Bitter Brewer - Surly Brewing Company

barnzy78

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at the Bavarian Lodge - Lisle, IL

Poured a pale copper color with a thin white head. Aromas were earthy with hints of caramel and orange rind - some mild floral hops. Mouth-feel was thin and initial tastes were of caramel, toffee and honey - malty sweet - finish was on the bitter side with citric orange and piny hops. Great balance and definitely sessionable. Good representation of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2009 01:27:49 | More by barnzy78

karlt

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +17%

06-19-2013 11:44:54 | More by karlt

drewone

California

4/5  rDev -1.5%

06-16-2013 03:38:59 | More by drewone

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.43/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Canned on 5/7/13.

Appearance: Caramel honey colored brew with a lot of small particles in suspension below a one finger frothy off-white head. A bit of clarity but the hop matter (or whatever those bits are) get in the way of a better appearance.

Aroma: Quite bready in a graham cracker sort of way. There is something in there which reminds me of Grain Belt Premium, like an orange peel or marmalade.

Taste: A nice mellow flavor that has some girth to it at times despite its remarkably low 4% ABV. Starts with a bit of caramel malt and quickly gains a respectable 37 IBUs of hop bitterness. There is a nice sweet orange hop character and a peppery grain flavor that pair well. Finishes smooth and has a warm aftertaste of biscuit with lingering bitterness on the tip of the tongue.

Mouthfeel: Lively with a slightly below medium body and good amount of carbonation. Easy drinking and sessionable if you enjoy the style.

Final Thoughts: A decent beer that fits within style guidelines while still unique enough to pick out of a lineup. It's beers like Bitter Brewer that give hope for a future wave of low ABV beers being the craft beer trend. Would I drink it again? Sure.

Serving type: can

06-16-2013 00:14:26 | More by JamesMN

chanokokoro

Illinois

4.21/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 16 oz. can into a Surly Brewing Company branded shaker pint glass. Thanks to Oboogie for both the brew and the glass

Pours a medium amber, slightly hazy with a bit of orange on the edges. Two finger sticky off white head, average retention. Floral notes, dried orange peel, grainy with a hint of biscuit on the nose. Herbal and very light grassy notes, floral, grainy with every so light hints of biscuit and sourdough bread. Mild orange and tangerine peel. Fair light bodied; crisp and refreshing. Dry finish.

The combination of American hops with the traditional ingredients found in an English-style Bitter works incredibly well. Surly hit a home run here.

Serving type: can

06-15-2013 04:56:47 | More by chanokokoro

JSchock7

Kansas

4/5  rDev -1.5%

06-12-2013 06:45:09 | More by JSchock7

EmmaC

California

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

06-12-2013 00:23:20 | More by EmmaC

tdmccarthy

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1.5%

06-11-2013 21:49:52 | More by tdmccarthy

Dactrius

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -13.8%

06-11-2013 03:45:40 | More by Dactrius

jarrgal

North Dakota

3/5  rDev -26.1%

06-10-2013 02:01:20 | More by jarrgal

Stevedore

Wisconsin

4.21/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

16oz can with 5/7/13 canning date, courtesy of Evan; have had a couple cans of this already but reviewing this one I poured into my Bell's snifter on 6/11/2013.

Aroma: It smells distinctly like freshly milled malt. When I say malt in this context, I'm saying it smells like malt as in the homebrew ingredient that just got milled at the homebrew store. I love it. There's also a little bit of orange zest. Maybe some sort of citrus jam? Either way, smells neat and aromatic! (4.25)

Colour: Hazy, darker copper body that pours with a fluffy 2cm head that dissipates into a thin film on the beer. As I drink this down, it leaves layers of lacing that I can trace my swallows with. Nice looking beer. (4)

Flavour: For a 4% beer, this is pretty packed with flavour.. feels like I'm drinking toasted bread with orange marmalade, but in a thin liquid form. There's some floral flavours in there but its mostly the orange.. and there isn't much of that milled barley malt scent in the beer but I definitely get a small, small bit of bready background to the floral and citrus hops. A decent bit of bitterness but definitely not overwhelming at all. (4.25)

Mouthfeel: Thinner bodied, but well carbonated and incredibly refreshing. This beer is definitely a sessionable one. I'd probably drink a whole 4-pack of 16oz before getting buzzed. Finish is slightly dry but not particularly so, with a nice, mellow floral bitter aftertaste that lingers a bit but is not overwhelming at all. (4)

Overall: An awesomely sessionable beer that does not lack for flavour whatsoever- whether its from the malts or the hops. We don't have the chance to drink much English Bitters at all, but this is definitely a style I'm into. It's a good one to drink on the porch in the summer evening. (4.25)

Serving type: can

06-09-2013 04:05:08 | More by Stevedore

jpaulsen

California

4/5  rDev -1.5%

06-08-2013 04:23:45 | More by jpaulsen

MNPikey

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -26.1%

06-07-2013 21:19:50 | More by MNPikey

DeutschesBier

Maryland

4/5  rDev -1.5%

06-07-2013 14:25:22 | More by DeutschesBier

musicman7070

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

06-07-2013 04:45:39 | More by musicman7070

DrZeus10

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -1.5%

06-07-2013 00:43:42 | More by DrZeus10

Lare453

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

06-07-2013 00:37:27 | More by Lare453

Holmes698

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.5%

06-06-2013 14:53:00 | More by Holmes698

zestar

California

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

06-05-2013 06:56:40 | More by zestar

Morey

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

06-05-2013 00:03:32 | More by Morey

CCutch

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

06-04-2013 21:13:42 | More by CCutch

roostor07

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

06-04-2013 17:07:42 | More by roostor07

MEGAawesomeLAUREN

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -13.8%

06-04-2013 03:05:50 | More by MEGAawesomeLAUREN

bird22

California

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

06-03-2013 04:54:59 | More by bird22

mcdonald422

California

2/5  rDev -50.7%

06-03-2013 03:32:53 | More by mcdonald422