Surly Eighteen

 

Surly Eighteen. Belgian-style Golden Strong Ale Fermented with Brettanomyces.u

11% ABV,  Surly Brewing, Minneapolis / Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. 

Clear, golden, slim white head.

In the nose: funky, sweet, fruity. Stone fruit, citrus, bubblegum. 

In the mouth: sweet and fruity up front, but balanced. Light bodied, easily drinkable, but for the high ABV coming on slowly but surely. Slightly sugary, while never overly sweet. Ending on a drying note. 

I like this, but I want to like it more. That’s just my way. As is, it’s a rarity these days. No one really makes anything like this, at least not around these parts. Wish this was something I could taste more often, rather than a once in a blue moon thing. 

Surly's anniversary beers are all about challenging ourselves, be it with ingredients, processes, styles, or all three at once.

For our 18th anniversary, a sturdy Belgian golden strong ale ferments on two wild yeast strains, allowing a funky/sour process to develop while aging in stainless for months. 

A portion was then removed and aged in virgin oak, before everything was blended back together, dry-hopped, and pasteurized.

The end result is an absolute gem, with notes of white wine, berries, oak, leather, and honey.

The path Eighteen travelled mirrors our 18 years of brewing, instigating, and making something worth seeking out, sharing and savoring. Thank you for taking that journey with us.