Fresh Ink
Surly Brewing Co.

 

 

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: American Fruited Sour
Glass: Tioga-Sequoia 13-oz. tulip
Price: n/a
From: My cousin Sam
Purchased: n/a; Received Feb. 25, 2020
Consumed: March 13, 2020
Misc.: Canned on Nov. 26, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. CT; Split with Rachel

Thanks, Sam!

Got this and a whole bunch of other goodies from Sam. Surly is still a top-10 brewery for me, although lately they’ve seen to lose a step or two. This would be my second Surly sour I’ve reviewed and I think the third that I’ve tried (off the top of my head). Their website called this, “A kettle sour that packs it all in–abundant flavor, color, and body. The fruity character of the hops and black currant/blackberry puree are balanced by residual sweetness from the grain bill and a hit of lacto sourness.”

Poured a reddish brown opaque color with two fingers of reddish white (pink?) head. Could see some bubble streams coming up along the sides of the glass. World-class uneven foamy lacing. World-class retention. (Sight - 4.50)

Smelled the black currants and blackberries right away. Kind of a weird mix with the two flavors fighting each other. Also got dark fruit, purple grape, black raspberry, vanilla, milky lactose and black licorice. Getting all of that 9.4 pct. ABV in the nose. Got some hops from the can. Mentioned were Warrior and Citra. Maybe getting a touch of each. (Smell - 4.00)

Taste followed the nose, maybe not quite as good. In order got black currant, vanilla, milky lactose, bitter blackberry, dark fruit, purple grape, mixed berry, black licorice and tart berry. Like the nose, that 9.4 pct. ABV was noticeable. (Taste - 3.75)

Medium body. Oily texture. Average carbonation. Long finish. (Feel - 3.75)

Went back and forth on a few of these categories. May have overrated this slightly, but very good. (Overall - 3.75)

3.86 | 87 | B+

Fresh Ink pours a very hazy purplish color, with not much head. Aroma is filled with fresh berries. Flavor has a big fruit kick, with a little sourness to balance it, creamy body. Good body and feel. Overall, a nice sweet and sour beer, full of berry flavors.

 

Poured from pint can into shaker pint glass.
A: Pours a dark juicy purple red hue with 1/2 inch off white head that settles to a thin skim with some lacing around the edges.
S: Tart currants, sour cherry, and sweet berries. Nice fruity aroma.
T: Tart currants give the palate a bit of a smack to wake up. Brief sour note, followed by sweet blackberries. Really nice progression across the palate!
M: Light body. ABV extremely well hidden. Tart, sour, and sweet fruit juice.
D: Very well constructed brew. Really nice tart, sour, and sweet balance. Thanks to Brad for grabbing this one!

 

Poured from a pint can into a tulip.

Pours a dark red tinged with brown--nearly garnet. Cloudy and nearly opaque. Delivers an impressive but fast-subsiding pinkish-tan head that gives way to quite persistent pink lacing.

Aromas of blackberry, raisin, malic acid (yeah, that sour on the nose) faint booze.

The brew is sweeter on the tip of the tongue than what the nose threatened. Initially medium sweet, the brew becomes "sweet tart" as it rounds into the mid-palate, with more of a lactic versus malic acidity. Ample but not artificial berry and currant flavors filter through the sweet and sour delivery. The finish is slight booze, funk, and noticeable dry hopped goodness. The brew is extremely well balanced between sweet and sour and, as a result, the funk and hops get a chance to stand out.

The brew has a medium, well-carbonated, and remarkably crisp finish for the ABV and residual sugar level.

Residual sugar sweetness, stout acidity, solid funk and sneaky hops all mix with a dangerously-drinkable ABV here. A solid imperial sour.