Surly Pentagram
This Arcane Seal guards an enigmatic brew that is Funky, Dark, and Sour. If you choose to break the seal, you have been warned!
100% Brettanomyces dark beer fermented in stainless and aged in used red wine barrels.
100% Brettanomyces dark beer fermented in stainless and aged in used red wine barrels.
3.7
386 reviews
Minneapolis, United States
Community reviews
Bought this for NYE '17, finally drinking it now. I seriously bought this for its arcane label and the fact that it was brewed by Surly, a name I trust. (I didn't bring my cheaters to Binny's, so until now I actually didn't realize I purchased another Sour.) ... Let's just say that I'm a huge fan of Rodenbach and that this brew delivers on every point of what a Sour should be, from eye to nose to tongue to gullet. Pours with a lovely deep mahogany body under a foamy ecru head. Vinous aromas hit my nose first with undertones of cherry, char and that lovely, funky Brett. The flavor matched the aroma completely, and my palate ignited, cringed then smiled to its charred-earth tartness and sour fruitiness. My palate dried to grapeskins under the influence of 6.66%, and that ABV traveled onwards to provide lingering warmth to my belly. The bottle ends a little gritty with the last of the yeasts but overall this was a very welcome surprise. It was a throwback-reminder of the days when I attended Chicago's Festival of Bottle Aged Beers 10 years ago, and something I really needed just right now. ~~~~~~~~ 750ml, purchased Dec. 2017 (bottle code 03/20/17) Binny's, Evergreen Park, IL.
Rami Rami is drinking a Barrel-Aged Pentagram by Surly Brewing Company at Mikkeller Bar Warsaw
Troche octu (za duzo), wisni, bretow, taki amerykanski, bardziej ekstremalny flanders. Moooocno kwasne. Cytryna/agrest ta kwasnosc. I ocet
Rami Rami: Im cieplejszy tym wiecej jakichs slodkich nutek sie pojwia, co ewidentnie lagodzi to piwo i jak dla mnie poprawia. Jakies rodzynki? figi ciut
Bomber at home after show at McCormick, filling in for Billy. Funky brett aroma, wine, little barnyard, band aids. Damn this is sour. Earthy brett notes with red wine vinegar. Perfect carbonation. Sour winey finish.
750ml bottle, 2016 edition. Vinous red wine aroma with notes of Brett funk, oak and a bit of tart cherry. Pours dark caramel colored with a thin tan head that has decent retention and excellent lacing. Starts with vinous red wine and tart cherry flavors as well as red wine tannins. Finishes dry, tart and quite smooth with some Brett funk, oak and a nice hint of vanilla. Really nice sour.
Bomber thanks to AndyReynolds - sour indeed. Vineous and cleans my teeth! Forest fruit. 2016 edition
Tap at the brewery listed as Barrel Aged and 7%. Reddish brown and fairly clear with an acidic sour cherries and red wine aroma. Medium bodied. The taste adds notes of oak and Brett, surprisingly sour (as in more than anticipated).
Pours a deep reddish brown on tap with bubbly tan head that leaves moderate lace. Aroma of vanilla oak notes, a hint of musty funk, dark sweet fruits, and lactic acidity. Taste is more acidic, with some acetobacter in there that may develop badly, more fruit, less oak. Pretty decent for the first sour I've had from surly.
750 ml bottle. This one pours a very dark brown with a reddish tint and topped by a small tan colored head of foam that recedes quickly to the body below. The aroma is really tart and funky with notes of soured dark fruit, cherries, funky, old wood, sweet caramel malts, vinous red wine notes, and some acetic vinegar notes. The flavor follows with notes of tart cherries, old wood, sweet caramel malts, and some acetic acid burn on the back end. Medium bodied with ample carbonation that leads to a slightly tart, acetic finish with a bit of a burn that lingers for awhile. Not sure how old this bottle is, but it didn't hold up well. Meh.
Draft at Jake’s Cigars. Pours dark, dark brown with a with khaki head. Leaves trace lacing in the glass. Lots of red wine action on the nose and tongue. Also has some dark fruits and a lot of tartness. Nice.
750 ml wax-dipped bottle from Happy Harry’s in ND. Creepy fucking bottle, like something from an ’80s horror movie. Aroma is oak, lactic, dark fruit, raisin, molasses. Pours hazy dark brown with orange highlights and a thin beige head. Taste is sour (7/10) and acidic with flavors matching the aroma; faint spiciness. Too much oak influence for me. I’m not getting Brett in aroma or flavor. A tad thin with soft carbonation. The oak is a bit too forward for me, but otherwise it’s good.
Draught. Pours brown with a medium, frothy beige head, medium retention. Aroma is moderate plum acetic sourness, cherries with light toast malt and aged earthy hops, light Brettanomyces. Flavor is moderate acetic cherries and plums with light toast malt, light earthy hops and bitterness with soft spices, horsey Brettanomyces and a dry finish. Medium body and carbonation.
Barrel Aged blind tasting at Andrew’s. From bottle. Hazy dark mahogany. Small ring foam. Dark red fruit, brett tart. Leather and cherry. A little vinegar on nose and body. Spicy, alc note maybe. Fairly bright. Good, dark earthiness and spice.
D-. Pours a black color with khaki head. Accidently forgot "wild ale" means sour, otherwise i wouldn’t have gotten it. Far too sour
Clear chestnut brown with no head. Lovely fruity sour aroma. Sweet fruits on the front tapering into sour fruits -- sour but not overpoweringly puckering. A little bit malty. Medium bodied and really delicious.
