Schadenfreude - Surly Brewing Company

kruse

Minnesota

1.35/5  rDev -66.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

A - tap poured a nice brown color; head was almost non-existent, just a few off-white bubbles.

S - relatively little aroma, particularly for a Surly beer. Slight hoppiness, but more malty.

T - malt, with some hop bitterness, but overshadowed by a very unpleasant metallic taste.

M - very thin

D - All but undrinkable. I usually like Surly products, but this one really misses the mark.

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2010 15:12:59 | More by kruse

jrallen34

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I has this on tap at Local option into a tulip. The beer is dark brown with lots of amber highlights, fairly clear. Not much head or retention to comment on. The aroma is light, bready with roasted malts. The taste is ok nothing special, a light smoke finish that is nice. Easy to drink but not much feel, kinda boring so probably wouldn't want more than one.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2010 21:07:26 | More by jrallen34

younger35

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a glass of this delight at good ol' Stub & Herbs on a beautiful Saturday morning. I think Surly needs to come up with more of these one off tap only brews. Drank from a generic pint glass.

Appearance- Dark brownish with hints of copper and a nice one finger soft off-white head. A small spotty cap remains along with a thick collar and tiny spots of lacing strewn about.
Smell- Lightly yeasty and bready with just a super light touch of chocolate. Maybe a bit of coffee but overall not the most exciting nose, pretty much like every Dunkel ever made.
Taste- Somewhat lightly toasted and nutty with a nice coffee and cola aspect. A bit of bready yeast and toasted crust with no real hop influence at all. Very crisp and somewhat clean though with a smooth refreshing finish.
Mouthfeel- Fairly light body with a zippy bit of carbonation that tickles the tongue.
Drinkability- Very easy drinking, inoffensive beer. Not all that flavorful and for my $ I'd much rather have mild (same sort of profile, loosely). I just need bigger flavors and a Dunkel Lager just doesn't do it for me. Glad I got to try though!

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2010 16:23:00 | More by younger35

Chriscrundwell12

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured on tap into a Surly imperial pint glass at Cafe Twenty Eight.

A- One finger off white foamy head, nice carbonation very dark brown appearance, nice lacing.
S- Nice and tasty, malts, and caramel, coffee, brown sugar, chocolate and hopes are present as well.
T- Slight hops and malts up front, very mild, easy drinking, you get a breadiness to it as well, well balanced, hints of coffee and caramel, very similar to bender.
M- Excellent carbonation, medium mouth feel, nice and crisp on the palate.
O- Easy drinking beer, well balanced and smooth, great sessional beer, nice coffee and malt notes, with some nice hops added in. Solid beer but would not rank among my top favorites from Surly.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2011 07:38:47 | More by Chriscrundwell12

fear025

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

On tap at the Bavarian Lodge in Lisle, IL.

Aroma:The smell is rather subtle, but I get dark malts, and noble hops.

Appearance:This beer is dark brown with very little head.

Taste:Dark malts dominate this beer. The foretaste has a lot of chocolate, and also some woody notes. On the mid to aftertaste I get some subtle dark fruit flavors. The aftertaste lingers with a mild lager yeast flavor.

Mouthfeel:Medium body that's really smooth. Good carbonation.

Drinkability:I really enjoyed this beer, it's very drinkable, and goes great with food. I'm not sure it's exactly spot-on in terms of style though. I think it could have benefited from more complexity.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2010 17:15:27 | More by fear025

bsp77

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Serving glass: Poured from tap into Pint glass.

Appearance: Dark ruby-brown with medium-sized head.

Smell: Caramel, bread and a light smokiness. Way too mild.

Taste: Somewhat sweet caramel backbone with some light roasted characteristics (chocolate, coffee). Just a hint of smoke, oak and noble hops.

Feel: Moderate carbonation, fairly light body. Little too sweet overall for my personal tastes.

Overall: Despite the mild aroma and slightly too sweet body, this is pretty damn good for a Dunkel. While not my favorite Surly by a long shot, I have to appreciate what they have accomplished here.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2011 02:18:22 | More by bsp77

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Dark Lord Day 2011.

Appearance -- Pours a molasses brown hue with a slim cap of beige head.

Smell -- Nicely toasted malt, assorted nuts, and earthy hops. Pretty nice.

Taste -- The dominant flavors are that of toasted malt, along with nuttiness and a traditionally German-tasting grassy/earthy hops combo. Malt sweetness is mild, bordering on dry, as Surly is wont to do. Very crisp. Lingering flavors of earthy hops and toasted nuts.

Mouthfeel -- Medium-light in body with medium carbonation. Crisp and easy-drinking.

Overall -- Not bad at all. Wouldn't put it high on my list of favorite Surly beers, but it's always a treat to try one of their beers, especially a lager.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2011 22:51:19 | More by yeahnatenelson

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

3.83/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Stub and Herb's. Amazing that people will rate the heck out of super hopped up beers and RISs but usually bypass the other ones. Why?

