CynicAle - Surly Brewing Company

TexIndy

Texas

4.83/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Re-reviewed on 12/1/08 - original review at bottom:
Got in a trade with pitmonkey - many thanks! Poured from a 16oz can (no dating info) into my NBB snifter. It was a hazy golden honey color with good carb and slight lacing. It had a massive off-white head that took a long time to settle into a foam with collar. This time I got a good pop out of the can when opening.

The aroma was excellent. It was peppery spice and fruity - classic saison. This time it didn't have the dry smell. The taste was a lot better since it didn't have the overly dry finish. Had the nice fruity start that was followed up with the spice kick. This time the spice was prevalent from start to finish instead of just the finish. The pepper flavor was outstanding and exactly what I want in my saison. Still a great balance. Mouthfeel was good (not watery this time).

Overall, an exceptional beer that I highly recommend especially if you are into saisons. Glad I was able to get a 2nd try as this one was even better. One of the top saisons out there and another stellar effort from Surly. Beg, borrow or steal but get yourself one (or two and make me a trade offer)!

Original 8/13/07 review
Got in a trade with Faro - many thanks! Poured from a 16oz can (yes a can - get over it) with cool artwork and a blurb about the beer into my NBB snifter. It was a slightly hazy golden honey color. It really didn't have much of a head but I think I poured it a little too cold still since not used to judging temps in a can by touch like I can with a bottle. What little there was settled into a thin collar with no lacing. One thing I did miss with the can was the pop of the cork that you usually get with a saison due to all the carbonation. This one didn't pop at all and really no carb visible in the glass. Not sure if that is due to the can or maybe the sample was off a little. Either way it still smelled and tasted great. The aroma was spicy with black pepper and fruity with apricot and something else I couldn't identify. You could smell the dryness that was to come in the taste. The taste was classic saison with a fruity start that is followed by a sharp bite of spice. Great balance between the two. Mouthfeel was just a tad watery for a saison but still good. Overall, a really great beer that I highly recommend especially if you are into saisons. Glad I was able to acquire it and will have to seek out some more. (4.5, RR, T, Y)

Serving type: can

08-13-2007 01:30:44 | More by TexIndy

shawnp

Minnesota

4.83/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

16oz. can poured into a pint glass.

A: Hazy gold pour with a nice tan head, disappearing fairly quick. Good lacing throughout consumption.

S: Awesome aroma for this brew. Pepper and citrus notes are well defined. Excellent if I may say so.

T: Flavorful brew throughout. Pepper and a hint of citrus makes Cynic very rich in flavor. Exceptional!

M: Smooth going in and down, however, a bit much on the carbonation but I can look passed that because of the flavor.

D: Extremely session-able beer. Very easy drinking, I'm glad this is a year round offering from Surly.

Serving type: can

09-30-2010 04:39:19 | More by shawnp

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.8/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Freshly tapped at the Blue Nile.

appearance: hazed amber in the glass, clearer near the foot, under a good, staying 1/2" cover of beige-toned foam. A duskier look than other saisons I've sampled, but what's wrong with that.

Aroma: nice spices, and sleek citrus. Very fine. Tickles the nose with ethereal pleasures. Lively hop play. Gorgeous.

Taste: a phenomenal blast on the palate, that sits and lingers deliciousness in the mouth. Hops, yeast, and spicy malt combine to deploy just the right amount of spicy notes and light fruit. (Lemon and lime with a side order of orange.) Dries near instantly, and demonstrates perfect balance, almost never showing sweet, not too hoppy, not too hot, nor too spicy, just spreading this ingenious, beautiful, utterly satisfying flavor.

Light bodied, like any saison should be, but so substantial in flavor, so sophisticated...tea-like, at times, broken up by hop happiness, and a malt character that takes turns at juicy and peppery. Exquisitely drinkable, massively enjoyable.
Also, I find myself admiring a certain sublimity I don't often encounter in other saisons, Belgian-brewed or otherwise.
Lordy, it's lovely!

One of the best beer names conceivable, and one of the least apt, in this case. I can't imagine any cause for skepticism, Surly has done it again!

