Surly Mild Ale

I remember when Todd first told me he was going to brew a mild ale, and it was jokingly going to be named after a vociferous homebrewer who had numerously attacked Surly for being over-hopped, overly-alcoholic, overly-everything. A great brewer like Todd Haug doesn't like to be put in a box, and this was his response. Wouldn't you know it, many voices in the local homebrewing commmunity claimed it to be his best beer ever. Would that that had shut them up.
First wrote about this back in January of 2008, here are my notes, three years later:

Semi-clear, reddish brown, with a nice, tight, light tan head.

Mostly malty aroma, caramel & chocolate, toasty, solid. smooth, creamy. Nothing jumps out, but it isn't supposed to.

Taste: It's all about the smooth, and it's all about the malt. Hops are here, and higher than other milds, (25 IBUS, if I remember right), and you can just taste them on the tongue, but they're playing it cool, too. Crisp malt flavor, judiciously applied, lies right underneath every gulp & swallow.
Body is medium light, not anywhere near watery, but surprisingly thin for a Surly brew. Well, this, I guess, is their notice to us, saying, "Watch out, don't categorize us, we can be boring, too!"

I can't help but like Mild, it's easy to drink and easy to enjoy, and the malt profile is tasty. There's just enough flavor to make you happy. And yet, it wasn't designed with my palate in mind, for I keep wanted a bit more...I keep missing the Belgian malts of Bender, or the hop attack of Furious. I got that from my customers, too. Many had a sample and went back to Bender...or Furious.

Nice low, languid finish, malts hang tight on the tongue and the deliciousness sticks around.
I take back what I said. This is not a boring beer, just a bit more mellow in flavor than their usual entries. That's one thing I don't think Surly is capable of: brewing a boring beer. I don't think, like any true artist, Todd has it in him to do so.
Mild does serve a nice niche, though, and I hope to see it again in the future, ...but not at the expense of Furious or bender!