Pentagram | Surly Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Surly Brewing Company
Minnesota, United States
surlybrewing.com
Style: American Wild Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.66%
Availability: Winter
Notes / Commercial Description:
This Arcane Seal guards an enigmatic brew that is FUNKY, DARK, and SOUR. If you choose to break the seal, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
100% Brettanomyces Dark beer fermented in stainless and aged in red wine barrels. "Brett" is a unique yeast strain that produces flavors that would be considered offensive if they were not intentional. Flavors of sour cherry, tobacco, oak, and classic "Brett" barnyard funk balanced by dark Munich malt chewiness. Enjoy immediately or age at cellar temperature for a couple years.
Added by MasterSki on 02-19-2013
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers
Ratings: 1,045 | Reviews: 108
Reviews by mwilbur:
4.42/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Poured from 750 mL bottle into snifter.
A: Pours a very murky and dark brown (a dark red hue is apparent around the edges with backlighting) with a faint skim of dark tan head that quickly recedes. Somewhat foreboding in appearance, which fits the bill.
S: Sour brett, tart cherries, vanilla, tobacco, sweet milk chocolate, and some dark dried fruit (e.g. raisins).
T: Wow...quite sour up front. More so than the aroma suggested...nice surprise! Sweet and tart cherries, mild brett (the barnyard funk is nicely subdued here...allowing the other taste notes to shine), and in the background linger vanilla, oak, and a vinous note.
M: Light-medium body. Sour with tart and sweet notes. Fairly smooth and straightforward feel. Gotta love the ABV.
D: A very well thought out and crafted brew. Packs a strong punch (taste-wise) for such a light-weight (ABV-wise). Extremely sessionable...dangerously so. Seek it out and enjoy!
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Poured from 750 mL bottle into snifter.
A: Pours a very murky and dark brown (a dark red hue is apparent around the edges with backlighting) with a faint skim of dark tan head that quickly recedes. Somewhat foreboding in appearance, which fits the bill.
S: Sour brett, tart cherries, vanilla, tobacco, sweet milk chocolate, and some dark dried fruit (e.g. raisins).
T: Wow...quite sour up front. More so than the aroma suggested...nice surprise! Sweet and tart cherries, mild brett (the barnyard funk is nicely subdued here...allowing the other taste notes to shine), and in the background linger vanilla, oak, and a vinous note.
M: Light-medium body. Sour with tart and sweet notes. Fairly smooth and straightforward feel. Gotta love the ABV.
D: A very well thought out and crafted brew. Packs a strong punch (taste-wise) for such a light-weight (ABV-wise). Extremely sessionable...dangerously so. Seek it out and enjoy!
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More User Reviews:
4.49/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
10 oz. draft at the Surly brewery
A - Mahogany body with a thin off-white head.
S - Sour cherry, cranberry, oak, and a slight doggy funk.
T - Sour cherry and cranberry are the first flavors to hit the palate. These are immediately followed by oak, grape musk, and tobacco. A slight animal funk, too. The malt is similar to dark sourdough rye. Cherry tartness and oak linger.
M - A medium body with a very dry finish.
O - A wonderful, complex Brett beer that spectacularly balances sour, funk, fruit, wood, and malt flavors. If you go to the brewery, a glass of Pentagram and the smoked mushroom and goat cheese pizza are a diabolical combination.
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look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
10 oz. draft at the Surly brewery
A - Mahogany body with a thin off-white head.
S - Sour cherry, cranberry, oak, and a slight doggy funk.
T - Sour cherry and cranberry are the first flavors to hit the palate. These are immediately followed by oak, grape musk, and tobacco. A slight animal funk, too. The malt is similar to dark sourdough rye. Cherry tartness and oak linger.
M - A medium body with a very dry finish.
O - A wonderful, complex Brett beer that spectacularly balances sour, funk, fruit, wood, and malt flavors. If you go to the brewery, a glass of Pentagram and the smoked mushroom and goat cheese pizza are a diabolical combination.
652 characters
4.42/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
I had this to celebrate the Blackhawks winning The Cup... So it's goddamn perfect right now.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
I had this to celebrate the Blackhawks winning The Cup... So it's goddamn perfect right now.
