NAME: Surly Coffee Bender
TL;DR summary : Weird, but if you like coffee, I guess…
Beer style: Brown Ale (with coffee)
ABV 5.1%
What I paid: N/A (gift)
How it came (packaging): 4x 16oz. Cans
Brewery link: http://surlybrewing.com/beer/coffee-bender/
About the Beer: Surly is a highly regarded brewery in Minneapolis,
Minnesota. They got their start in 2006, and drove pushed legislative changes
in Minnesota that allowed for production brewers to sell their beers in house.
This particular beer is Surly’s (Oatmeal) Brown ale infused
with cold press coffee. They claim a cappuccino like creaminess. I’ve never had
the standard Bender, or actually any beer from Surly, so this is a bit of a
gamble as first impressions go.
Color/appearance: dark cola brown, thin light tan head
Aroma: sweet, coffee, cocoa, more coffee
Mouth feel: light bodied, effervescent
Flavor: coffee… then some more coffee, mocha, cream. bitter,
but more like coffee bitter than hops. Hops sneak in at the finish
Notes: head dissipated very quickly. wow, so, tastes like
coffee. Not sure I would drink this often, but it’s not horrible. Similar to a
coffee stout, but not full bodied. I don’t know where to go with this. I guess
more confusing than anything. Part of me says nice try at something original,
part of me says it’s gimmicky.
Summary: It lives up to what it claims to be, a beer that
tastes like coffee. I don’t think I would drink it again. I like coffee, but I
guess I just don’t care for it in my beer. That said, I can appreciate what
they were aiming for. I still recommend you try it if it sounds at all appealing
to you. I want to taste the regular Bender. I’m guessing it’s probably a pretty
solid brown ale.
Rating : 2.75
1 – avoid
2 – if it’s the only choice, I guess
3 – a decent beer. Drinkable.
4 – good beer – hard to turn down
5 – great beer - One of my favorites, pour me another.
Style: 2.5 - the coffee takes it to weird places
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