Bender - Oak Aged - Surly Brewing Company

gatornation

Minnesota

1.45/5  rDev -63.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

on cask 12 oz pour

A- a dark brown pour with a tan head and some nice lacing..looks good

S-whew..wet and used charcoal with burnt nicotine smells,smoke and malts

T- same as smell ,no chocolate,no hops,no vanilla,no malts, just a watery brown mess of a taste

M- watered down with no taste except for see above smells

O- the worst brew from surly i have ever had..it would have been a drainpour if at home

Serving type: cask

12-04-2011 22:53:05 | More by gatornation

herman77

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On cask at Cafe 28 for Surly's 5th Anniversary party.

A: Dark brown, nice light tan head with amazing retention. Good lacing.

S: Lightly roasted malt, some woody/oaky notes, a bit of coco and hints of coffee. I remember it having a better and stronger nose when I've had it in the past, but I guess this one could have been aged longer/shorter on the oak spirals.

T: Again, its a lot like normal bender with obviously a more oaky/woody taste and a hint of smoke.

M: Medium body, soft carbonation from the cask. Very smooth and velvety feeling.

D: Great drinkability. Brings out all the high points of normal bender.

Serving type: cask

02-01-2011 23:56:10 | More by herman77

HammerofThor

Minnesota

1.1/5  rDev -72.6%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

The worst beer I have ever had. Ever. Including infected homebrew, skunky lagers, and year-old imports. I only gave this the score I did because 0 wasn't an option.

This was on cask at Grumpy's in Roseville. I can only assume that the cask was mistreated because what was served to me looked like a glass of iced tea. Completely flat with no condition whatsoever. It smelled rubbery and tasted like rubbing alcohol soaked into oak. There was nothing left of the original bender. Surly: use less oak. Grumpy's: casks should not be flat and left exposed to the air for extended periods of time.

Serving type: cask

12-24-2010 00:07:20 | More by HammerofThor

sonata2008

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Groveland Tap in St. Paul was serving this cask conditioned beer this past week. I was pleased to have the opportunity to try it.

A: The color was very dark with a finger width of ivory colored foam.
S: The aroma was pleasant with hints of chocolate and something roasted,but nothing was really prominent.
T: The oak flavor was quite strong but exceptionally nice. I enjoyed the roasted flavor. There was some bitterness in the back and not much in the way of floral hops. This beer had a tasty bitter bite to it.
MF: Smooth and definitely dry.
D: Easy drinking. Nice combination of flavors.

Serving type: cask

10-24-2010 23:35:07 | More by sonata2008

camp0474

Minnesota

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

Tried this one at the Happy Gnome Surly beer dinner. Aged in cask with oak spirals for 11 days, told it was "younger" than usual.

Appearance was similar to regular Bender. Head appeared different do to natural carbonation during cask aging.

Smell was sensational. Malty goodness with almost a bourbon smell punching through from the oak.

Tasted great. Fine balance of smoky flavor from the oak balanced with the malt.

Mouth feel was something I haven't had before. The cask aging created a great velvet texture.

This was my first experience with cask aged beer and it was a great one. One of my top beers I have ever enjoyed. I would highly recommend trying this beer if the opportunity arises.

Serving type: cask

02-18-2010 13:53:18 | More by camp0474

maximum12

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Two pints taken in the field at Grumpy's in Roseville last night where I met an old friend for a pow-wow. I've had this before, but not in quite some time.

Appearance is dead flat & brown, like a pool of limp coffee. Smell is Bender malts with dry wood thrown into the mix.

Oak-Aged Bender is a bit better than the regular version. The wood lends an extremely dry character to the base beer. Otherwise, it's malty Bender, woodyfied. The cask doesn't seem to be terribly kind to the base however. The malts & hops seem to be faded, washed out.

Very good beer. I'd take this over a regular Bender most days, but I'd love to have this on a regular tap line some day. I bet it would be even better.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2010 19:59:18 | More by maximum12

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served into Surly pint glass

Pours a fizzy tan head. Head fades away semi-quickly. Color is a dark brown.