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2006 06:11:09 | More by feloniousmonk

franksnbeans

Ohio

4.8/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours hazy golden amber with some nice tan head that disappears with little to no lacing. Smells of citrus, earthy undertones, tea, little hop and many different nice spices. Smells like a tasty saison! A burst of spicy malt, citrus, butterscotch, molasses and lemon. Everything shows up quite nicely and nothing is overdone. Very light in the mouth, little carbonation and a very subtle bite at the end that sits on the tongue. I think this brew is underrated since it’s so different from the hop filled siblings from Surly but to be honest it’s still a one of kind brew. Could drink this for days. Well done Surly, after tasting your three mainstays I’m considering moving to Minnesota.

Serving type: can

08-15-2007 01:32:07 | More by franksnbeans

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.8/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

16oz can, aquired in a trade w/tavernjef, served in a pint glass.

A - golden yellow/orange color with a white head that settled to a light coating, leaving some bits of sticky lacing.

S - sweet, somewhat fruity, Belgian yeast aroma.

T - a great tasting Saison, sweet honey taste upfront with a slight black pepper bite on the finish.

M - medium bodied, crisp carbonation.

D - I could put this brew down all night.

Final Note: I wish I lived in Minnesota!
Thanks for this delicious beer trade surprise, tavernjef.

Serving type: can

11-30-2007 00:49:00 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

mynie

Indiana

4.8/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

That's a nice can, right there. My favorite color of can. Like the old A&W root beer cans. I want to bite it.

Pours heavy gold with a very nice, very retentive white head. The haze is slight but there.

Smells great. Remarkably rich yeast profile is backed up by a remarkable use of hops. It's like pepper and flowers, here. Fruit and flowers. Lots of flowers.

Tastes every bit as good as it smells. Wowzer. You know it might actually taste a bit better than it smells. The complexity is like the end of a fireworks show and right now I'm too busy taking it all in to describe it coherently. Maybe after a few sips...

Okay, your typical saison flavors are all there. The yeast is big and spicy but the malt is zippy and playful and the two dance around each other like a couple of kids who are about to fingerfuck in a sunflower field. But then on top of it you got this incredible hop profile out of nowhere that manages to bring up all the fruitiness and fruit nodes of good, high alpha west coast hops, but somehow also manages to minimize the bitterness of those hops. What hops are these? What magical kingdom produces them?

Surly is the Pete Maravich of brewers. You think there's nothing they could possibly do to liven up a certain beer style and then BAM they go and dribble through the defender's legs. I had this oak-aged, on cask, and I have to say it might be the only beer I've ever had that'd better from a can than on cask. The yeast and hop complexity is so wonderful that doesn't make any sense to blot it out with oak flavors.

Serving type: can

11-25-2008 06:34:11 | More by mynie

Dotcubed

Arkansas

4.78/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I have had the pleasure of this one for some time. I think of it as one of my top 5 beers, for any place and time. It pours a nice light head only a few millimeters with a pungent yeasty smell. Clearly Belgian influenced, with a nice apricot and citrus flavor. I wish I could get this all year round. It has a nice lingering orange peel bitterness that sticks to my pallet. I like the fruitiness too. I disagree with what the can says, it's not Black pepper as much as it is pink peppercorns or maybe a little szechuan pepper. Bitter, sweet, and smooth with a lasting orange flavor. I thinlk improving the aroma with some dry hopping and it's five stars in my book. Maybe the brewers will read this and make a special growler batch that I can come by and pick up. Hopefully the do, e-mail me, and make my dreams come true. I will really miss this one if I move out of minnesota.

Serving type: can

07-03-2008 22:30:20 | More by Dotcubed

optiontwo

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: I love this can. Light hazy orange with one and a half inch cloud-like white head. Great retention and great lacing.

Smell: Sweet orange and clove like spice flow into the nostrils followed by subtle honey, banana, and hops.

Taste: I have found a few Belgians and a few Belgian style ales that I've really enjoyed but this one takes the cake. I'm not usually one for the flavor the Belgian yeast imparts upon a beer but everything in this beer tastes so wonderfully balanced. Orange, banana, and pear fruit flavors hit the tongue equally matched by a nice caramel and honey sweetness and clove spice. Then there's hop bitterness nothing too crazy, actually the perfect amount. Personally I think why I'm not usually a Belgian beer fan is because they come off very sweet to my palate, but matching them up with the right amount of hops (and the right hops) does wonders for it. Since this is a saison I suppose the yeast should impart a funky flavor on the beer, which it does but only slightly. Sweet fruits, then spices, then light butter (this sounds gross until you've had a beer that's "buttery"), then hop bitterness...It's amazing.

