Surly Smoke Lager

Brewed By: Surly Brewing in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

Purchased: 1 Pint 9.4oz (25.4oz) GRAY WAXED bottle bought at Whole Foods in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled 2013)

Style/ABV: Smoked/Baltic Porter/Oak Aged Smoked Baltic Porter, 8.2%

Reported IBUs: 50

Baltic Porters are the weird step-cousins of Imperial Stouts. These non-hoppy, malt bombs of a Lager are similar in style to both English Brown Porters and Schwarzbiers. The style was traditionally brewed by countries bordering the Baltic Sea, and is most similar to English Porters but was influenced by Russian Imperial Stouts. Tonight's beer takes the Baltic Porter format, and ratchets it up a few notches. About Surly Brewing: 

The Surly Brewing company is a brewery based out of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. The brewery was founded in 2005 by long time homebrewer Omar Ansari with the help of Todd Haug (Minneapolis's Rock Bottom Brewery). For more info, check out the brewery's about page.

Tonight's beer, the Surly Smoke Lager, is massive in all the ways that matter. The bottle (and website) reads: "Ebony-hued, Smoke wafts out of the bottle and into your senses, borne on the wings of European traditions, wrapped in American innovation. Lager-brewed, like any true Baltic Porter, with smoked malts from Bamberg, Germany, the home of Rauchbiers, then mellowed by oak-aging. Black malt flavors mesh with notes of raisins, plums, figs and licorice with the subtle smoke on the side, for a complex and luxurious, yet silky smooth drinking experience. It's a sipper at Alc. 8.2% by VOL., but everyone knows you can't have Smoke without fire!" This one features Pale Ale, Smoked, Black, and Oat malts; it uses Warrior hops; the beer is fermented using German Lager yeast; and the beer is aged in or on oak. At 8.2% ABV and 50 IBUs, this one is sort of within the style guidelines.

Surly Smoke Lager

The Surly Smoke pours into an opaque, dark black/brown/reddish body, and kicks up three fingers of pretty dark mocha/brown head. There's a centimeter of hazy head hanging around, probably courtesy of the oats. Bright light confirms the same stuff...I'm okay calling this beer dark brown. It's opaque as they come.

The aroma here is big Bamberg/beechwood smoked malts, meats, ham/bacon, cherrywood, sauna, and dusty cocoa. SWIRL THIS BEER! When you swirl the beer in the glass, you unlock the mystery of dark grains, coffee, molasses, dark fruits, cherries, fruity alcohol, and big oak sweetness. The oak sweetness is woody and nutty and reminds me of the Two Brothers Atom Smasher.

The taste is intense, with big Rauchbier-esque smoked malts. I'm picking up beechwood, sauna, dark grains, cherries and boozy dark fruits, and layers of oak/wood/booze. Between all the smoke and fruity booze is some hints of molasses, coffee, and chocolate. There's a mild salty character here too.

This isn't as complex as I was expecting it to be...but that is not a serious knock against the beer. The beer is medium to full-bodied, depending heavily on the temperature that you drink it at. As it warms up, it starts to thicken up. The mouthfeel has added sustenance thanks to the low levels of carbonation. At 8.2% this is very drinkable, but you do get some nice, subtle booze in this. It adds a layer of needed complexity, and goes well with the dark malts and smoke. This is a Lager through and through, so a lot of the complexity comes from the malts, smoke, and oak. Speaking of: Up front is rich sweetness, dark fruits, molasses, chocolate, cocoa powder, coffee, and smoke; the mids roll into big sauna, beechwood, cherry wood, coffee, legit Bamberg Rauchbier-esque smoked malts, meaty hints, smoke, oak/bourbon/whiskey, more dark fruits; the back continues to bounce between oak/alcohol/bourbon/oak/dark fruits/etc. There is lingering molasses and smoke. The finish isn't super dry or sweet...very clean...hints of Lager spice. Like a Lager should be.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Decent Above-Average for me. I enjoy the boozy fruits, coffee, and subtle oak that elevate this beer above just being a smoked Baltic Porter. It's a very well-made, clean beer too. It's kind of...like...an embodiment of Surly, to be honest. They make aggressive but clean beers that you can quaff all night long. I'd maybe pick this beer up again...it's hard to say with the $17 or $18 price tag. Food pairings here are pretty much smoked meats, bacon, BBQ sandwiches, chili, strong cheeses, ribs, burgers, and yeah. This is good stuff. Also, dat bottle art/wax. 

Random Thought: For whatever reason, this week just keeps going on and on. It's like the longest week ever.