Aroma: Wood, oak, chocolate. Very malty. Some earthy hops. I like this better than bender

Taste: Big oak/wood flavor with vanilla, chocolate, coffee. Very malty with earthy hops. Very nice.

Mouthfeel: Very refreshing feel, crisp. Light to medium bodied with a decent amount of carbonation. Very smooth and clean. Ends clean and coffee flavored with oak aftertaste.

Overall, damn drinkable. Very great and easy drinking. Tasty and I want more. I wish I had access to this on a regular basis.

Serving type: cask

11-02-2009 02:41:56 | More by mothman

younger35

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had a couple glasses of this stuff at the American Homebrewers Association rally at Surly. Surly was kind enough to let us drink our asses off AND giving us free wort. Kudos to Surly and Northern Brewer for their generosity.

Appearance - Pours a very murky dark brown and since it's on cask it come out with about a 4 finger dirty tan head. Loads and loads of yeasties floating about and the cap never really falls below one finger.
Smell- Very subtle nose for the most part. Very toasty and nutty with a deep earthy maltiness. A slight bit of fruity hops waft out as does a light yeast. Not much in the way of oak, hope the taste is a bit stronger.
Taste- Starts briskly toasted and nutty with a nice smooth cocoa-ish quality. Has a way more chocolaty aspect than the original. Macadamia nuts and some nice citric hoppiness make their way in. A bit of lemon peel adds a nice crisp zest. Again, like the nose the oak isn't all that strong. Maybe a tinge of vanilla but that's about it. I think the oak may have something to do with perceived strong cocoa character that I don't necessarily get in the original.
Mouthfeel- F you gotta love cask beer. Smooth as velvet with a creamy slickness that is absolutely amazing. Hardly any carbonation with a bit of stickiness.
Drinkability- I don't know how this could be anything but a 5. This is one of those brews that you could literally drink all day. The normal Bender is great but this is a nice change of pace. I don't know if the oak does much if anything but its great none the less.

Serving type: cask

10-31-2009 14:40:45 | More by younger35

paco1029384756

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep burgundy color with very little off white head.

Scent of oak, a hint of coffee and brown sugar. Not very impressive, falls a bit flat.

Taste of oak, brown sugar, and molasses. Pretty good, but not amazing, on cask I think this one loses it's appeal. I don't think I could drink often, maybe once in a while, but there are better options out there.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a fairly strong carbonation.

Serving type: cask

10-31-2009 02:20:36 | More by paco1029384756

hardy008

Minnesota

4.65/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this at Darkness Day, and it was one of my favorite beers of the day. Poured a dark brown color with a small tan head. The smell was oak, whiskey, some sweet malt, and vanilla. Same for the taste. This was just fantastic to drink. Light bodied with low carbonation. This beer stole the show for me at Darkness Day. It is insanely drinkable.

This review was missing after a server crash. Added back on 10/28.

Serving type: cask

10-28-2009 22:29:08 | More by hardy008

jera1350

Minnesota

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

On cask at DD 09. Deep dark brownish black color with a thin layer of foam. Smells like sweet roasted malts with a slight bourbon and vanilla extract scent. Hint of oak on the nose as well. Taste is outstanding. A lot like the nose. Sweet deep caramel malt with a bourbony oak and vanilla extract flavor blended in. Silky smooth, almost full bodied. Creamy texture. So tasty and easy to drink. If you like Bender, chances are, you will love this one. Care for a can of this anyone??? I do!

Serving type: cask

10-28-2009 02:00:37 | More by jera1350

Dotcubed

Arkansas

3.83/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Another on from last saturday.

I gravitated towards this one because I'm a Bender fan.

The plastic cup detracted from the awesomeness of this product. But I still could see it's intense dark color. Black tar molasses. Little coco colored lace around the edge of the cup.

Smelled much like regular Bender but with some hint of sweetness.
Spectacular vanilla note. Heavy on the oak chips or these guys got a good set of staves. Seemed to have a subtle rye element, but maybe that was just me.