Mouthfeel: Just about perfect. This brew is not too heavy, not too light with a nice amount of carbonation and is very smooth going down. With each sip I just want more and more.

Drinkability: This is Surly's most alcoholic canned beer and still sits at just 6.7%. You wouldn't want to drink your whole four pack in a row, but mostly because this is a beer that should be appreciated. One of the many reasons I love Surly brewing so much is because they have some of the most flavorful beers and remain relatively low in alcohol. I like getting buzzed as much as the next BA but I've come to realize that if they could make something that could taste like this, or any other Surly offering, and it was only 2%ABV I'd drink it just as much, if not more. As far as this brew goes, I highly recommend it. In fact, if you think you may not like Belgian-style ales, definitely try this. I always review objectively but I feared if I give another Surly an A+ I'd come off as a fanboy, but you know what? I just don't care, this is an A+ beer and it deserves exactly that.

Serving type: can

01-27-2009 21:02:53 | More by optiontwo

objectivemonkey

Minnesota

4.7/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Into a pint glass, pours a clear copper verging on amber, a small light white head with delicate spotty lacing. The aroma is sweet, yeasty, spices about in ground pepper, nutmeg, probably some coriander, an orange-y citrus from a light hopping, very rich and enticing, but also a pretty cohesive whole, not fragmented.

The taste is exactly what I'd expect from Surly: take a style, make it their own. Its a lot like a farmhouse saison, but something very much their own. Again there is a lot of spices, pepper coming in with more strength, coriander also praying a key role, citric hops also coming out more in orange tones and just a splash of lemon/lime perhaps. The sweet, bready malt fades into the background, if at all. And all in the meanwhile the mouth is rich in carbonation and dry to the touch, savory and somehow manages to be refreshing (I've never found drying beers to be all that refreshing, ya know?) In all, its a beautifully choreographed dance of perfectly fitting elements, a marvelous brew for the summer, or anytime. Just smashing.

Its funny how I've started to rate things from Surly. I try to be objective, and therefor start by giving them lower scores. But as I keep drinking, I just keep loving their beers more, and give them the high scores they deserve. Another fantastic brew from Minnesota's favorite brewers.

Serving type: can

06-04-2007 22:14:53 | More by objectivemonkey

arboristfish

Wisconsin

4.7/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This beer pours a yellow color, with a white head. The aroma is amazing, it has a lot going on. Hints of clove, hints of banana, a little band aid, bubble gum. There is a lot going on in the aroma, it makes it a very fun beer. The taste is very complex as well. It is sweet, bready, bubblegum, slight banana flavor. It is a very complex delicious taste! The mouthfeel is light, and at the same time the flavors and aroma that come out of this beer are so complex. This is a very good beer!

Serving type: can

01-04-2011 01:43:28 | More by arboristfish

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.68/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

"Cynics regard everybody as equally corrupt. Idealists regard everybody as equally corrupt, except themselves."

--Robert Anton Wilson

Softly glowing coppery orange with bold lemon edges. The good-sized crown is the color of a freshly cut pear and has a wonderful firm creaminess about it. A jagged necklace of lace (with more on the way, I'm sure) only adds to the beer's attractiveness.

I'm fully onboard with this whole 'canned beer' thing, but it's still strange to experience a great saison from a metal container. An IPA or a brown ale? Sure. No worries, though. Cynic Ale is the real deal if the nose is any indication. Whatever spice melange was used, and whatever yeast strain, it's fandamntastic! Ripe fruit, white pepper, cardamom... I'm in olfactory heaven.

How the hell does Surly do it? How do they brew such off-center beer that is so different from the usual way of doing things, yet is still identifiable as a beer of the target style, that is so mind-blowingly delicious? Sheer genius.

My expectations were that Cynic would be good, but that it wouldn't be much like a Belgian saison. Wrong again and happily so. The malt is beautifully bready and is as firm as crust. In fact, the entire beer is the equivalent of a freshly-baked loaf of rustic French bread brushed with herb butter and dipped in rosemary and black pepper-infused olive oil.

I'd like to take credit for identifing 'apricot and peach notes', but it says so right there on the can. The fruitiness is easily the equal of the intriguing spiciness. This is a well-balanced beer that still manages to provide an amazing amount of complexity. I originally thought that I would buy Cynic in smaller quantities than Furious and Bender when I make it up to the Twin Cities. Now, I'm not so sure.