Sixpoint 3Beans

Brewed By: Sixpoint Brewery in Brooklyn, New York  

Purchased: 12oz too-cool CAN from a 4-pack bought at Walgreens in Chicago, Illinois; 2013

Style/ABV: Spice/Herb/Vegetable (Imperial Stout), 10.0%

Reported IBUs: 85

If you read this blog (lol) you know I love coffee beers. It helps me transition from my coffee adiction to my alcoholism. Yay! So when I found out that Sixpoint (the brilliant bastards that melted my enamel with their Resin) made a coffee beer, I had to try it. Plus, I get a badge in Untappd. Ghey. About Sixpoint:

Sixpoint Brewery is relatively new to the world of craft beer, as they were founded in 2004. The brewery was founded by brewer Shance C. Welch, as he began brewing in an 800 square foot garage in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook. Wikipedia states that the brewery was co-founded by Andrew Bronstein, who met Welch at the University of Wisconsin. Andrew provided the cash investment needed to lease the facilities and begin brewing. The brewery is known for its boundary-breaking philosophy. More specifically, Sixpoint is all about not defining their beers according to style guidelines. This point is echoed if you visit their Beers page. They state that they have brewed hundreds of different beers, and they have no plans to stop this proliferation of styles. Of final note, Sixpoint began canning their beer in 2011, which is pretty cool, especially for a craft brewer.

As usual, the can format is pretty awesome. This comes in a tall, slender, 12oz can. The 3Beans is part of Sixpoint's "rotational beers," and comes in at 10.0% ABV, and 85 IBUs. There's a video for the 3Beans that can be found HERE. The 3Beans is brewed with -- /// drumroll /// -- 3 beans. This beer uses Romano Beans, Cacao Beans, and Coffee Beans, to accumulate in one big, sexy, Imperial Stout.

Sixpoint 3Beans

This one does not dial up the Stout darkness or Stout thickness, initially pouring a light brown (not dissimilar to Lagunitas' Cappucinno Stout or the Founders' Frangelic Mountain Brown). The body eventually settles into a dark brown, black appearance, but bright light betrays the ruby red and brown body. The beer pours with three finger's worth of foamy, sandy, tan head. The head quickly dissolves into a thin, soapy layer just coating the beer. There's a lot of sticky lacing on this. Although not opaque, it's hard to see the carbonation in this. Frankly, this one is very cola-esque.

The aroma on this is pretty mild, with faint espresso, faint coffee (spent coffee, coffee in a can), hazelnut and malt sweetness (caramel, creamer), and a dash of velvety cacao. Overall though, not a particularly vibrant nose.

The taste is basically a mirror of the nose...this is initially light up front, with some espresso, thin carbonation (the coffee variety), dashes of velvety/creamy cappuccino, and a whole bunch of coffee in the can/spent in the filter. There's some aggressive bitterness punching my teeth on the back of this beer, and you really feel the brunt of 85 IBUs. Unfortunately, it's not really manifesting as bold flavors. I'm getting some watery tobacco mid-palate, and there's some earthy flavors dancing around with the coffee, including dirt and compost. 

If there is a silver lining here, it's that the 10.0% ABV pretty much disappears into the slightly watery and smooth abyss that is this beer. BeerAdvocate is calling this beer a "Baltic Porter," and I sort of see why. This is medium-light in terms of mouthfeel, has average palate depth, and low to average complexity. Up front is malt sweetness, espresso, and burgeoning coffee; mid-palate is espresso bitterness, spent coffee, bitter bitterness, and fade to bitter; the back is teeth-punishing, 85-IBU bitter, faded coffee, maybe a dash of roast. Velvety smooth cocoa and creamer comes and goes. The finish is dry, bitter, and coffee-like.

Rating: Average

I'm feeling a Light Average on this...this isn't bad, is fairly drinkable, and is priced well at around 10-12 dollars a 4-pack. Now, comparatively...Founders' Breakfast Stout sells for similar prices, and comes in a 6-pack 4-pack (edit: my bad, the FBS comes in a 4-pack). I'm not going to do the math, but you get the point. In the end, this is a solid beer, and would pair well with breakfast foods, or coffee-braised beef, a steak, ribs, brisket, or anything with a rich BBQ-type sauce. You could also pair this beer with chocolate desserts. If this was a niche beer, it would be a hair of the dog beer. Not too aggressive, drinkable, and will get you drunk again. Mmm.

Random Thought: I'm still not prepared to call this a Baltic Porter. Maybe just an "American Porter," or Robust Porter. But whatever. The sooner they make an official "Breakfast Beer" category, the happier I will be.

Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

Brewed By: Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick, Maryland 

Purchased: Single 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in Illinois; 2012

Style/ABV: Baltic Porter, 9.2%

Flying Dog has one of the more interesting brewery stories. The brewery began as a brewpub in Aspen, Colorado, which eventually became a brewery in Denver, Colorado. As Flying Dog expanded, they opened a second brewery in 2006 in Frederick, Maryland. In 2008 the brewery shut down their Denver location. What makes Flying Dog interesting is the founder, George Stranahan. George Stranahan is a "physics professor, scholar, amateur photographer, philanthropist, entrepreneur, activist, and all-around rebel." At least according to the website. He was inspired to name his brewery "Flying Dog" after climbing the K2. Apparently he and his mountain climbing colleagues were drinking some beer at the Pakistani hotel bar after their climb. George noticed a painting on the wall of a dog with wings - a Pakistani artist's take on the English Bird Dog. George liked the dog, and named the brewery after it.