92 characters
4.5/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
This is a fun beer. Appears like a dark amber. With a very nice head which will continue to lace the glass (or bottle) as you are indulged sip after sip. I drank it on tap, which I feel lucky for. The smell is of crabapple, very pungent pomegranate and even rich coffee. Taste is just as playful. The Brettanomyces present themselves as a wildly bitter component of sourness that one would taste when biting into a grannysmith apple. With that come flavors of cherry, plum, oak, coffee and cranberries. It is a very smooth, drinkable mouthfeel, much like a lager, with the tingling carbonation of a Sprite. Ultimately I would highly recommend this beer to anyone seeking the devilish pleasures of a punky lipsmacker beer that welcomes you to have a glass or two (not more than that though due to the powerful flavor profile!).
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look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
This is a fun beer. Appears like a dark amber. With a very nice head which will continue to lace the glass (or bottle) as you are indulged sip after sip. I drank it on tap, which I feel lucky for. The smell is of crabapple, very pungent pomegranate and even rich coffee. Taste is just as playful. The Brettanomyces present themselves as a wildly bitter component of sourness that one would taste when biting into a grannysmith apple. With that come flavors of cherry, plum, oak, coffee and cranberries. It is a very smooth, drinkable mouthfeel, much like a lager, with the tingling carbonation of a Sprite. Ultimately I would highly recommend this beer to anyone seeking the devilish pleasures of a punky lipsmacker beer that welcomes you to have a glass or two (not more than that though due to the powerful flavor profile!).
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4.27/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured from a 22oz. bottle into a Surly pint glass.
A: Pours a dark fermented plum color with a smoky orange undertone. A creamy white head dissipates with little lacing.
S: Green apple, cherry, red grapes, slight hints of pomegranate, slightly yeasty, oak, overall quite tart.
T: Wow there is a lot going on in this brew. Green apple, cherry, red grapes, rhubarb, pomegranate, cranberry, grapefruit, oak, tobacco, and a undistinguishable tarty funk.
M: Light to mid-bodied, highly carbonated, crisp almost champagne like finish.
O: A truly unique and funky brew. This is the best sour I've had to this point. It's a fantastic ale but not for those without an open mind.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured from a 22oz. bottle into a Surly pint glass.
A: Pours a dark fermented plum color with a smoky orange undertone. A creamy white head dissipates with little lacing.
S: Green apple, cherry, red grapes, slight hints of pomegranate, slightly yeasty, oak, overall quite tart.
T: Wow there is a lot going on in this brew. Green apple, cherry, red grapes, rhubarb, pomegranate, cranberry, grapefruit, oak, tobacco, and a undistinguishable tarty funk.
M: Light to mid-bodied, highly carbonated, crisp almost champagne like finish.
O: A truly unique and funky brew. This is the best sour I've had to this point. It's a fantastic ale but not for those without an open mind.
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4.25/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.8/5 rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75
It's okay. Lots of better sours out there.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75
It's okay. Lots of better sours out there.
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4.35/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.94/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.03/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Aroma of mostly cherry, with vinegar, light Brett funk and touches of oak. Taste is sharply tart upfront with cherry, vinegar and light roasted characteristics. Some Brett-horseblanket and vinegar, with loads of oak and pepper in the finish. Almost seem to be some tannins as well. Very good Wild Ale.
301 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Aroma of mostly cherry, with vinegar, light Brett funk and touches of oak. Taste is sharply tart upfront with cherry, vinegar and light roasted characteristics. Some Brett-horseblanket and vinegar, with loads of oak and pepper in the finish. Almost seem to be some tannins as well. Very good Wild Ale.
301 characters
4.25/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
On tap at CBC 2016 - day 2. Sour and spicy, with notes of red fruit and grapes. Some brett notes perfectly integrated into the beer.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
On tap at CBC 2016 - day 2. Sour and spicy, with notes of red fruit and grapes. Some brett notes perfectly integrated into the beer.
132 characters
Pentagram from Surly Brewing Company
Beer rating:
4.15 out of
5 with
1,045 ratings
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