Coffee Bender - Surly Brewing Company

bangelos80

New York

4.7/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a can into a pint glass.

A- Poured a nice dark brown color with about an inch word of head. Nice retention as well as lacing.

S- From the initial crack of the can all the way through the consumption of this beer, you pick up the aroma of coffee beans. It's awesome

T- Taste of coffee dominates this beer. A mild sweetness at the end but predominately coffee beans.

M- Light bodied mouthfeel with mild carbonation. Goes down smooth like a taking a sip of coffee.

O- Never had a brew that can rival an actual cup of coffee. I can probably put this in a coffee mug and drink it all day at work!! Great brew, would defintely have it again and again and again!

Serving type: can

10-27-2011 22:02:48 | More by bangelos80

alaskajoe

Alaska

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured out of the tall can into a standard pint glass.

Heavy smell of coffee here, reminds me of a few of the local Midnight Sun coffee brews. MSBC Brewtality has sort of ruined me for other coffee beers, but this one pours up nicely. Tastes of strong dark black coffee. I don't get much of a heavy beer taste - the alcohol is very underlying for me, and it smacks more of an iced coffee drink without any kind of cream or milk. Goes down very smooth, and as one who really likes coffee beers, and big brews, this one is a good addition to my regular quaff list. I'll be trying this one again for sure!

Serving type: can

09-17-2009 06:59:27 | More by alaskajoe

AApparel

California

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours two fingers of a light colored foamy cream colored head on top of a dark soda with slight caramel red hints. Head settles into a half finger, leaving slight lacing.

Smell: Plenty of caramel aroma, with a full vanilla and coffee body. The aroma is a carbonated with a very sugarier smell. Almost that of a coffee cola smell. 

Taste: Plenty of fresh brewed dark coffee, over a classic brown ale flavor. A roasty nuttiness with hints of coco and some slight fruity, earthy hops. Though the hops are not a strong. Coffee up front, with malty middle, and a brown ale hoppy finish. Not as sweet as the smell makes you think. Definitely a well rounded taste. 

Mouthfeel: Has a great mouthfeel and drinkability. Decent carbonation level and very smooth. Lighter bodied than you would expect, especially since it has such a big coffee flavor to it. Bitter finish on the end. Very good beer, a must for any coffee lover or coffee brown ale fan.

Serving type: can

01-11-2012 23:13:25 | More by AApparel

leinie13

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours dark brown with a fluffy, light chocolate head with pretty good retention.

S - Pleasant ground coffee aroma. Not detecting too much else.

T - The taste is pretty straight forward as well. Upfront, I'm hit with the ground coffee. From a non-coffee drinker, it's not unpleasant (quite the opposite in fact). Once the coffee flavors fade, I then get faint toasty maltiness.

M - Moderate carbonation and body. Very smooth from start to finish.

O - One of my favorite brown ales. The cold steeped ground coffee works to great effect. The coffee flavors are not overpowering, creating a brew that's really smooth from start to finish.

Serving type: can

05-14-2012 01:29:23 | More by leinie13

kdesch

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had no idea what to expect with this beer. I've had some monster stouts with coffee before, but nothing like this. I was very impressed.

Points of note:

- The mouthfeel: wonderfully thick.
- Smell: nice iced coffee
- Taste: a really nice combination of beer and coffee

Glad I had this beer. I would not drink it all night long, but it was a great way to start the night.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2008 02:17:53 | More by kdesch

digitalketchup

Minnesota

4.53/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from a 16oz can into a pint glass.

Appearance - 3 toothpicks of head vanished into a thin brim inside the glass. Thick and brown throughout. Little lacing.

Smell - Similar to what the inside of a Starbucks smells like. Rich coffee smells

Taste - I can taste the darker ale underneath the coffee notes. Very refreshing and inviting brew. It's not as bitter as I expected. It's sugary sweet, rich, and down-to-earth!

Mouthfeel - Thin carbonation and a little less "meaty" than I was hoping for.

Drinkability - Keep em coming! This is a delicious, delicious brew and I am pleased to have picked up a 4-pack!

Serving type: can

12-31-2009 19:16:09 | More by digitalketchup

kingsizedave

Minnesota

4.68/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I am not a fan of coffee but this beer introduced me to the wonderful world of coffee beers. I have continued to enjoy this beer for it's full coffee aroma and smooth taste. I enjoy the chocolate taste and the way the flavor sticks to the back of your tongue.
I would encourage anyone who has a fascination with flavored coffees to try this beer.
Beer may come from a can but you must absolutely drink it in a glass...

Serving type: can

04-13-2009 13:14:09 | More by kingsizedave

ihaf2p

Minnesota

4.88/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I was leery of trying this beer because I am a huge Surly fan and because of the hype did not want a let down....no worries, it was a great experience. The smell of coffee is much more prominent that I expected. The chocolate flavors really come thru as well. Very good drinkability...not sure it would be a good session beer, but I would maybe alternate between a Coffee Bender and Furious. Cheers!!

Serving type: can

01-22-2009 15:43:28 | More by ihaf2p

airbn51st

Texas

4.9/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Nice brew served in a can, most fortunate to sample this beer in the great state of Texas, so here goes tr. An exceptional coffee beer!
-Awesome drinkability.
-great up front coffee flavor
-lots of espresso on the back end
-nice carbonation

An absolute revelation! Walk, no run to acquire such a masterpiece!

Serving type: can

03-23-2010 07:16:13 | More by airbn51st

rpete777

Maryland

4.93/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

OMG! This stuff is amazing. Poured in a pint glass. Nice dark brown with a lovely tan head. Take of whiff of this stuff. Amazing. Says coffee through and through. First sip is nice and creamy with a great finish. Didn't take too long to finish it and open another but before I did I smelled the last of the first one. In a blind test I bet a lot of people would say it is just coffee. Just coffee? I think not! An amazing beer

Serving type: can

10-21-2010 18:25:55 | More by rpete777

joetheyounger

California

4.61/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Got some fresh cans of this beast. I cracked one in Vegas in the morning in my room because there was no coffee maker present. Damn this stuff is good. Just like drinking straight up black coffee. Thin mouthfeel, which makes it seem more like an iced coffee drink than a beer, which is kinda cool. One of the best brown ales i've had!

Serving type: can

05-15-2013 19:55:23 | More by joetheyounger

pk18

Wisconsin

4.38/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Poured a dark brown with about a finger or two of off white head. Great lacing down the glass.

S- A good amount of coffee grounds come through right away. There are some malt notes as well.

T- Coffee up front and fairly dominant to start. Malt characteristics take over in the middle, with some sweetness (toffee). Nice bitter coffee finish.

M- Well carbonated. The finish is dry and sticks around for a while.

O- This is definitely one of my new favorite coffee beers. I think the brown ale pairs well with the coffee. It's a welcome change from the more traditional stout-coffee pairing.

Serving type: can

07-17-2012 01:49:45 | More by pk18