Good weight, the body was a little heavy but that's just how those beers are.

Not an every day drinker, and not really a beer I'd want outside the fall or winter season.

Serving type: cask

10-27-2009 02:49:46 | More by Dotcubed

Sean9689

Illinois

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Stub N Herbs Pre-Darkness Day Party. Poured into pint glass.

A - Pours dark brown with a very small cap of cream-colored head that reduces down to a thin ring around the rim of the glass. No lacing evident.

S - Lots of oak on this for me (although some said they didn't get enough oak) which overpower some of the subtle notes I would probably pick up otherwise. Other then the wood/oak notes, it pretty much reminds me of regular Bender.

T - Lots of oak which kinda makes it hard for me to pick out much else. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad beer, but I really prefer the regular Bender.

M - Light bodied, very little carbonation, very smooth.

D - Easy to drink, but not quite my favorite Surly.

Serving type: cask

10-26-2009 23:57:54 | More by Sean9689

blackearth

Minnesota

4.72/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I had this beer at Surly during the AHA rally. It poured a dark brown to black body with large amount of foam that ranged from large bubbles at the top of the head all the way down to micro-scopic white bubbles at the bottom of the head. Subdued aroma of chocolate and roasted malts. The mouthfeel was medium bodied and creamy. The taste was terrific - it was like chocolate milk or a chocolate malt. Just amazing.

Serving type: cask

10-12-2009 16:48:49 | More by blackearth

MPLS

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Stumbled upon this cask well after I thought it would be polished off.

A: Bad ass brown with the bottom of the pint glass looking almost red hue. The cask gives this beer no lacing and a saliva like layer of head, maybe.

S: Almost the same nose as regular Bender, perhaps a little less vivid.

T: Milky, malty goodness. The hop profile of regular bender is really tamed with this one and replaced with oak. Maybe think Bender plus vanilla tootsie rolls?

M: Smooth as silk, creamy, but no carbonation to speak of.

D: The silky smooth mouth feel made me spring for multiple pints, easy easy drinking because of its cask nature.

Serving type: cask

09-24-2009 19:03:52 | More by MPLS

MasterSki

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this via cask both at Darkness Day and Sheffield's Beer School Bar Festival. Actually got a glass (and not a plastic cup) at the latter so I thought it'd be fair game to review at this point.

A - Tiny tan foam that dissipates quickly. Not much visible carbonation (no surprise here) - dark reddish-brown color that actually looks lighter(!) than the regular Bender.

S - Typical Bender smell, but with mild whiskey overtones. You've got the usual biscuit, molasses, vanilla, chocolate malt, coffee, and candy that you'd expect. Not as hoppy as regular Bender. There isn't a huge difference here.

T - Definitely some whiskey bite in this one, particularly at the back end of the palate. The sour whiskey character balances what is otherwise a very sweet beer.

M - I found the original Bender to watery, and the cask conditioning solves that problem - this is one smooth and creamy brew. However, the lack of carbonation is unfortunate, as the whiskey screams for that complementary tingle.

D - It's almost as drinkable as the regular Bender. I'm sure the ABV is a little higher but it's not really noticeable. The reduction in carbonation is definitely a plus for long sessions. However, the whiskey taste wears on the palate in a way that the original beer doesn't. There's also the obvious issue of availability and portability here...

This was a little bit of a disappointment. I think some of Surly's other experiments (Tea-Bagged Furious, Ashed Cynicale) are much more successful. This doesn't really improve on Bender - it's just a different riff.

Serving type: cask

01-18-2009 13:50:06 | More by MasterSki

pwoods

Ohio

4.53/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Cask at D-Day. Notes from text.

How much better could Bender get? The body is so smooth and creamy. The oak adds so much dimension. Along with the toffee, coffee, and cocoa, the oak adds a great woody, earthy note and then rebalances with a hint of vanilla. The hops pop beautifully when the beer is this damn fresh.

Serving type: cask

11-21-2008 22:04:28 | More by pwoods

Buebie

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on cask at the brewery for Darkness day.

