Surly Five

In honor of Surly Brewing’s fifth anniversary we brewed a 100% Brettanomyces fermented brown aged in used red wine barrels. Brettanomyces is a yeast used in place of "normal" brewing yeast, it produces a unique flavor profile. Pentagram is a single barrel "tasting" of Five. Five (with all barrels blended together) was released during spring 2011 in bottles and kegs. Surly Five has strong flavors of earthy black cherry and raisins with a sour finish.

3.8

244 reviews

Minneapolis, United States

Community reviews

3.8 Bottle from mane liquor. Cheers josh and el! Poured a dark brown with a tanned head. Nose is Brett dominant, wood chips, berries, plumbs and tart. Taste is more berries - plum and berry driven. Brown sugar and dark fruits start to evolve. Finished off with some oaky vanilla and the Brett continues to the end. Good stuff.

3.9 Bottle from Mane Liquor. Pours very dark brown with a small beige rim around the top leaving great lacing. Nose is huge on Brett and very woody. Some bright berries and a little plummy behind the tartness. Taste is full of bright berries - massive raspberry and plum with some sticky dates coming through. Plenty of dark fruits and brown sugar with oaky vanilla and big Brett. Full mouth feel with loads of tart. A lot happening. Very good stuff

4.0 Bottle shared at RBWG grand tasting! Pours a brownish black with bubbly head. Aroma is slight funk with big dark fruit notes. Taste is nicely funked, big wine barrel notes with tannic qualities from the wood. Very nice.

3.7 Bottle generously shared at the RBWG grand tasting. Nice kriek cherry sourness. Slightly earthy with coffee notes. Some really nice dryness. Very good.

3.6 Bottle at RBWG Asheville Grand Tasting. Pours clearish brown with a creamy tan head. Leathery tart fruits in the nose. Medium sweet flavor, slightly metallic, lots of acetic berries, leather, funk. Medium bodied with fine carbonation. Tart, acetic finish, certainly leathery, some blistering sourness. Not bad.

3.8 Bottle pour dark brown. Nose some sour funk with wine. Hint of tannin and wood. Taste mild sour, Brett, then wine. Wine finish.

3.9 Bottle @ Too many geuze’s only one toilet, Ulfborg 2012. Reddish brown of color with a beige head. An aroma of prunes, liqurice, weak sour and spice. A flavor of oak, liqurice, prunes, dry and redwine.

3.9 750mL bottle, sent from futuraxz (thanks a lot, Will), pours a deep dark mahogany / brown with a small beige head. Aroma brings out tart dark fruits, considerable brett, some vinegar, and red wine barrels. Flavour is very complex, with loads of brett, red wine barrels, a little vinegar and tart red fruits. Everything is superbly well-integrated, with the most dominant notes being red wine and tart fruits. Carbonation is lively, which is suitable for the style. Excellent stuff.

3.6 Bottle. Backlog of ratings. The smell is sour, tart, wood, wine, and nice. The look is brown in color, clear, and an ok head. The taste is sour, tart, cherries, and fruits.

4.4 Bottle sampled at RBSG. From notes. Dark fermented fruits, vanilla, raisins and a little funky brett. Very good.

4.1 Traded bottle about 2 years old now. Dark brown pour that is reminiscent of a porter but almost no head. Pleasant aroma that is slightly tart, a mellow sourness and it makes your mouth water without being overpowering. big bold and sour flavor that finishes with some interesting sweet notes. Very well done.

3.6 Rated in April 2012 (Backlog) - Deep brown with a decent sized beige head. Aroma is of light funk, grapes, wood and acetic acid. Taste is tart with some funk and wood.

3.8 Bottle: Amazingly dark, thin to moderate sudsy off-white head, little lacing. Looks like a Sour Red/Brown. Oh well. Nice semi-sweet vinegary nose, unripened fruit too. Very much a tart/sour dark red/brown like brew on the tongue. Soft unripened like fruity sweetness, with a bit more dry sourness to cancel it out. Yeah, the more I drink this the less tart and more sour it becomes. I define it as "puckering the lips and tongue". If it were just dry and tart, I wouldn’t be making this face right now. Very much like a solid Sour Red/Brown in my book. Body and mouthfeel are very much moderate. Wished it had a bit more on the finish as its too quick, but its a solid Flanders type beer (in my book), given that its brewed here in the good ole USA. Very respectable!

3.6 75cl, no mention of ABV, new exclusive American brew Anno 2011, with Brettanomyces, thx alot to kraddel!, complex sour brew, malty/vinous and slightly woody/fruity, yet easy to drink, balanced, hazy, small head, good brew

4.3 A - Reddish-brown with a finger of frothy tan-khaki head. Fades normal. S - Sour cherries, oak, vanilla, red wine, other dark fruits, some dark malts, funky Brett, and some tart green fruits. T - Sour cherries, funky Brett, oak, vanilla, red wine, dark fruits, dark malts, tart green apple and other green fruits. M - Medium bodied with moderate-light carbonation. Smooth with a tart and sour finish. D - Nice wild ale. Good overall balance and complexity.

