Surly will begin doing monthly small batch (60-120BBL) releases of experimental beers made at their Brooklyn Center brewery called the BC Small Batch Series. http://surlybrewing.com/news/bc-small-batch-lets-get-experimental/ The first release comes out this week in cans. It’s called Inside the Upside Down and is an imperial kettle sour brewed with strawberry puree and whole raspberries made in collaboration with J. Wakefield. 2018 Releases: Inside the Upside Down–imperial kettle sour ale with strawberry and raspberry. Zest Crazed–American pale ale with grapefruit and lemon. Stunner–tropical session ale. Frisson—Champagne-inspired black currant lager. A Beer Hall favorite. 3DH–triple IPA. Damien–American black ale. Furious Black—black IPA. Grindcore—espresso milk stout.
Grindcore is really great. Had a nitro draft pour at Up Down before the Sleep show here at Wooly's a few weeks ago. Also glad to hear Damien/Furious Black will be canned, the bombers were overpriced but those beers stand out and are worth trying. The way I read the press release on Surly's site makes me doubt we'll see these down south in Iowa, but I'm glad to see the innovation despite that.
I would be happy to start picking up Surly again at a liquor store. However packing beers that they have brewed before "now in cans' seems less of experimental and one offs and more like a seasonal beers. I will be happy to be proven wrong that they don't start to revisit these beers year to year. Just a little disappointed that it is not pushing the limits more.
It's good to see Surly letting the home-drinking public try what in the past would've been Beer Hall specials. Surly had been losing its reputation for experimentation and innovation despite greatly increasing its variety in the post-Haug era. I think that's because it wasn't releasing many interesting new canned products (plus, until recently, it hadn't been chasing the NEIPA, pastry stout, and fruited kettle sour trends). Also note that the now canned Hopshifter, which shifts frequently and often utilizes experimental hops, is a series of some of the most innovative and best IPAs being produced in the state (for the all-too-few of us who still care about dry IPAs).
From Surly: The run on Inside the Upside Down is 60 barrels, so distribution on this one will be limited to Minnesota and North Dakota. The footprint for future 120-barrel releases will roughly be MN, ND, Wisconsin, and the Chicago area.
Have they put out a different hop shifter in cans from the first one they did? That’s my only beef, I don’t know what’s what. I’ve been a Surly fan for a long time but never understood the desire from some to drink Damien. To me it literally tastes like what it is, leftover muted nonsense.
Good to know on Hopshifter. Hopefully it is not limited and I see it by me. Been revisiting my roots lately and really getting into the old school IPA's as I like to call them before everything got sweet and fruity.
Anybody else try it? Thoughts? I think it's very good, & glad they are doing 16oz 4-packs instead of overpriced bombers.
