Blakkr Release

Will this come to DSM?

 

Hoping this isn't an April Fools joke. I have never had Blakkr and would love if they released it again.

 

Per their e-mail newsletter sent out yesterday:
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Back In BLAKKR

BLAKKR, our collaboration imperial black IPA, will start hitting liquor stores and bars in Minnesota, Iowa and Chicago on Monday, April 6.

We'll have a release event at Turtle's Bar & Grill in Shakopee, Minnesota starting at 5pm on Monday, April 6. Get more details on the website.

This double black as night IPA is too massive for just one brewery's efforts. BLAKKR took the trinity of Real Ale Brewing Co., Surly Brewing Co., and Three Floyds Brewing Co. to actualize this crushing ale. This Imperial Black IPA has flavors of black licorice and bittersweet hop aromas of pineapple.

Make sure to get your BLAKKR gear at The Company Store in the brewery. We have limited editions of men's and women's t-shirts, a can glass with a full wrap of the can artwork and a standard BLAKKR poster as well as a special variant.
Come check out the limited edition items, once they're gone, they're gone!

 

Came to dsm last year and hung around a few places. Would not be surprised to see it again

 

I love Blakkr. I'm going to try to "cellar" a couple cans for a few months. The ones we got here in Des Moines last year were a little on the old side of things, but I thought they were still incredible. Tons of roast and tons of hops.

 

I thought after a couple of months this beer turned into a malty mess!

 

anyone drink a can yet? co-worker picked up some and cracked one open. said it was horrible and blakkr is one of his favorite brews.

 

Yes, and its absolutely wonderful. Your friend must have just finished brushing his teeth or something

 

It is not what I remember it being like last year. Wasn't a huge fan, probably will be sending the other 3 cans out as extras.

 

I had a 3/30 dated can yesterday. I thought it was fantastic, slightly better than last year's if anything. Between Blakkr, Todd the Axe Man, and Eight, I think Surly lately is doing the best brewing it has ever done.

 

Forgetting BA Darkness are we?

 

Genuinely curious if you're serious? Not trying to be snarky. I can certainly get on board with that statement about Todd the Axe Man.

 

I don't mean to suggest that those are literally the three best beers Surly has ever brewed, but, for me, they're right near the top. I'd put pre-2014 Darkness, 2011 and 2012 Wet, and perhaps Two and the classic Furious right there with them. (I thought both versions of 2014 Darkness were a step down from previous years', and I've never been among Abrasive's most loyal enthusiasts). In the past 14 months, a brewery that has been around for nine years has released three of my six to eight favorite beers that it has ever made.

Some of the flaws that have been reported with certain bottles/cans of Eight, Abrasive, and Furious argue against my contention, but I personally haven't experienced those problems, and, when Surly executes properly, I think it is executing better than it ever has before.

I use "the other site" for ratings, and below is Surly's overall top 25 from there. Blakkr at #8 bests most years of Wet. Todd at #11 is still fighting the Bayesian weighting (its unweighted mean is 4.01, which would put it at #3). It's clear from the reviews that Eight at #22 is being dragged down by the possibly infected bottles. Throw those out (and note that it is BA, although not RB, policy not to rate infected beer), and Eight looks like it also may sneak into the top ten. For those unaccustomed to RB ratings, note that RB users generally are tougher graders than are BA users; that's why all of the ratings are "so low."

1. Surly Darkness 4.2
2. Surly Abrasive Ale 4.07
3. Surly Barrel Aged Darkness (2007- 2012) 3.99
4. Surly Darkness 2014 – Bottled 3.99
5. Surly Furious 3.97
6. Surly Four 3.95
7. Surly Wet 2012 3.92
8. Surly Blakkr 3.87
9. Surly Wet 2011 3.86
10. Surly Wet 2009 & 2010 3.85
11. Surly / Amager Todd - The Axe Man (Surly Version) 3.82
12. Surly Five 3.81
13. Surly Smoke Lager 3.8
14. Surly Bourbon One 3.77
15. Surly Cacao Bender 3.75
16. Surly Pentagram 3.72
17. Surly Overrated West Coast Style IPA 3.72
18. Surly Coffee Bender 3.72
19. Surly Two 3.71
20. Surly Moe’s Bender 3.7
21. Surly Misanthrope Saison 3.68
22. Surly Eight Ale 3.68
23. Surly Bender 3.67
24. Surly One 3.65
25. Surly Bandwagon IPA 3.64

 

Feels like the anniversary beers get knocked because they've gotten more experimental and they're not instant sell outs. Personally, I've found them all to be drinkable and interesting, particularly with some age on them. Eight was my favorite since Five, though I like syx and Seviin too. To each their own.

 

If Todd the Axe Man starts getting canned I will lose my job because I'll just sit in my basement and drink it all day.

 

Sipping my first Blakkr of the season, and I'm pretty convinced it's different, and it's not just my palate. The last version seemed very much like Abrasive mixed with something, and I'm getting very little Abrasive with this one. What I'm not sure of yet is whether that's a bad thing...

 

So you're saying it's properly carbonated?

 

Does it still have plenty of hops in it? Or is it more malty?