Surly / Mikkeller Brett Mikkel's IPA, India Pale Ale fermented with brettanomyces

Here's a beer that Surly debuted at the taproom, I mean Beer Hall, and it's finally found it's way in bottles. I'm extra excited that it's the first time that I've seen the Surly logo on a bottle cap, after nearly 10 years. Let's open it up and drink it.

Alc./Vol. 7.5%.

Clear, bright golden coloring, vast ivory head.

Funk fuels the aroma with immediacy, a wildness sets it off, an incredibly beautiful weird aromatic. Fruity, sweet, malty, out of the world.

In the mouth: Easy-drinking, light to medium bodied, crisp and clean malty flavor, with hops on top, and brett steering the flavor. Not tart, nor sour, but with plenty of wild, weird Belgian-style funk on the tongue. Tastes just like the very picture, the perfect flavor of the Belgian pale ale/ IPA. Just right. Fresh. Zesty. Delicious. Urges me to finish gulp after gulp.

And each new sip, I like it more and more. I'm a sucker for Belgian-styles, Belgian IPAs, funky wild beers, and, of course, Surly. Here they are, all together in one nice package. I said it before, I'll say it again: delicious. Just flat out yum.

Hey, there's gobbledygook on the back of the label, let's read it...."this beer takes the concept of an IPA, blends in a variety of German aroma hop varietals, and ferments with brettanomyces, rather than a traditional British ale yeast strain. Light bodied and dry, the combination of Brett and hop varieties offers complex earthy notes and candied fruit aromas, while the Honey Malt provides an intense malt sweetness. It ain't nothing but a good time!" Oh, really? Is that what it aint nothing but? Okay...

This is my kind of beer. Funky, fruity, and dry in the end. Love, It. This is my binge drinking beer. Good thing it's too expensive to guzzle.