3.8 Garnet brown pour with ruby highlights and 2 fingers of fizzy tan head. Nose is very sharp, acidic and vinous big time. Dark fruits with some dark caramel and toffee coming through. Very sharp acidity (bordering acetic) with a touch of alcohol. Dark fruit and vinous/oak notes on the finish.

3.8 Back log. Enjoyed at a tasting with some local beer buddies 2 weeks ago. Aroma is tart as is the taste. Solid beer and fun to drink.

3.5 Bottle. Pour a reddish brown, with a biege head. Dark fruit, sourness, red wine barrel character, cherry, light brett notes, and light vinegar. Decent sour, just not as good as many other dark sours.

3.8 Black with crimson highlights with a tan head. The aroma has some raisin, licorice, and mild vanilla. It has a light somewhat thin body with soft carbonation. The taste is tart, borderline sour, with a mouthwatering finish.

3.7 750ml bottle from Russ. Appearance : Deep amber with small foamy and creamy head. Awesome bottle graphic and nice waxing job. Aroma : Rich dark fruits with light brett. Cherry notes, light chocolate and light balsamic notes. Taste : Great tartness, rich cherries and light balsamic. Finish has great citrusy tartness with red fruits, cherries and brett. Slightly vinous. Palate : Very soft carbonation. Overall : Nice stuff but not as complex as the better example of the style (dark sours). Nice tartness, nice brett but it lacks some character. Still a really nice drink

3.8 750ml bottle. Dark brown with a biege creamy head. Malty, brett, some funk, some tannins, and a bit of cherry. Full body, moderate carbonation, dry fruit, malt, sour and overall very tasty.

3.9 one opf my shares in the adam jackson tasting ( seriously, you’re a boig boy in belgium if tastings get to be named after you dude! ) pours brown, almost no foam. smell is very much like wine, sharp carbo, taste is wine, sugary, sour. too much sugar for me.

4.6 Thx! to Kraddel for sharing this one @ ‘The Adam Jackson Tasting’. 75 cl. bottle sampled & drank from the bottle. Cool, green Baphomet label with glitter(?) green waxing. Pours a darkish brown with a lightly tanned head, only on the sides. Smell is sour chocolate, sour wine bacteria interacting, sour cherries & typical USA brett profile all the way, young wine. Tastes of sour tannic wine, sour chocolate, USA brett all the way, touch lacto, earthly, sour cherries and pits, leather, touch malts, bitter tannins in the back, overripe red grapes. Oddly full like the USA sours tend to be, usual profile. Drinks pretty well out of the bottle, haven’t had to many dark sours yet, style doesn’t seem to be working entirely, this was still quite lovely.

2.9 25/II/13 - 1Pt. 6Fl. Oz. bottle @ home - BB: n/a (2013-192) Thanks to Kraddel for sharing the bottle! Clear purple to dark red brown beer, small beige head, unstable, non adhesive. Aroma: very zour, earthy, leather, tobacco, rotten leafs, bit dry. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: pretty sour, lemony, earthy, leather, rotten fruits, quite some bitter tannins, grape skin. Aftertaste: some vinegar, bit fruity, sour red berries, bitter, rotten fruits, red wine. Bleh. If I want bitter tannins puckering my mouth, I’ll drink a cheap young red wine instead, thank you...

3.1 Enjoyed in small taster at room temp. A - Dark brown, minimal 1 finger head that fades fast S - Cherries, flanders red aroma, oak and oranges. T - Very oaky, slightly sweet, hint of funk and a nice tart finish. Cherries are throughout but not getting the "wine barrel" aspect noted on the label M - Light body, dry and sweet with light carbonation O - Decent sour but not something I’d seek out. Certainly not going to seek out Pentagram now.

3.7 Bouteille de 750 ml, avec cire sur le bouchon, partagée lors d’une dégustation Ratebeer Montréal. Arôme: Odeur de cerise légèrement acide. Apparence: La couleur est ambrée foncée. Présence d’un mince col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de cerise légèrement acide avec une pointe chocolatée. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement vineuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Légère présence de cerise en arrière goût. (Rating #4581)

3.9 750 ml bottle shared with the group. Pours a dark cola like brown with a small beige head. The aroma has tart dark fruits, cherry, woody notes, dark caramel with some funk. The flavor has thick dark caramel, tart black cherry, wood, other dark fruits and some funk. The finish gets a bit soft which was somewhat disappointing. Still very good.

3.6 Name: Five Date: October 26, 2012 Mode: Bottle Source: Tasting, BSP Appearance: opaque dark brown, fine tan head Aroma: sweet and fruity aroma, dark fruits, earthy Flavor: tart and winey flavor, sweet fruityness, fruity tartness, rich Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 15/20 Rating: 3.6/5.0 Drinkability: 7/10 Score: *** /4

3.8 Bottle @ home... It pours dark reddish with yeast floaters, small tan head..... The aroma is vinous, acidic, light roasted malt.....The flavor is brett, sour, vinous, oak and red wine notes..... very nice, like this....

4.4 Tap at Heritage Liquor Beer Greek Christmas. Pours a reddish brown with a nice sour/tart aroma. Flavor is woody with cherries and a nice sour kick at the end. So glad I have a bottle in the cellar, this is great.