Pours chestnut brown, clear. Ring of head. Funky, sour, winey aroma. Sweet and sour. Not much bitterness. Medium body.
Deep reddish brown pour with a thin head. Aroma has hints of wine and fruit, mostly cherries. Light bodied with a very complex taste. Cherries, oak, vanilla and wine. There is a slight tartness to this as well. Lively carbonation with a lingering tartness. Dry finish.
On tap at surly pours yellow with small white head, Really enjoyed the crisp tart flavor of this sour,
Sampled at GABF 2105. Somehow I missed entering Surly’s offerings from my tasting notes. My battery had run dead on my IPAD so I I had to resort to written notes. In the tasting glass this was cloudy red amber, with white foam. Nose of sounds and some cherry ir something similar. Medium body a mouth feel with some zip. Flavor is light fund and sour fruit, probably cherry. Finishes wth a nice tartness. Very nice.
Bottle. Side note: if you’re going to seal your bottle with wax, use wax. This plastic crap is a pain in the ass. That said...Pours a rich red brown with a shallow, fine-grained, light tan head. Nose is cherry, apple, acetic acid, pipe tobacco, smoke, cut wood, maple syrup, and washed-rind cheese -- that’s fun. On the tongue, it’s an insistent announcement of sour and bitter at the front of the mouth, then some sweetness and fruit chimes in on the midpalate. The bitterness sticks around; it’s a very herbal bitterness, like licorice or wormwood. The sourness is restrained, but definitely present. The finish closes up into a softer, liqueurish bitterness; it’s almost amaro-like. Elegant, precise, and nevertheless emphatic. Wow.
Amber-copper colour with a small off white head. Aromas of toasted wood, hay, barnyard funk, wet wood, berry fruits and a hunch of balsamic vingear with a herbal undertone develop. Soft and lightly slick with a medium body. Sweet-sour with a very light bitterness. Lasting mouth watering finish. Nice!
Sour grape, green apple, sour cherries. Hazy brown, small, creamy, off-white head. Medium bitter and light sour. Fry, sour cherries, wood, red wine, acidic, lime juice, soft carbonation. Nice Sour, yet lacks some complexity. Keg at the brewery, Minneapolis.
Red brown pour with an off white head that quickly fades to nothing. Aroma is berries, very woody, earth, and some cola and vinegar. Taste follows with some additional funk. Light medium body.
(Vintage 2014) Ça sent la Flamande. Corps rougeâtre sur lequel flotte un anneau de mousse. Fruits et vinaigre balsamique. Le raisin arrive bon premier dans mes narines. Sur ma langue, on capte le meilleur des mêmes choses. Une aigreur fruitée qui ne va pas jusqu’à me brûler le gosier. La barrique de vin rouge marque chaque gorgée. Il y a un côté givré qui balance le tout. Le corps est pétillant sur un moyen temps. La texture est légère. La finale vinaigrée est, contre toute attente, plaisante.
Draft at the source. Pours out a darker cola color with a small off white head. Aroma is of some funky Brett, plastic, light fruity notes, sour/sweet cherries. Taste is solid, complex notes of sweet and tart cherries, some oaky notes, soaked wood chips, funk, mild tartness, more sweet and lightly tart fruits. Well done and not overly sour.
Bomber poured a clear reddish amber with a small lingering a!ber head. Aromas of caramel, cherry, earthiness, vinous notes, light coconut and light oak. Palate was light bodied and crisp with a dry tart finish. Flavors of caramel, vinous notes, earthiness and light oak with a crisp dry tart lingering vinous finish.
dark sours can be tricky to nail down, this is an example of how to do it .. . tar and sour tar dominate .. fruit skin, wood, cooked on bbq sauce .. . ample mouth, medium to long grungy finish .. always a treat to have .. . . as a promotion i could compete against some kind of bagging machine. a russian bagging machine.
Draught at Koelschip. Dark brown with a beige head. Aroma medium sour malty (caramel,sour cherries, barrel). Flavor medium sour, cherries, barrel, tart, ending dry. Medium body, lively.
Tap at el Bait Shop, 2015 version. Deep brown body with a reddish hint at the edges. A thin khaki head. Malty sour cherry nose with some hay. A little funky. Taste is sour but very restrained. Caramel balance with some dry hay in the finish. Just the slightest note of medicinal character. Smooth lightly carbonated body. Nice.
From notes. This one was opened at the Beernanza at Gus’s house on May 28. This came from a 750 mL bottle. We opened a couple years next to one another, and I just rated the better one, I think it was the 2016. The pour is a dark orange color, which is weird for a dark sour, and it’s got a thin gray head that slowly fizzles off, just leaving the liquid there. This one is something else. The aroma is winey, with a little oakiness and some tart funkiness. It’s like this thing is waiting for some fruit to get added and they forgot about it. It’s really messy and not that great. There is a mustiness that I can’t quite place either. The flavor is much of the same. It’s like an oaky wine with some tart funk happening in it. I just don’t understand the lure. The mustiness is present, and maybe it’s just leftover growth from the wine barrel, I don’t really know. The mouth feel is decent. There is an oilier body, decently thick with a lighter carbonation and a woody, winey aftertaste. This one is just a mess from the start. Hmm. Not sure how I feel about it yet.
750 ml bottle shared by someone in 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.