Bender
Surly Brewing Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States 🇺🇸
Brown Ale Rotating|
Score
7.11
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This beer is an amalgamation of styles; brown/porter/APA. Five distinct malts, including two from Belgium, give this beer added complexity and depth. We also add oatmeal to this beer to give it a smooth texture not usually associated with this type of beer. We add large amounts of American finishing hops to give Bender a citrus hop aroma because... we like hops. This is a session beer weighing in around 5% alcohol and 25 IBUs. Grab one today, we think you will want another!
Admin Note: Discontinued in 2019, but occasionally turns up on draft.
Admin Note: Discontinued in 2019, but occasionally turns up on draft.
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7.4/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
12 oz can in a variety pack purchased June 2026. Can shows 5.3% ABV. A very nice brown ale. Smooth, creamy texture. Lacks the sweetness that I dislike in some brown ales. Hints of chocolate and coffee.
Tried
from Can
from
Horrocks Farm Market
on 11 Jun 2026
at 22:56
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
dark brown, nice large beige head. Aroma is sweet and hoppy, with a nice maltiness. Flavour is hoppy, but very subtle, with a nice caramel. Wow, this is a great session beer, crisp, and flavourful, i could drink this all night!
Tried
on 28 Feb 2025
at 05:01
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
Tap @ Mikkeller Bar Aarhus. Pours reddish brown with a medium offwhite head. Aromas of malt, chocolate, light hoppiness, orange sweetness. Taste is malty, chocolate, bitter, toasty, sweet.
Tried
from Draft
on 06 Nov 2019
at 16:55
6.3/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 7
Pours a deep brown with a two fingers of beige foam that dissipates quickly and leaves a ring around the inside of the glass. Great lacing down the glass. Subtle coffee aromas with some light dark chocolate notes as it warms. Dark raisin and prune notes with more coffee and chocolate on the palate. Velvety smooth texture, but doesn't really do too much for me overall. Light roasted coffee, hop bitterness on the finish. Solid brown, but nothing more.
Tried
on 15 Aug 2018
at 03:02
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
From the tap, at Zelo, Minneapolis. Pours dark brown with beautiful ruby reflections and fine brownish foam. Aroma is not intense, with just some maltiness and terrain. Body is medium with some level of carbonation. Taste is moderate sweetness and bitterness, with oatmeal emerging in the finish.
-- rated with beerbasher/winphone
-- rated with beerbasher/winphone
Tried
from Draft
on 09 Nov 2016
at 14:51
7/10
Tried
on 02 Nov 2016
at 21:59
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Can. A- Oak, subtle booze, fruit esters, chocolate. A- Brown mahogany color, clear liquid, tan head. T- Caramel, malty, subtle fruits. P- Medium body, slightly thin texture, average carbonation, complex finish O- Easily one of the best brown ales I’ve had. Didn’t get any coffee, vanilla, or anything really that I expected. Instead it smelled and tasted like a lighter bodied scotch ale. Quite frankly, I don’t care as it was tasty.
Tried
from Can
on 07 Oct 2016
at 16:13
6.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Not a whole lot too this. Light roast and lots of mash malt. Might be better fresh, but not a top brown ale for me. Dark mahogany pour. Tangy mash finish. Tap at Churchkey.
Tried
from Draft
on 21 Jun 2016
at 17:30
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Tap@Mikkeller & Friends, Copenhagen - dark brown to black with a beige head. Toasty and roasty aroma and taste, treacle, caramel and toffeish sweetness, some nutty notes, brown sugar, sweet malty finish. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone
Tried
from Draft
on 11 Mar 2016
at 09:37
7.8/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
From Nov 2007
I got this one in a trade with Wasatch. Thanks John!
This pours from 16oz can a deep brown with a large tannish head of foam that sticks around forever as a 1 finger layer and there's a butload of sticky lacing.
The smell is of sweet malt, grain, and roasted malt.
The taste has a nice malt sweetness up front. I get caramel malt, chocolate, dark fruit, coffee, and toffee. It has a good thick mouthfeel to it, the carbonation is on the light side, and it finishes slightly bitter and slightly sweet. Very tasty. And with its low abv content, it would be *easy* to kick back a few of these. Wow, this is *so* drinkable indeed!
Bottom line: This is an excellent example of the style...one of the best that I've tried to date. Highly recommended!!
I got this one in a trade with Wasatch. Thanks John!
This pours from 16oz can a deep brown with a large tannish head of foam that sticks around forever as a 1 finger layer and there's a butload of sticky lacing.
The smell is of sweet malt, grain, and roasted malt.
The taste has a nice malt sweetness up front. I get caramel malt, chocolate, dark fruit, coffee, and toffee. It has a good thick mouthfeel to it, the carbonation is on the light side, and it finishes slightly bitter and slightly sweet. Very tasty. And with its low abv content, it would be *easy* to kick back a few of these. Wow, this is *so* drinkable indeed!
Bottom line: This is an excellent example of the style...one of the best that I've tried to date. Highly recommended!!
Tried
from Can
on 25 Jan 2016
at 16:13