Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Surly Barrel-aged Pentagram

Surly Barrel-aged Pentagram. Malt Beverage aged in wine barrels, additionally aged in rye whiskey barrels. Unleash Pentagram. You have been warned!

Here's one of those beers where you had to chase some trucks to get your proper allotment. If you're one of those guys. I was able to get my hands on a bottle by putting my name on a list at a little liquor store the day before it was delivered. I've never seen any other bottles anywhere else. But, I don't do much bottle shopping, either. I held onto it for a few months, and finally cracked one open recently.

Deep mahogany hue, slim but staying whitish head. Looks good.

Aroma: sweet, plump, tannin-y. Aged in rye whiskey barrels, but the red wine affectations are still there. Cherry & vanilla pop out. Plenty happening here. Ripe and fruity.

In the mouth: starts out sharp and tart, not necessarily sour. Fruity, malty, delicious. Flat-out yum. (My newest catch phrase, I think.) Not getting much from the rye, though. Getting lots of Pentagram, but not much BA. Perhaps it's just playing it subtler than I suspected. As it is, though, dee-lish. Beautifully, tartly, fruitily fantastic.

Looking back, I do wish I'd saved it longer, and would love to get another bottle to see what will happen with some years on it.

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