Surly Diminished Seviin

Surly Diminished Seviin. A small beer from the yet-to-be released Seviin ale 7th Anniversary brew, available before the true beer, which we've been promised for some time in June. An irresistible musical  pun on the diminished seventh chord, which is often heard in jazz, blues, gospel, and metal music. Atonal, disconcordant, but can resolve in wondrous voicings, and jubilant exhultations. Let's drink some....

Lightly hazed, golden coloring, large and lovely head, beautiful off-white foam, leaving lace. Looks great.

Aroma: Yeast first, ushering in all kinds of Belgian associations, anticipating all manner of goodness. A little bit of the wheat aromatics, perhaps, but subsumed by spicy, bready rye malt. Complex blend, intriguing mix. Light and pleasing.

Taste: A bit of the wheat texture on the tongue, a bit of that blitz, the smooth oat-y feel, and the rye factor, all at once. Like I said in the aroma, right back here in the flavor. Bright and lightly citrus-y, with  very little from hops, just a touch, if any. Little hop tingle, but mostly a lush malt flavor, and a really terrific integration of these malts.

If this is the lesser version of this Seviin, the minor scale notation, then we're in for a real treat when the full orchestration fires up. It should be huge, like a ...well, not really like anything else, I'm fairly certain.

I've been waiting for Surly to turn out more Belgian-style beers, and in true Surly fashion, this one will not conform to any style standards that we know of. I'm happy for that, and very excited to taste the real version someday soon.

This small beer resembles a beer I would love for them to brew, either year-round, or as a seasonal. Someone suggested to me that it should replace Cynic, in his humble opinion, but I am not so cruel as to wish Cynic's demise. But a Belgian pale ale like this year-round, in cans, on tap? I'm on board for that, most definitely!