Surly Darkness
This massive Russian Imperial Stout brings waves of flavors; chocolate, cherries, raisins, coffee, and toffee. We add a touch of hops to make this delicious brew even tastier.
85 IBUs.
Labels:
’07 = Grim Reaper
’08 = Devil
’09 = Mummy
’10 = Vampire
’11 = Zombie
’12 = Werewolf
’13 = Hell Demon
’14 = Harpy (bottled reviews have separate entry in database)
’15 = Bat
’16 = Cerberus
’17 = Baba Yaga - Forest Witch
'18 = Minotaur
85 IBUs.
Labels:
’07 = Grim Reaper
’08 = Devil
’09 = Mummy
’10 = Vampire
’11 = Zombie
’12 = Werewolf
’13 = Hell Demon
’14 = Harpy (bottled reviews have separate entry in database)
’15 = Bat
’16 = Cerberus
’17 = Baba Yaga - Forest Witch
'18 = Minotaur
4.2
1133 reviews
Minneapolis, United States
Community reviews
2009 bottle thanks to BuckeyeBoy. Still, flat black pour.Aroma is cherries, chocolate. Taste offers brown sugar notes, raisins. Sticky and sweet. And still good after 11 years.
2009 bottle thanks to BuckeyeBoy inky black pour. Lots of sweet Smith and slightly sticky toasty malts. Some molasses and hints of cocoa. Faded and mellowed but still tasty.
18-07-20 // taster at 7th anniversary of Mon Petit Cafe in Suttgart. 2017. You can taste the age a bit nonetheless stil la lovely IS: Rich and thick. Chocolate and sweet dark fruits, raisins.
Dark black color with a brown head. Booze chocolate oak aroma. Chocolate cherry sweet vanilla flavor. Medium heavy body.
Dark, strong
Black pour brown head. Chocolate, prune, raisin, and cherry. Chewy and full. Fantastic.
Dark brown. Aroma is cherry dark chocolate some complex sugars a little boozy and coconut. Taste is sweet dark chocolate and roast with sweet and sour base. Medium drinkable. Good base and finish.
2016 bottle, many thanks HuskerTan! Deep black color with beige head. Aroma is roast, liquorice, black chocolate. Taste is black chocolate, roast, deep and awesome. Velvety mouthfeel, fine-bubbled carbonation. Awesome classic Imperial Stout!
2016 Bottle, thank you so much Tanner! Black, creamy brown head. Perfumed nose, dark choc, medium body, dry dark sugary base. Mellow mouthfeel, dark sugar, light caramel, cocoa, good balance, full, fun.
Bottle. Dark, black, fine brown head. Roasty soy deliciousness in the nose. Sweet, bitter, soy, smooth and delicious with coffee and a hint of chocolate. Excellent!
750ml bottle (regular 2019 version) pours an opaque dark brown/black with smooth mocha head that leaves some lacing. Aroma is complex with lots of roasted malts, chocolate, raisins, cherries, and even some floral hops. Taste is sweet with slight bitterness and alcohol warmth in the finish. Body is full with slight carbonation and a smooth mouthfeel. This was much smoother than I expected, with the 12% ABV not as obvious as I feared.
A fitting big beer for a special occasion. The only thing I think might make it better would be barrel aging.
O n tap at Shamrocks. Pours a black color with a tan head and bit of lacing. Aroma of roasted malt, dark fruit and hint of chocolate. Taste of roasted malt dark fruit with just a hint of chocolate. Nominal bitterness and a clean finish. Fairly full body, smooth, flavorful and not boozy as expected. Nicely crafted.
Very complex aroma. Coffee, chocolate, dark fruit, a little boozy. Pitch black with a brown head. Tastes roasted with a good amount of chocolate and lactose sweetness to balance. Great smooth finish, palate is full and rich. This lives up to its reputation.
Decent brew I'm glad a buddy sent me a surly pack. The new had a decent color mild head and a good finish. An average brew
Tasted from bottle aged 4 years. Pours black with thick beige head. Aroma is raisins, cocoa and molasses. Thick and chewy. Lots of cherry on the flavor. Some coffee, cocoa, raisins. Awesome RIS.
Fra fad.
Kulsort med beige skum.
Dufter af kaffe, lakrids, malt.
Smager bittersødt af samme med fuld krop.
Dejlig stout!