Although the mouthfeel doesn't have the buoyant perfection of a world-class Belgian saison, it doesn't miss by much. It's medium to slighty full for the style (great!) and is energetically bubbled. My mouth is ecstatic and so am I. Was that really 16 ounces already?

Cynic Ale will turn even the most jaded cynic into a true believer. On the strength of four amazing beers, Surly has vaulted into a permanent place in my top-10 breweries of all-time. Believe the hype.

Serving type: can

08-14-2007 13:10:27 | More by BuckeyeNation

jjanega08

Minnesota

4.65/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A= a darker yellow amber color with a respectable head and nice lacing. It makes my mouth water
S= peachy and floral mostly, maybe a little fig. Makes my mouth water more
T= amazing and fresh. Nice floral flavor with a nice fusion of hops and peach creating a flavor that's new yet definitally hops and peach.
M= great carbonation. Nice bite with a smooth finish
D= great I love surlys. Everything they have is just so fresh and tasty

Serving type: can

11-15-2008 00:34:54 | More by jjanega08

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

4.65/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Its easy to be sceptical about beer in a can. Almost every canned beer I see is a cheap fizzy pale lager, that is either bland or downright offensive. Its natural then, that I have been imbued with a certain cynicism that canned beer can be every bit as good as bottled, but that's slowly changing, and if I have more beers from Surly the change will come a lot quicker.

Cynicale is a canned saison, which in itself seems like a fantastical concept. The pour results in a dark hazy gold liquid and a large fluffy white crown, which exhibits good retention and lacing. The aroma has all the complexities of a saison - a subtle spiciness mingles with earth, bread and citrus. Its delicate, but dense. The flavour is fruitier than I thought it would be, containing pears, peach and banana. A peppery spiciness and a wholesome earthiness ground the flavour, while a touch of orange rind provides some sharpness at the edge of the tongue. All of these flavours are expertly balanced, and this is a wonderful interpretation of a saison. The body is also about spot on for the style, exhibiting a refreshing quality before transitioning to a wonderfully drying finish.

I'm tempted to give Cynicale top marks in every category, but on reflection there is still some room for improvement (minuscule, but room nonetheless). Good beer in a can? I'm on board. Thanks Bryan!

Serving type: can

04-27-2009 13:21:33 | More by bobsy

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

It is turning into a Surly day! The CANQuest (TM) is suddenly awash in Surly beers and today seemed like a good day to drink some quality Minnesota beer and think about how much I wish that I live in the northern Midwest. I kid you not, I would relocate in a heartbeat and probably will eventually. CAN you dig it?

From the CAN: "Beer for a Glass, From a CAN."; "Fresh Beer, Keep It Cool!"; "Get Surly!"; and "Oh great, a fizzy yellow beer in a [CAN], that's just what the craft beer world needs! CynicAle melds Old World ingredients in a new school style. French malted barley, English oats and Belgian yeast create honey and black pepper flavors. Lively Slovenian hops provide the floral, apricot and peach notes. Toss your doubts away, toss one back and enjoy!" It sounds like the EU in a CAN!

I was a little heavy-handed on the Crack & Glug and nearly caused it to foam over the lip of the glass. The good thing was that it netted me two fingers of eggshell-white head with decent retention. Color was a golden-yellow with NE-quality clarity. I definitely got the peach and apricot notes. I reversed the order from the notes on the CAN because it seemed peachy up front with the apricot a lighter scent. I was reminded of O'Fallon's Wheach, actually. Mouthfeel was medium with a riot of flavors in the mouth and on the tongue. The honey flavor was immediate, followed by a fruity mix and then the black pepper kicked in, especially on the finish. Wow! What a wild ride! Omar & Co. need not worry about Greg Koch & Co. taking them to task for making "a fizzy yellow beer" because this was NOT for sissies. Hell, whoops - different Surly beer, I would intermingle this at the top of the cooler with Wheach and let the honey bees swarm.

Serving type: can

11-07-2010 23:47:29 | More by woodychandler

DarkerTheBetter

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer pours a lively bright straw color with a creamy white film that left a fair bit of lace.

Smells rather fruity with peach and green grape with a touch of honey that fades into a spicy black pepper. This has an odd freshness much like a forest right after the rain that one seldom finds in a saison.

