Stunner
Surly Brewing Co.

 

poured chilled in a tulip
color has a hazed golden appearancewith three finger froth from semi-hard pour lace clings and retention is good
floral and tropical fruit hop aromas dominate with citrus scent with hint of melon
the feel has a moderate carbonation with medium body and semi high bitterness with dry finish
the taste is good with malt support and semi smooth hop textures that allow increased bitter flavors of grapefruit an meyer lemon zest in the middle yet yeast adds dimendion with light floral resinous elements and light earthy hop in the finish
A very visually appeal as well as tasty pale ale with plenty of nuanced hop quality in the taste department. good amount of bitterness yet still balanced with a good malt foundation a worthy pale ale I received to anyone who appreciates a balanced hoppy west coast style pale ale

This has a citrus punch. First fruit I got was pineapple and then orange. Really bold flavors that establishes itself as a tropical ale. Perfect if you were on the beach or can smell the salt water. All this from a Minnesota brewery. This is the best smelling apa you'll have. Wow!

 

 

Semi-cloudy, peach colored body; lively, coarse carbonation; white head, a cross between soapy and creamy in texture. A pleasing citrus old citrus aroma; pineapple and tangerine. Definite tropical fruit presence at first sip; passion fruit, pineapple, banana; acidic and juicy; pointed hop bitterness at the finish. Medium body; tart and acidic; sharp and juicy; primarily sweet throughout the tasting experience.

A delicious and refreshing beer. It nails the tropical fruit character its name implies.

Appearance: Pours an orange, slightly clouded, but bright orange color with a crawling soft white head. SRM of 9. (4.00)

Aroma: Indeed juicy aromas of orange, pineapple, and grapefruit. Some classic aromas of Surly's lemon-flowery or English ale yeast. A bit of soy sauce. (4.00)

Flavor: Flavor follows with more candied orange and juicy pineapple. A classic Surly lemon-flower and honey yeast and malt finish which is smooth and delicious. (4.25)

Feel: Medium-bodied. Moderate carbonation. Malt-based and definitely leans sweeter like a pale ale. (3.75)

Compared to Bahaus Juicy Lounge Wizard 6/16/20: Pours a similar color, but slightly cloudier. More juicy orange and pineapple. Less sour citrus and herbs. Sweeter and boozier.

Overall: A very nice and juicy drinking pale ale. Cheats a little bit at 6% but the flavors are spot-on here and juicy. Plus a classic Surly English yeast flavor to the sweetness provides an excellent flavor profile. This one you could come back to time and again. (4.08)

Clear straw gold, big frothy head

Smell fairly basic, apa pine

This is basically dilute hopslam, and that's a compliment. Some pineapple orange grapefruit mango notes going on, but balanced by some biscuity malt. HIghly drinkable.

Mouthfeel viscous, drinks bigger than it is, or maybe that's just because it recalls hopslam for me.

An elite APA in my opinion, very well done.

So, "tropical ale" is now a thing. It's actually referred to as "tropical-style" by Surly, whatever that can mean. Is it a style of ale brewed in the tropics? I don't think so. Tropical regions brew lagers and stouts. No, this is a recent American invention, and it must refer to the addition of tropical fruits, like pineapple, mango, coconut, etc, right? Nope. Just hops that give off tropical fruit flavors. And now we call it Tropical Ale, because that's what we do now.

Slight haze, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: Bright, fresh, and fruity. Yes, we're getting more tropical tones than citrus. Passionfruit, guava, et al.

In the mouth: Lively and juicy upon the palate. Moderate hop bitterness. Medium bodied. Easy drinking. Mellow malt mouthfeel. A touch of sweet, mixed with a trace of tart.

I like this one. Good beer and you can drink it. And a lot better than some other stuff they've been putting out lately. Pretty can design, too.

 

12oz can, media sample from the brewery.

Nearly clear golden hued brew, couple of rings left of the glass shows some good lacing. This is one of their "Hop Forward" brews, it has the bitterness needed for a Pale Ale but the flavor sums up them name and it is "Tropical". Hints of pineapple, guava, passion fruit, & papaya. Balanced and drinkable, I could see downing a few.

 

 

 

 

 

Poured into a tulip.

Pours a nearly crystal clear peach color with a very foamy head and plenty of bubbles below.

The tropical aromas arrive immediately as promised. Mango, pineapple, orange, and red grapefruit. Bready malts in midstream with a bit of bittering hops in the background.

The brew provides plenty of hopping, but it is mostly of the fruity variety. Pineapple, orange, grapefruit, mango, passionfruit, and guava sweetness hit the tip of the tongue, but citrus zest and biscuity malts arrive in midstream with vague resin notes at the finish. Decent but a bit muddled, particularly in comparison with the aroma.

The brew is medium-bodied with decent carbonation, but rather less than expected compared with the pour.

Overall, a nice line-straddler that comes to rest on the APA side of the line. It looks and smells great, but the flavors fall a bit short.