Surly Bender Beer

Time to put Bender up on the big board.
As mentioned in the Furious entry, I tried it first at an open house at the brewery in Feb 2006. Asked what the style was, Omar said "American Brown Ale", Todd said "oatmeal brown porter." Guy really likes his oatmeal. It's still called a brown ale, but I go by Todd's designation, although that style doesn't actually exist, per se. Probably why they go with the more well understood brown ale style.
I tapped it that Friday, and wrote the following for BeerAdvocate later that weekend.

"The Surly Brewing Company had intended from the start to create beers without definitions, that went beyond stylistic boundaries. With their initial releases, they have shown this ambition and realized it well. though we call this an American Brown Ale, it's much more than that, and seems like a porter at times, which is how the brewer described it as, an Oatmeal Brown Porter. And why not?

Burnt sienna body, a crisp mahogony hue, with ruby crimson feet. Warm cocoa-toned head, like a cappocino topping, lasts long into the life of the pint.

Aroma is lightly nutty, slightly sweet, some caramel/toffee notes, then reveals itself dry and roasty. Earthy, open, inviting. I like it.

The brew boards the palate with confidence and lets loose an array of flavors. Malt is the main ingredient here, and some compelling ones were put into play, several caramels, some chocolate, (to make it more of a brown porter than a robust one) some Belgian Special B (yum, I'm reminiscing on some favorite dubbels at times), and aromatic hops. Chocolate is here, nuts, and toffee, sweet for a second, then dry again, and toasty. The oats add an excellent amount of texture and grit to the mouthfeel that makes every sip something to savor.

Body is medium to full, but it's that texture that makes it memorable. It's smooth, but substantial, with a long, memorable finish, the flavors echo with every drop that rolls back over the tongue.

Here's a brown ale you can drink, and which makes you think. Rather than pass the time in between gulps of a light, uncomplicated sweetish brown brew, it grabs your attention and your palate and makes you wonder a bit about it, and ponder on what makes you like it so much. It's an excellent introductory brew for this upstart, as people can reach for it again and again over a night at the bar,("another Bender", you say to the barman, and pretty soon you're on one!) and still ponder on it's quality and taste, and come back for more the next night."

Months later, I was given the honor of writing the copy on the back of the cans (though I didn't know at the time that it was for cans.)Here's how that ended up:

Here's what happens when substance meets smooth. This oatmeal brown ale defies traditional categories. Bender begins crisp and lightly hoppy, complemented by the velvety sleekness oats deliver. Belgian and British malts usher in cascades of cocoa, coffee, caramel and hints of vanilla and cream. An easy-drinking ale with many layers of satisfaction.
And here's the rest of the basic info, from the website:
STYLE: American Brown Ale
MALT: Pale Ale, Aromatic, Medium Crystal, Dark Crystal, Oats and Chocolate
HOPS: Columbus,Willamette
YEAST: English Ale

OG: 14º Plato
ABV: 5.5% v/v
COLOR: 45 ºSRM
IBU: 45
AVAILABILITY: Cans and Kegs Year Round