A: deep, deep, copper color - great head
S: mild nose
T: good, malty, decently rich with nice hop finish but not intense - well-made dunkel, a bit weak in body but just an easy drinking beer
M & D: very good

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2010 23:34:59 | More by wisrarebeer

MasterSki

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap at Jake Melnick's. Served in a pint glass.

A - Poured with a finger of light tan foam that dissipates to a thin cap and ring. Hazy red-brown body with some light transparency at the fringes, and a nice fiery glow.

S - Smells a like a dunkel. Nuts, cocoa, cola, caramel dark fruits, maybe a touch of ginger? It's a little muted but otherwise quite nice.

T - Taste is a step up, with more intensity amplifying the same flavor collection and adding a bit of sarsaparilla to the cola notes. No obvious booze, but there's a touch of hop bitterness in the finish.

M - A bit gritty and overcarbonated. Light residual stickiness, medium body, and no perceptible heat.

D - I drank a pint during an inning of the Cubs-Braves game. Other than the somewhat harsh carbonation this was pretty easy to drink. A nice dunkel lager, similar to Denison's but with a less potent nose.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2010 04:31:39 | More by MasterSki

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Binny's Tap Room--Chicago

Appearance: dark brown/red in color with 1/4 inch head, clear

Smell: chocolate, some nut, and roasted malt

Taste: chocolate, some nut, and roasted malt--a touch of oak is present as well.

Mouthfeel: light body, moderate carbonation, sweet with a bitter backbone

Drinkability: I could have several of these--and would have if I did not get in right before the keg kicked. I love the slight oaking. This beer is super smooth.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2010 15:53:57 | More by tigg924

ChopperSmith

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap in a standard pint glass at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis.

Appearance: Slightly hazy dark brown with a ruby red tint when held to the sunlight. Single finger tan foamy head that left nice lacing.

Smell: Toasty and bready malts with just a hint of hops.

Taste: Dark roasted malts, flavors of coffee, bread and bittersweet chocolate. Slightly sweet and dry. This is a dream for a roasted malt lover.

Mouthfeel: Lighter bodied than expected, and crisp carbonation. A good consistency for a hearty malty flavored beer like this.

Drinkability: An easy one to session with and a lot of flavor, but very easy to drink and smooth. Another winner from Surly.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2011 00:05:33 | More by ChopperSmith

AgentZero

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown color, can't really see through it, small off-white head. Little bit of yellow on the edges, looks fairly solid.

S - Smell is nice, but a little too muted. Caramel malts with a bit of cocoa and some coffee as well. Smells sweet.

T - Not what I was expecting. Nice and roasty with some chocolate, then I get a surpring amount of coffee and bitter malts on this. Very nice, although it almost seems like a coffee dunkle.

M - Quite carbonated on a medium bodied beer leads this one to be somewhat of a refreshing brew.

D - Pretty easy to get down, and could do it again. Don't think I could make it a session beer, but it was an enjoyable drink that I wouldn't mind having again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2010 21:57:34 | More by AgentZero

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(Served in an American pint glass)
A- This beer has a warm dense brown body with a thick light beige head that last for a good bit and a gentle carbonation.
S- The aroma of brown malt with a darker chocolate malt note in the background is very clean.
T- The soft dark toasted malt flavor has some chocolate malt flavors to it and is dry and lagered. The finish has a slight tartness that might be a subtle smoke hint and no real hops are present. M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel that is pretty dry with no alcohol heat.
D- This beer has some nice flavors and a good richness. It is drinkable but it would be nice to have a little more depth or support to the dark toasted malt bill.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2010 21:06:56 | More by rhoadsrage

Mdog

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Dark amber, good head.

Smell: Toasted bread, not too strong. I have trouble smelling almost all tap beers.

Taste: Bready, toast, some sweetness. A little toffee. Surly Mild's big brother?

Drinkability: Goes down easy but not too exciting.

Finally got to try the Schadenfreude at the Hanger Room. It's not as in-your-face as most Surly brews, but still is well-made and tasty for what it is. A nice compliment to Surly Hell.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2011 22:58:26 | More by Mdog

emerge077

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Four Moon Tavern...

Served in a nonic pint, there was about a finger of foam that laced the glass in chunky, drippy patterns. It looked black, but in the light it was a deep scarlet when backlit. The attractive color was nice, and the retention was good.

Aroma was slightly sweet, toasted malt and tobacco leaf that also came through in the taste. Aftertaste had some residual earthy hops that were only mildly bitter after a good quaff. The dark malts were on showcase, there was a hint of maple sweetness also. Feel was light, it was easily worth having a couple pints of. Overall it was clean and fairly subdued, though enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2010 01:02:13 | More by emerge077

brentk56

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Arrives with a tawny color flashing crimson highlights; not much head and what there is quickly disappears ; likely due to the pour

Smell: Toasted brown bread and nuts with a hint of coffee

Taste: Toasted brown bread and nuts, up front, with a developing lager twang taking over the middle; after the swallow, there is a hint of coffee that lingers in the finish

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with gentle carbonation

Overall: Surly has done a good job with a style that is mostly ignored on these shores.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2012 23:13:40 | More by brentk56

mdwalsh

Iowa

3.98/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Dark, opaque brown, no head or active carbonation. Hazy from what I can tell. Looks very old-worldy.

