Bender

Canned beer continues to carve out an increasingly sizeable niche in the American craft beer market, and Surly Brewing’s brown ale, Bender, stands shoulder to shoulder with the best and brightest. A relative newcomer on the scene, the artisans at the Twin Cities-area’s Surly Brewing have rapidly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Bender’s aroma brims with hints of café latte, cocoa, Kraft caramels and an occasional trace of pecans and almonds. Tim liked the deep roast malt and light caramel sweetness in the nose, and he pronounced the aroma “seductive and inviting.” Pete, however, lasered in on the resiny, somewhat pine needle-like hops that floated over the cocoa powder and toffee, praising the complete integration of all of the aromatics. Bender pours as a deep mahogany glassful, verging on brown, with hints of amber and gold along the edges of the glass, all topped by a frothy beige head. In keeping with its deep, brooding color, Bender’s flavors abound with notes of coffee, raisins, semi-sweet chocolate and dark rum. Rick found the malt flavors pleasing and likened the chocolaty notes to the creaminess of a Nestle’s Crunch Bar. Tom was duly impressed with the skillful blending of the various malt flavors and praised the distinct counterpoint between the sweetish milk chocolate and slightly acrid espresso flavors. Surly’s brown may be a bit big for a session beer, but it certainly lends itself to long, lazy afternoons hanging out on the patio with a handful of close friends.