2010 bottle, that held up much better than anyone could have ever expected. Pours a deep brownish black with bubbly tan ring of head that leaves light lace. Aroma of dark roasted malts, dark chocolate and coffee, a hint of molasses, and the slightest umami soy sauce oxidation underneath. Taste is more of the dark chocolate and roast, a light toffee sweetness, boozy warmth, and a touch of earthy bitter. This behemoth was amazing fresh, I can tell, would love to try it that way.
Tap. Pours Black with a tam head. Aroma of Coffee, roast, chokolade, Licorice, mollasses, slight ryebread. Rathee sweet with loads of Coffee, melasse. Very sweet.
Ar: Char and raisin; clean alcohol; dark, rich caramel; blackcurrant and moss. Ap: Black and opaque; medium light tan head with good retention, leaving a fine curtain of lacing and a wispy covering of foam. T: Dark caramel and raisin; moderate sweetness; bitterness is medium-high, with accompanying pine and moss flavors. P:Rich and lush; medium-high carbonation; medium finish. O: Big, burly stout; great in the Midwest in winter!
Pitch black color. Massive molasses, dark chocolate, tons of brown sugar, dark cherries, marshmallows with a bit of port. Wow. Amazing depth. Sticky sweet mouth with tons of dark chocolate, port, brown sugar in the mouth. Very full body. The mouth isn’t as deep as the nose but the abv is so well hidden. Excellent
Draft at brewery. Pours black with a khaki head. Leaves some lacing in the glass. Big chocolate and pine on the nose and Tongue. Pretty hop forward for an impy stout but it’s Surly so it mostly works. Hides it’s booze very well.
Puhdasta mämmiä. Raskas.
100 ml taster (2017)by Werckmeister - many thanks! black with beige/brown head.
coffee, chocolate, toffee, dark fruits, umami (meaty, soy sauce), nuts, tobacco.
Full body, oily mouthfeel, medium sweetness, light bitterness, light umami. Well balanced taste. Really good plain imperial stout without any adjucts.
Aroma is dark/roasted malts, chocolate/dark chocolate and dark fruit. The flavor is dark/roasted malts, fruit/dark fruit, mild hops, chocolate and an acidic/warming alcoholic finish.
From bottle at Werckmeisters place, vintage 2017 at 12% ABV, shared by Werckmeister, many thanks! Pours a dark mahogany with a beige head. Aroma of roasted malt, toffee, cocoa, dark fruits, quite some soy sauce, nuts, some herbal notes and some alcohol. Medium-full creamy body with a soft carbonation a medium sweetness and a medium bitterness. Lots of roasted malt in the flavor - lots of chocolate, caramel, molasses, nuts, coffee, raisins and some tobacco. Becomes more roasty towards the finish. Finishes with a distinct roasty bitterness, some residual sweetness and a lightly warming feeling. Overall really good - full of sweetish roasted malt and with a nice roasty bitterness to keep the beer balanced.
Aroma: 8
Appearance: 4
Taste: 8
Palate: 4
Overall: 17
650 ml bottle, bottled 09/07/17. Shared by Werckmeister, many thanks!
Black body, with a medium, creamy, dark beige head.
Aroma of roast, soy sauce, liquorice, bitter chocolate, coffee, some dark fruits.
Tastes similar, while smoother, with more chocolate, subtle vanilla.
Full, oily mouthfeel, with a low carbonation.
Finishes medium roasty, medium dry, a bit sweet, a bit wooden, with dark chocolate, coffee, soy sauce, liquorice.
Very tasty! Quite straight, old-school RIS, but really well balanced and smooth to drink. Complex and round at the same time. Not among my favourite style examples, but really delicious nonetheless.
Score: 8 / 4 / 9 / 4 / 17
0,75l bottle at home shared by me. Vintage 2017. 12% ABV. black color, small coffee colored head. smells earthy, licorice, peppery, spices, some lactose. full body, light carbonation, slick mouthfeel. tastes earthy, of licorice, peppery, spices, nutty, soy sauce, marzipan, light cocoa. finishes lightly bitter with notes of licorice, spices and some earthy notes. Quite good one, not super complex, but overall nice to drink.
On draught in Chicago. Only black with almost no head. Explosion of coffee and lots of ash.
2016 bottle - pours black with a beige head, sheen. Aroma is Rich of leather, wood, licorice and coffee. Thick velvety smooth. Wood, smoked meat, dark fruit, taffy and fudge, as good as billed... So smooth and easy for the abv.
2015 bottle thanks to Bruce. Pours deep black, espresso head. Aroma is rich chocolate, bourbon, mint, vanilla, roasted sweet malts. Flavor is gooey sweet chocolate, bourbon, rye, coffee. full bodied thick thick Impy.