The flavor begins with a black pepper punch that hints of cardboard and birch bark but then transitions into a smooth and creamy milk, honey and green grapes. This is again surprisingly fresh and clean. Finishes off with a turn to the dryness of the peppery yeast.

Feels light, clean and silky smooth. There’s enough viscosity there to make it worth drinking, but the dryness leaves my mouth refreshed.

Wow. This is the easiest sippin’ saison I’ve ever had.

Serving type: can

08-21-2007 03:20:26 | More by DarkerTheBetter

natasharai

Minnesota

4.6/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Poured with a foamy off white head that dissipated leaving no lacing. The beer is clear with an orange golden color.

Smell: Ripe fruit like pears, peaches, and apples, honey, with floral and citrus hops. Something in the smell just makes me really happy.

Taste: Peach and apricot, spicy clove, citrus hops, toasted malt, a fresh carrot kind of flavor, and a lightly bitter floral flavor.

Mouthfeel: A lot of little bubbles, nice tingle on the tongue, light body, leaves mouth pretty dry.

Overall: Really good drinkability, interesting flavors that combine to make a delicious beer! The smell is somewhat subtle but really shines when served in a snifter/tulip.

Serving type: can

05-01-2009 05:53:40 | More by natasharai

Imstillthegman

Delaware

4.58/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks go to Darkerthebetter for this can. I appreciate it, Ed!

Pours a shade darker than fizzy yellow beer. Fingers worth of white head leaves some lacing behind.

Aroma is fruity with some black pepper, honey, floral, and pine. The earthy floral and pine scents come through like a forest scented candle or air freshener. It's almost like being on a walk in the woods. Very nice.

Black pepper up front, followed by the fruit and honey. A spicy, piney flavor at the finish is a treat. Very fresh tasting.

Medium body beer with a nice light feel to it. Very active carbonation mixed with the yeasty bite adds a nice prickly feel on the tongue. Extremely enjoyable saison. My favorite, so far, by quite a ways. Thanks, Ed. When can you get me some more?

Serving type: can

10-03-2007 16:38:13 | More by Imstillthegman

hero27

Iowa

4.58/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

16 oz can.

Pours a slightly hazy gold, head consists of a thin layer of off-white foam.
Aroma is of white pepper, Belgian yeast, lemon zest, orange & various spices. The flavor follows suit, with the addition of banana, fruity esters, citrus, and a decent dose of hop bitterness. There is a soft, bready mouthfeel from the yeast and it finishes mildly dry.
This stuff is so easy to drink..one 16 oz can doesn't ever seem like enough...give me a bomber...no, wait...a growler of this. Delicious.

This is simply another superb brew from Surly. It's unfortunate this is a seasonal release, I wish it were in the rotation all year long.

Serving type: can

02-16-2008 19:30:24 | More by hero27

OStrungT

California

4.58/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a slightly cloudy golden yellow color, with a thin white head. The head fades slowly, leaving a thick lacing.

This beer has a grainy aroma. It smells of spicy yeast. Some citrus aromas are also present. Corriander, and grains of paradise. It has a slightly bananalike aroma as well.

This beer tastes pretty much like it smells, spicy and grainy. It has a banana flavor, mixed in with some citrus hop flavor.

This beer is crisp and refreshing. It leaves a spicy aftertaste. Carbonation is good.

This beer would make a good session beer. It tastes good, and is only just a little bit high in alcohol.

Overall: Thanks to OHLRangers, and Scoobydank for both generously hooking me up with this great Saison. I like it a lot. I would drink this stuff all day long.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2008 02:35:58 | More by OStrungT

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

4.58/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - Pours a nice two finger head that is white and fluffy. The body is a golden brown with lots of carbonation apparent. The retention lasts quite a bit and eventually fades a lace.

S - Apricots, fruits, raisins and nice honey undertone that blends in nicely with the malts and barley.

T - Wow. I never could have imagined apricots would blend in so well but it does. The fruit and honey balances in well with the malts and barley.

M - Apricots, raisins, honey and other fruits initially followed by a nice finish of barley and malts

D - Very high. I could have this all night.

Serving type: can

02-12-2009 23:19:08 | More by Wisconsin

Gyle41386

South Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 16 oz can into a mug. Thanks, br3wmeister!

Pours a bright golden color. Lots of foam, although it doesn't retain very well. Some nice lacing.

