.
Overall it's a good beer for what it is. Not sure why it's classified as a Brown Ale because it really drinks like a Stout. Nice offering.
700 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
16 oz can poured into a a pint glass.
Look is nice. A dark brown / light black color with a finger head that lingers likea mofo! It's been close to 5 minutes and the head hasn't gone down at all. Not much lacing.
Smell is huge on roasted coffee bean, cocoa, and vanilla lactose. Some hazelnut also.
Taste is more of the same. Coffee bean is up front along with the milky lactose and some more cocoa and roasted malt.
Feel is unsurprisingly light bodied and not very thick. Drinks like a typical lower ABV stout. Reminds me of the feel of Stone Milk Stout.
Overall it's a good beer for what it is. Not sure why it's classified as a Brown Ale because it really drinks like a Stout. Nice offering.
700 characters
4.35/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.59/5 rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.47/5 rDev +7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Coffee Bender from Surly Brewing Company
4.15
out of 5
based on 2,654 ratings.
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25