Surly Brewing Company Bender

Bender

 

Surly Brewing Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ

  Brown Ale Rotating
Score
7.11
ABV: 5.1% IBU: 25 Ticks: 103
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.
 

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8.1/10 β€” Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
16 ounce can into pint glass, canned on 7/24/2015. Pours lightly hazy/cloudy deep reddish brown color with a 2 finger fairly dense and fluffy khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted oats, nuttiness, chocolate, cocoa, light coffee/vanilla, herbal, floral, and roast/toasted earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt and light-moderate earthy hop notes; with good strength. Taste of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted oats, nuttiness, chocolate, cocoa, light coffee/vanilla, herbal, floral, and roast/toasted earthiness. Light herbal/spicy hop and roasted bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted oats, nuttiness, herbal, floral, and roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Damn nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; with a great bitterness/sweetness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/silky, and slightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish as expected of 5.1%. Overall this is an excellent American brown ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; and very smooth and easy to drink. A very enjoyable offering.
Tried from Can on 06 Dec 2015 at 19:53

8/10
Tried on 28 Jul 2015 at 23:32

7.4/10 β€” Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 8.5
Can at home. Deep brown pour. Nose is cocoa and cookies. Tastes of chocolate chip cookies, caramel, plum, roasted malt, some resin, cocoa, and coffee. Fine smooth palate slight bite. Quite nice.
Tried from Can on 16 Jun 2015 at 22:41

7.4/10 β€” Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
earth wood cherries pine,malty a touch sweet. Awesome. Totally amazing example of the style.
Tried on 17 Apr 2015 at 04:05

8/10
Tried on 16 Feb 2015 at 17:50

7.6/10 β€” Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Flight at MSP. Sweet, smooth brown ale. Sweet malt nose, some chocolate comes on at the tail end. A bit on the sweet side, but very tasty.
Tried on 16 Feb 2015 at 16:54

6.9/10 β€” Appearance 8 Aroma 6 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 6.5
Sampled from a 16oz can this beer poured a dark brown color with a large creamy orange-brown head that lingered and left decent lacing. The aroma was somewhat bitter with floral hops, sour dark fruits and toffee. The flavor was tangy and sour with malt, oatmeal, coffee, cocoa, vanilla, nut and a bit of sour dark fruits. Long finish. Moderately full bodied and creamy. Interesting.
Tried from Can on 04 Dec 2014 at 17:20

6.5/10 β€” Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 8
Can thanks to Will. Very dark brown. Medium beige head. Roasted. A little bit of wood in there. Nice bitter roastiness but not smooth like coffee.
Tried from Can on 15 Nov 2014 at 16:02

7.5/10 β€” Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 7
Can at Mikkeller Stockholm. Brown pour with very small head. Nutty aroma and taste with some caramel, light coffee and chocolate. Light and tasty.
Tried from Can on 01 Nov 2014 at 08:57

7.4/10 β€” Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 7.5
Olmost black with a brown head - Good malt aroma - Good malt body with some roasted malt, caramel and chcoloate, with some bitterness - Roasted malt goes into the finish - This was good
Tried on 11 Oct 2014 at 09:53