Garden Variety
Surly Brewing Co.

Surly Garden Variety sour, 9% ABV. Pours brownish red with a blindingly white 2+ finger head that left lots of lacing. Nose is strawberry and cherry, taste follows, lightly sweet, moderately tart, moderately bitter, and some saltiness. Excellent mouthfeel, overall good. I've really gotten into sours the past few months, but this one isn't doing it for me.

 

On-tap

Looks just alright and has a pleasant strawberry element with an OK body. But the other parts of the aroma and flavor are disasters. Nice job Surly.

16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 2/19/2020. Pours fairly hazy/cloudy reddish orange/amber color with a 1 finger fairly dense and fluffy light pink head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big juicy/tart/tangy strawberries, cherry, fruit skin/seed, orange, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, honeydew melon, berries, red/green apple, red grape/wine, citrus peel/zest, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, wheat, cracker, toasted biscuit, light vanilla/pepper/lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of strawberry, cherry, citrus/fruity/tropical hops, fruity/acidic yeast, and bready malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big juicy/tart/tangy strawberries, cherry, fruit skin/seed, orange, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, honeydew melon, berries, red/green apple, red grape/wine, citrus peel/zest, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, wheat, cracker, toasted biscuit, light vanilla/pepper/lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tartness, fruit tang; and pine, herbal, floral, grassy, peppery, zesty bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of sour/tart/tangy strawberry, cherry, skin/seed, orange, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, honeydew melon, berries, red/green apple, red grape/wine, citrus peel/zest, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, wheat, cracker, toasted biscuit, light vanilla/pepper/lacto funk, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of strawberry, cherry, citrus/fruity/tropical hops, fruity/acidic yeast, and bready malt flavors; with a great malt/tart/tang/bitterness balance; and no puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitter/tart/tangy. Minimal warming alcohol for 9%. Overall this is an excellent imperial fruited kettle sour. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of strawberry, cherry, citrus/fruity/tropical hops, fruity/acidic yeast, and bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mellowly acidic/tangy/drying finish; not overly lactic. Great Citra hop profile. Very juicy/jammy hops/fruit, with light dank/earthy notes; with a nice sized wheat/malt backbone. Mild residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and well made style example as expected of the brewery. No complaints.