This is a great smelling saison. Big time fruit (apricot, peach), honey and pepper, and a nice floral hoppiness.

Taste follows the nose...there are some great flavors going on here. Big blast up front quickly mellows into a very dry finish. Very sturdy malt background...French malted barley? Sure. The fruit and spice are balanced terrifically. Lots of depth to the flavor.

Body seems a little heavier than the saisons I've tried, but it's still no fuller than medium. Crisp and refreshing, like any good saison should be. The lively carbonation gives the tongue a nice tingle. This is one of the easiest drinking beers I've ever tried. I really need to establish permanent trading ties with a Minnesota BA. Any volunteers?

Serving type: can

04-28-2009 05:48:49 | More by Gyle41386

ritzkiss

Ontario (Canada)

4.58/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pint can from the generous Viggo, left here after a tasting. Pours a light golden apricot color with a couple fingers of fizzy foam that quickly dies down and leaves minimal lacing. Slight downgrade.

Nose is musty, earthy, hints of floral esters, lemons, a distinct spiciness.

This is a truly delightful saison that take the base of a traditional Belgian and twists it ever so slightly, creating a hybrid that is true to its roots and yet unique. A light peaches and apricot fruitiness (says so on the can!) plays with a nice musty, earthy entry, lots of biscuity yeast, splashes of cracked pepper, floral notes, a splash of honeysuckle, hay, summer days. Holy heck this is a delight on the tastebuds, tripping the light fantastic.

Sprightly carbonation that is not overdone, full gamut of flavors and smells, nice cheek-drying but not puckering finish - refreshing all around. If I had access to Surly this would likely be my summer drinker of choice. An absolute delight - thanks a ton for leaving me this one Eric!

Serving type: can

08-31-2009 19:24:48 | More by ritzkiss

sonata2008

Minnesota

4.58/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I'm always thrilled when Cynic is available as cask conditioned. It is so smooth.

Appearance: Cloudy yellow with about 3/4 inch of creamy white foam. Lots of lacing.

Smell: Strong hops with spicy floral notes and some pine.

Taste: The cask version makes it taste less Belgian. The cask had a hoppy taste with floral hops dominant. The a bit of astringent-ness probably from the hops, but overall, there is very little bitterness. It is extremely smooth.

Mouthfeel: Almost a creamy mouthfeel. No sweetness. A dry finish.

Drinkability: Very drinkable. Goes well with poutine. Would go well with other foods with subtle flavors.

Serving type: cask

08-24-2012 00:56:59 | More by sonata2008

dfried

Minnesota

4.55/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Orangish yellow in color, 2cm foamy white head that lasted well through the beer. The aroma is full of a lot of peach and apricot, some light spicy notes of coriander and pepper, Belgian yeast, and a silky, syrupy malt body. Some perfumy notes from the hops as well.

A lot of the same flavors in the taste. I love the silky/creamy/syrupy feel that oats give the malt of lighter colored beers, and Surly uses them masterfully in this beer. Some spicy zing is noticeable, but keeps from being over whelming. Yeasty notes. The hops in this beer are spectacular too, perfumy with apricot and peaches all over the place, but also with a slight lemony citrus character. Sweet, medium bodied creamy honey-like malt. Some under lying wheaty and musty farmhouse favors as well.

Overall: I only had like 2 or 3 pints of this beer when it was out last year, so I decided to review it again. The more I drink of this beer the more I love it. This beer is made using premium ingredients and it shows with its premium complexity. The flavors meld so well, I have nothing to say but really good things about this beer.

Serving type: can

05-31-2007 19:46:45 | More by dfried

dogger6253

Minnesota

4.55/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Fairly clear body, golden orange in color. The head is light tan, pretty decent size with excellent retention and nice lacing.

The nose is huge on this, I can smell hops from far away. Slightly fruity up close, sort of like green grapes and grapefruit. There are notes of apricots, almonds, vanilla and a slight pine smell.

The taste is much similar to the smell: hops, yeast, peaches, oak, cloves, apricots and vanilla. Overall, sort of a spicy taste, but also sort of nutty and very earthy - kind of what I imagine tree bark tastes like, but in a good way???

Medium body, lightly carbonated, dry finish, awesome taste, easy sips, refreshing, all around great to drink!

Serving type: can

09-27-2007 22:51:43 | More by dogger6253