Poured into a 12oz plastic cup...wish it had been a snifter.
Poured a dark brown in color, glowing red at the edges when held to light.
tan 1 finger head, some retention. Bubbles apear much larger then they do when poured from the can.

vanilla aroma, some mild chocolate malt aromas, burnt toast, kinda fruity.

Taste is kinda smokey from the oak I presume. Smooth and creamy in mouthfeel. Roasted almonds, chocolate again, some mild coffee.

Very smooth and delicious brew

Serving type: cask

10-27-2008 01:12:43 | More by Buebie

brdc

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Not sure if I can call the serving a cask, but that is how it has been rated by others.
Had it at Darkness day.

Slightly darker than the original, with a small tan head that fades quickly but has sticky lacing.
It still resembles more a porten than a brown ale: caramel, malts, burnt sugar, coffee and a tiny bit of hops, some fruitiness that resembles cherries, and a bit of vanilla too; the aging added more vanilla, it appears.
Taste is very similar, and it might have gotten lighter and even easier to drink, but the flavor profile did not later much from the can version.
Bitter coffee, followed by some sweet caramel, then bittersweet chocolate.
Medium-bodied, creamy, it is a great brew but not necessarily a lot better than the can.

Serving type: cask

10-26-2008 23:30:00 | More by brdc

rudylaw

Illinois

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

@ Clark St. Ale House

Pours a tan, foamy head from the cask. Looks and smells like regular Bender but with some vanilla, oak and malt. We also have bits of coffee and chocolate, of course. Almost no carbonation as it glides down extremely easy. I'm glad I got to experience this.

Serving type: cask

06-13-2008 23:46:23 | More by rudylaw

Duffman

Minnesota

4.45/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Sampler glass at the Firkin Fest at the Happy Gnome

Pours a dark, though not too dark (lighter than a porter or oatmeal stout) with a light coffee colored head and some beautiful amber-wood tones to it.

The oak is dominant, overpowering slightly. Coffee is prominent, and chocolate to a lesser extent. Toffee, nutty A robust scent with some kick to it.

The taste is delicious. A deep oakiness, complimented by some of the traditional flavors of bender. Scotch-like in the oaky smoothness, a most welcome beer experiment. Roasted nuttiness, lots of coffee, some chocolate, and the faintest hint of vanilla.

Exceptional woody smoothness, a clinging and inviting, though deep body. It just feels right, it has a texture and a quality unlike any other beer I've tasted.

Drinkable, but a tad bit heavy, not something you would drink quickly or in large amounts--despite the smoothness--even if you wanted to. Not bad though.

Serving type: cask

03-17-2008 00:23:44 | More by Duffman

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a firkin at Groveland Tap.

Delivered with zero head and a murky body from the firkin, served a touch too cold. As it warmed, a nice aroma of vanilla and oak came out with a little cocoa behind it. The flavor is a subtle mix of the oak and vanilla with smooth chocolate malts, a touch of coffee, and fruit punch hops. And it finishes with a long aftertaste of mocha coffee/dark roasted grains.

This is a must-try for Bender fans, the oak adds a nice extra level of flavor.

Serving type: cask

12-20-2007 04:31:05 | More by tempest

objectivemonkey

Minnesota

4.8/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Finally getting this review down.... So Todd stops by Cafe 28 the evening before Thanksgiving, cask in hand. As funny as it seemed, we'd been drinking Darkness all night long, but that wasn't the beer we were excited for...

Into a pint glass, poured the same dark brown with ruby hues, a thick and creamy head of light tan that stuck around for a long time, leaving rings and blobs and tons of lacing. The aroma was unmatchable... the most oaky nose I've ever encountered, with all that lovely Bender chocolates and thick malt and bit of earthy hop. The taste follows suit, oak being the first though... it was just dripping with the woody goodness... it was just unreal. Add a smooth a tasty mouth and you have yourself one fantastic brew.

Serving type: cask

12-02-2007 00:21:52 | More by objectivemonkey