George Stranahan also happened to be buddies with Hunter S. Thompson (is an intro really needed here?). Stranahan was Thompson's neighbor, friend, and "co-conspirator" before Flying Dog Brewery existed. Tonight's beer, the Gonzo Imperial Porter, is inspired by Hunter S. Thompson. The brewery made the beer in 2005 to commemorate Thompson's passing. The last piece of the puzzle is Flying Dog's artist, the guy who puts all the crazy stuff on the bottle labels. That guy is Ralph Steadman, and he was introduced to George by Hunter S. Thompson. Flying Dog has had all sorts of controversy regarding their label art. That includes Ralph Steadman's first effort for the company: the Road Dog Porter label which said, "Good Beer, No Shit." Take that, censorship!

You can and should learn more by checking out the brewery website. It's a cool brewery page with good info. And everyone owes it to themselves to get acquainted with Hunter S. Thompson. As mentioned, today's beer, the Gonzo Imperial Porter was inspired by Hunter S. Thompson, and created to commemorate his passing. The beer is fucking huge, clocking in at 9.2% ABV and packing 85 IBUs. The beer page says the beer is brewed with Warrior and Northern Brewer hops, and it is described as having a roasted chocolate, coffee, and vanilla palate.

I won't drag on too much about semantics because I spent so much time talking about the brewery. This beer really beckons the Porter vs. Stout debate: that is, what's the difference? That's a lengthy discussion for another day. Since the BJCP has a section for Porters that is different than Stouts, it is likely that this beer would qualify as a Baltic Porter due to the complex malts, the huge ABV, and the complexities. BeerAdvocate did categorize this beer as a Baltic Porter. However, this beer also packs 85 IBUs! That is Imperial IPA hoppy. Actually, to be more accurate, that is Imperial Stout hoppy. Because this beer makes such strong use of hops, it probably is an outlier as far as Porters go. And that sort of brings us back to the Stout vs. Porter debate. Ratebeer dumped this into their made up "Imperial Porter" category, and I'm happy they have it. I like paying attention to styles differences, but the BJCP's three Porter categories is definitely pandering. Anyway, let's review this beer.

Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

Damn. This beer pours wonderfully. This beer is dark dark brown, approaching black in low light. In bright light this beer has hints of ruby-red that escape the corners, but the body is still dark, dark brown. The initial pour reveals 4-fingers of super foamy and thick, ice-cream float consistency head. The head is dark brown/dark coffee brown in color. After pouring the rest of the beer, I'm left with 2-fingers of very thick, very creamy head. There is also a ton of sticky lacing on my glass. I think the most impressive part about pouring this beer is that the head cascades like Guinness, and you see a storm of carbonation turn into beer. This is really a gorgeous beer. I can't see any carbonation because the body is so dark. But I'm really impressed with head retention on this 9.2% ABV beer. 

The aroma on this is really interesting. I'm getting a lot of big malts, but there is a candy-like or earthy hop quality really coming off the nose. For what it is worth, this smells a lot like an Imperial Stout. I'm pulling out boozy roasted malts, wood, unsweetened bitter chocolate, coffee, vanilla, a faded candy hop note, and earthy hop tones. There is also a touch of raisins or dark fruit.

There's a lot of carbonation, a lot of big malts, and some serious hop bite on the back end that really drive this beer. I'm getting big roasted and burnt malts. I'm tasting campfire, vanilla, wood, coffee-essence, bitter chocolate, dark raisins or prunes, black licorice, and definitely hops. I'm pulling out some orange or citrus, and some earthy hop notes. This beer has huge, Imperial Stout like malts. They are nicely balanced by huge hops.

This drinks like a medium-light to medium-heavy beer. The mouthfeel is not sticky: it is carbonated, and pretty smooth on the front of the palate. You do feel some alcohol warming on the back end, and there is a woody/roast sensation that dries out the palate as you drink this beer. This has great palate depth, and I would say this beer is medium to highly complex. The front palate is smooth, vanilla, wood, and burgeoning roasted and burnt malts; the middle is roasted and burnt malts, the bitter chocolate, hints of fruits, and some hop bitterness; the back is more bitter and roast, with lingering roasted flavors. Roasted and dry with warming on the finish. 

Rating: Above-Average

Score: 89%

There's a lovely quote on the bottle:

"Good people drink good beer." -Hunter S. Thompson

Flying Dog has done Hunter S. Thompson proud. This is a really intriguing twist on the Porter/Stout style with the 85 IBUs and the big hop bite that cuts through this. This is remarkably balanced though, and the hop bite cuts through in a very subtle way. I'm really enjoying the balance between the big malts and the hops in this beer, and I think it drinks remarkably well and pours remarkably well. The 9.2% ABV will definitely keep me from drinking 4 of these in one sitting, but this beer is robust enough that you could "drink" it instead of sipping it. Having said that, I'm impressed and will likely pick this beer up again down the road. So give this beer a shot if you are into extreme beers.