Surly Brewing night at Brouwers!?!?

Discussion in 'Pacific' started by Mages64, Nov 26, 2013.

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  1. distantmantra

    distantmantra Pooh-Bah (2,954) May 23, 2011 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    The Force is strong with the Matt.
     
    #21 distantmantra, Nov 28, 2013
    fsck, m4ttj0nes, libbey and 1 other person like this.
  2. PetitChouffe

    PetitChouffe Initiate (0) Sep 28, 2009 Washington

    Aw, that Surly night sounds cool, I'd like to try some of their beers (had a bottle of darkness in 2010, and it was a sweet sweet thing, but not bad!). I'm already committed to the evening session of the WA winter beer fest, though! C'est la vie.
     
    #22 PetitChouffe, Nov 29, 2013
  3. adkieffer

    adkieffer Initiate (0) Nov 23, 2010 Washington

    Too many beer events too far away from each other...already booked a place in Tillamook for the weekend. Hopefully can make it in for a couple at Bigwood...BA Suge Night
     
    #23 adkieffer, Nov 29, 2013
  4. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I'm facing the same problem. I'd love to go to Bigwood again, but that's also the weekend of the Holiday Ale Fest down in PDX. I just don't think I can realistically make it to both events.

    As for Surly, fortunately I'm in the twin cities for the holidays and have had more than my fair share of furious, abrasive and darkness already. The current Abrasive is a hophead's wet dream!
     
    #24 John_M, Nov 29, 2013
  5. Eighty

    Eighty Pundit (839) Feb 17, 2013 Washington

    Brouwer's posted that there will be 57 beers on draft for Bigwood. The list they posted only has 53. Any speculation (or inside info) on what the other 4 are?
     
    #25 Eighty, Dec 4, 2013
  6. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader


    Hmmmm..... bud, miller, coors and PBR?
     
    #26 John_M, Dec 4, 2013
  7. Eighty

    Eighty Pundit (839) Feb 17, 2013 Washington

    #27 Eighty, Dec 4, 2013
  8. Prufrockstar

    Prufrockstar Initiate (0) Jan 15, 2013 Washington

    #28 Prufrockstar, Dec 5, 2013
  9. honkduh

    honkduh Initiate (0) Jun 2, 2011 Oregon

    Dogfish Head Burton Baton (10%) Milton ............................................................... $9.00

    Seems like a good deal.
     
    #29 honkduh, Dec 5, 2013
  10. distantmantra

    distantmantra Pooh-Bah (2,954) May 23, 2011 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Since no one posted the list of Surly beers, I figured I'd do it to save anyone interested time finding them:

    Misanthrope
    Pentagram
    Darkness
    Smoke
    Abrasive
    Coffee Bender
    Furious

    I've had Furious a bunch thanks to it being at MSP Airport, but interested in Misanthrope, Pentagram, Abrasive and Coffee Bender.
     
    #30 distantmantra, Dec 5, 2013
  11. Lansman

    Lansman Savant (1,116) Mar 19, 2011 Missouri
    Trader

    Pentagram is absolutely delicious. Stocked up on that one when it was released. Phenomenal stuff.
     
    #31 Lansman, Dec 5, 2013
  12. sanford_and_son

    sanford_and_son Initiate (0) Jul 23, 2012 Washington

    Coffee Bender is straight up one of my favorite beers ever. Always buy a ton of it when I'm in MN. Such a smooth drinking and delicious coffee beer. Kind of a mix between a brown ale and a porter with tons of coffee.

    Abrasive is a pretty decent imperial IPA, but I honestly prefer Furious to it. More balanced.

    Don't miss out on Smoke, either. I opened a bottle from 2012 just the other day and it was just fantastic. A very unique smoked lager. Tons of flavor.
     
    #32 sanford_and_son, Dec 5, 2013
  13. distantmantra

    distantmantra Pooh-Bah (2,954) May 23, 2011 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I hate smoke beers, so it's a definite pass.

    I've had regular Bender at MSP before, but I've heard nothing but good things about Coffee Bender.
     
    #33 distantmantra, Dec 5, 2013
  14. BuckeyeOne

    BuckeyeOne Initiate (0) Mar 9, 2008 Washington

    I hate smoked beers too but LOVED Surly Smoke. I don't recall getting a ton of smoked malt flavor. Just a super tasty Baltic porter IMO.
     
    #34 BuckeyeOne, Dec 5, 2013
  15. BuckeyeOne

    BuckeyeOne Initiate (0) Mar 9, 2008 Washington

    I get to MN regularly and have definitely had my share of Furious and Abrasive. I think Furious has fallen off over the years with the change in hops, etc.

    And IMHO Abrasive is much more than a 'pretty decent imperial IPA.' A couple of friends and I did a blind DIPA tasting a couple of years ago that included among a few others fresh Abrasive, Hopslam, and Pliny and the Abrasive was the clear winner from all tasters.
     
    #35 BuckeyeOne, Dec 5, 2013
  16. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader


    Coffee bender was actually available at the OBF several years ago, which is where I got to try it. I confess I honestly do not understand the appeal, as I thought it completely sucked. To me at least, it tasted like a thin brown ale with a lot of cheap coffee added. I liked regular bender a lot more than coffee bender.

    Maybe it's just me, as I confess I wasn't all that impressed with the cacao bender either that I tried over the holidays. It was better than the coffee bender by a wide margin, but still... I just thought it tasted like a chocolate flavored thin brown ale.

    That being said, of course you should try it. Maybe you'll like it, as apparently plenty of others do. Good luck!
     
    #36 John_M, Dec 5, 2013
  17. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Couldn't agree more on both counts. I've been a big fan of furious over the years, but I tried it at several locations over the holidays, including on cask at the Republic. While OK, I just wasn't wild about it. I had it side by side with the Steel Toe Size 7 at Republic, and much to my shock, I preferred the Size 7 by a wide margin.

    I also had Abrasive at the tap room and a couple other places around town, and I've had it out of the can as well. I'd probably pick hopslam and pliny over it, but IMHO, there's no doubt that Abrasive is in the same class with those beers. My palate just happens to prefer hopslam and pliny, but tasting fresh Abrasive is always a treat (unfortuantely, I could only get one 4 pack into my suitcase!).
     
    #37 John_M, Dec 5, 2013
  18. distantmantra

    distantmantra Pooh-Bah (2,954) May 23, 2011 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I kinda felt the same way about Surly Wet. I thought it was a very poor fresh hop. But then again, we are spoiled with incredible WA fresh hops.
     
    #38 distantmantra, Dec 5, 2013
  19. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I didn't get to try it this year, but everyone I spoke to in the twin cities over the holidays told me it was a pretty weak effort this year. I don't think I met one person who had anything good to say about it this year.

    I think Darkness is often hit or miss a lot of the time as well. I thought the current version was excellent, but a lot of people told me they didn't care for the 2012 version, that it was just a sweet hot mess. I actually got to try the 2012 on tap at a black friday event, and I had to agree that it was not one of Surly's beter efforts. It wasn't something I wanted to admit, as I still have several bottles I'm sitting on. Hopefully there'll be another PDX bottle share soon where I can unload them. :-)
     
    #39 John_M, Dec 5, 2013
  20. BuckeyeOne

    BuckeyeOne Initiate (0) Mar 9, 2008 Washington

    This year's Surly Wet was a total mess. Tasted awful, nothing like I've had the past three years. Similar to Chasin' Freshies but not even that good --- and I hated Chasin' Freshies.
     
    #40 BuckeyeOne, Dec 6, 2013
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