Rosé
Surly Brewing Co.

I've never had rosé wine, but the beer is pretty good. Very refreshing

 

Clear and pink, slim white ring on top.

In the nose: sweet and fruity, but balanced. Berries and grapes, restrained. Mild bitterness, quite carbonated.

In the mouth: Brisk, bright, clean, and spritz-y. Fruit flavors feel authentic and burst rather boisterously upon the palate. Just slightly tart, from the fruit. Ends decidedly dry-ly. What might threaten to be "too sweet" or blasé' is actually not. Crisp and refreshing.

I'll drink a rose' only if there's absolutely no other choice. And I'll always choose beer over wine, of any kind, unless, like I said, I'm in a situation where it's my only option. In that sense, I am quite unlike Surly brewer Ben Smith, whose obsession with rose' lead him to create this beer. When I first heard of it, I was skeptical, and skipped it, at the Beer Hall. (Checking in on Untappd, it looks like I did try it, from a sample, or someone's else's serving.) Definitely not for me. According to the press release, though, it "quickly replaced the requests for hazy IPAs and staple styles like Furious and Axe Man" at the Surly Beer Hall.

Well, that surprised me, a little. Is the beer crowd forever chasing trends, while I'm the grumpy old man, leering over the fence, grumbling at those whipper-snappers? Were they only ordering Todd or other IPAs because they didn't know that the joys of a rose' lager were now a reality?

 

Poured from a tall can into a pub glass.

Pours medium-pink with very little head and no lacing.

The aroma is mild and funky. Fruit, grain, and vegetal notes.

The flavor delivers a mild amount of fruit, but not much. Sweet and crackery. Some floral and noble hops to balance.

The brew's feel is its best aspect. Well-carbonated, crisp, and nearly dry.

Overall an interesting brew but not one I plan to seek again. Easily my least favorite brew from this brewery.

 

 

 

 

Not great but not horrible. I was wanting something more. Left me feeling disappointed. I feel it is trying to hard to be something it is not. Overall an ok lager beer but not a good or a great beer.

 

 

 

 

Aroma is earthy/grainy malts, medium fruit and a hint of sweetness. The flavor is fruit, malts, slightly astringent/off in the middle and a sweetish finish.

 

L: bright to brilliant cherry tinted gold under a 2" white cap with fair to good retention

S: medium high berry aroma backed by some light cracker and faint floral aromas

T: big berry flavors. mild sweetness upfront with some bread crumb in the background. The black currant provides some tannins that dry things out and lead to a crisp, dry, almost puckering finish

F: highly carbonated beer, light, crisp and refreshing

O: lager does not interfere with the berry flavors

Pours an pinkish-tinged orange with a slight build up then quickly receding head. Smells of cooked corn, bread, possibly a trace of something crisp fruitlike. Taste has an acidic wash of what may be currants or possibly strawberries, but’s gone in a flash leaving the rest which is mostly bland, some cooked veggies and grain. Carbonation is right on and the body/feel is decent. Finish is mostly clean and it’s not overly sweet. Overall— experimental, easy enough to drink — I guess — but I’d not ever seek it out i.e. an experiment not worth repeating. That’s two misses IMO in a row for the BC series (Frisson) being the other.

Thin bodied and wispy. Pink hued with no head. No lace.

The aroma reminds me of rhubarb while the taste has a hint of strawberries. Very highly carbonated. Closer to champagne than beer.