Minor Miracle
Surly Brewing Co.

 

20210704
Can - 12oz

This one came from the Hop Pack, which I purchased recently. 3 cans of Furious, 3 Yummi Bear, 3 of another new one that will be reviewed soon, and this guy. I've had and like half, and the others seem fine. Can't miss, win/win...sort of...we'll see...

Clear, bright golden, slim, softly settling white head.

In the nose: Highly hoppy, yet soft and smooth. Tropical tones and citrus notes. Orange and lemon, pineapple and papaya.

In the mouth: Nicely hopped, initial bitterness fades quick, with juicy malt rushing in. Sweet turns to dry, while bitterness lays on the palate. Light bodied. Easy enough drinker, hoppy enough. Citrus and tropical fruit flavors play on the tongue.

Minor for the low bitterness and light body, miracle for....? Unfortunately, it's just not terribly special. Missing something short of a miracle. Why is it labeled as "hoppy ale"? They don't want to call it a pale ale? It's not hoppy enough to be an IPA? Not sure what the thinking is, here.

I like this just fine, but can't get too excited about it. It'll do.

I find this a pretty odd beer, but not in a bad way. Lots of bright citrus and tropical notes, and...some toffee and toast, as well. Its kind of a strange mash-up of an English style and a more west-coast fruity kinda bitter pale. Pretty light feel to it. Good liveliness to the mouthful. The finish lingers nicely. From the 12 can Surly Hop pack, and though I'd rate this one as good (and strange) but nowhere near great, all in all, hops are showcased well in every beer.

Didn't realize this was 6.3%. Has a bit of lighter body and definitely a light finish. Not quite like a lower calorie IPA but in that direction. But it is quite good. Big fresh citrus (oranges/tangerines) aroma, along with some tropical fruit notes....

The flavor is big on the citrus again...a lot of oranges and citrus but a touch of the tropical fruits (pineapple) as well as peaches. Really a nice flavor to this.

Body leans light for the style but is not thin.

It all comes together pretty nicely but very citrus forward.

nice hoppy ale god to drink very smooth - had better bears from this brewery

 

 

Appearance: Pours a faintly fairly light golden color with white head. SRM of 8-10. (3.75)

Aroma: Strong aromas of wet lemon, mango juice, pineapple. Very strong fruit zing. A flower component underneath. A smooth caramel backbone. Even a bit of bitter smokiness on the end of the nose.

Flavor: Flavors of pineapple & lemonade. A bit of lemon and flower bitterness. Strong mango and papaya sweetness. A smooth caramel backbone.

Feel: Medium to lighter bodied. Strong carbonation. Crisp and clean though. Nice smooth lemon.

Compared to Fulton's Sweet Child of Vine 5/15/20: Pours a lighter color. More fruity aromas. More wet lemon, pineapple, and bitter smoke. Less caramel and toast. Stronger carbonation and more crisp.

Compared to SN Electropical Juicy IPA 5/15/20: Pours a slightly darker color. Stronger aromas. Much more wet lemon and fruit. Less citrus zest and bitterness. Heavier and sweeter overall.

Overall: A very wet & lemony beer. Nice fruit flavors of lemon, mango, papaya, pineapple. A strong flowery component I suppose from the English Yeast which is quite pleasant. Surly Brewing never disappointing and neither does this beer. Fantastic flavor and delicious. (Final Rating: 3.89)

From a 12oz can:

Appearance: Clear yellow-gold, good head.

Smell: Mild citrus.

Taste: Different as it warms. Cold, it tastes like an English IPA with a lot of toffee and a little citrus. Warm it up a little and it reminds me (slightly!!) of the original Bitter Brewer, with orange marmalade taking the lead.

Overall: Kind of a weird one, usually IPAs stay pretty similar as they warm up, but this was like two different beers. Decent pale ale/IPA but the others in the hop pack are better.

I tried this at the brewery whilst in town for a work conference. The beer poured a slightly hazy orangish and had thin white head that did not leave much lacing. The scent had citrus fruit notes. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with malt base and slight bitter fruit finish. The mouthfeel was lighter in body with good carbonation. Overall its a solid beer.