S: There's a mild roast, no hops, in general pretty mild. Nothing much to comment on, but nothing to complain about apart from that.

T: Again, there's a mild roast and no hops. It's sort of sweet. This is a pretty straight forward, nothing hidden no complexity, but good beer.

M: There's low carbonation, so it's not light by any means, but it's not terribly smooth either. But it's still nice.

D: Very drinkable, but I think I would rather have the Surly Mild.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2010 13:56:11 | More by mdwalsh

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served with little beige tan head. Full pour. Color is a dark caramel brown.

Aroma: Dark roast, caramel, and coffee. Pretty malty. Some chocolate and earthy hops. Solid.

Taste: Coffee and a nice roast up front followed by chocolate and caramel. Very malty like the nose. Earthy, grassy hops. Reminds me of bender.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy, and lightly roasted. Medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends pretty clean.

Overall, a very flavorful dunkel. I like the coffee roast. Pretty drinkable as well. Good beer all around. I could drink a few pints of this.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2011 01:44:25 | More by mothman

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Transcribed from undated notes. Had on-tap at Binny's South Loop Tasting Room.

Passed over to me with a finger of deep-tan head with good retention. Color was a very pretty ruby red with NE-quality clarity. Nose was slightly sweet with a chocolaty aspect to it. Mouthfeel was medium with a chocolaty, smoky taste on the tongue. This from a lager!?! Wow, color me impressed. Finish had a chocolate flavor with a slight sourness, leaving it moderately dry. What a find!

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2011 19:55:45 | More by woodychandler

nrbw23

Ohio

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a dark brown color with a nice light tan colored head. Head turns into a thin layer of bubbles and some spotty lacing.

S- Smell is nice, but a bit on the weak side. Bready, caramel malts, a touch of chocolate and a bit of Earthy hops.

T- Roasted malts, chocolate, a bit more coffee and smoke. Very malty with just a tad bit of bitterness.

M- Medium in body and nice carbonation.

O- Went in on this one not having a clue what to expect. I really enjoyed drinking this pint.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2011 02:08:50 | More by nrbw23

optiontwo

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this a couple times but didn't realize it was an oak aged beer. Anyway, thought I'd review it.

A: Dark, cold press coffee brown with a hint of glowing ruby where the light hits it. Off white head starts at half inch and leaves a little lacing as it recedes.

S: Roasted malt and chocolate are pretty prominent with an earthy background. Also pick up some fruitiness that I would maybe attribute to the hops.

T: Starts with a nice roastiness combined with a light chocolate sweetness then quickly turns to a perfectly fruity, bitter, slightly dry finish. Definitely begs for more sips.

M: Feels great. Somewhat silky but still light enough to be refreshing. Great carb.

D: Could definitely drink this all night long, no doubt about it.

O: I hope this ends up as a canned offering because it's delicious and drinkable. I've maybe only had one other dunkel lager so I'm not quite versed in the style but whether or not this is very traditional, it's damn good.

Serving type: on-tap

06-15-2010 16:22:15 | More by optiontwo

zeledonia

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Happy Gnome.

Brought to me with little head, but decent stickiness and lacing. A deep translucent brown with ruby highlights. Much darker than I expected.

Smell is not the highlight - it's rather weak on the nose. But what's there is good. Mostly rich chocolate malts and some yeast aroma. Smells rich and full, without any bite. Very little hop presence.

Taste is rather like the smell, but fuller. Deep roasted malts, with a fair amount of cocoa and a notable lager yeast flavor. Not much fruit, and hops are there only in the gentle bitterness that comes on late. This one is mostly straight-up roasted malts, but despite that it still tastes balanced. Has a really nice richness and decent complexity. Finishes clean, smooth, and fairly quickly, with the aforementioned bitterness coming and going without fanfare.

Medium-bodied, with good carbonation. Feels full in the mouth, but not sticky. Very smooth. Fades gently and gracefully away.

A very solid beer. Dominated by the malts, as it should be, but with nice rich flavors and good balance.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2011 01:12:27 | More by zeledonia

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dusky brown color, with crimson highlights shining through at the edges, slim head.

Caramel and cocoa hit the nose first, sweetness dominates, then mild coffee notes come in.

Taste: mild mouthfeel, but flavor-packed. Caramel and toffee, tops again, but rounded out, and the sweetness is tempered by the work of the barrel. Everything is even-keeled, and extremely, what's the technical term? Tasty.

Minor hop bitterness, medium mouthfeel, body, tingly texture. One of the more to-style (aside from the oak-aging) Surlys so far, and one of my favorites among those. I tend to favor darker lagers more than lighter ones, and the maltier the better.

This one where one pint begs for another, an excellent session choice. I actually find myself not yearning for a hoppier brew, or one stronger in alcohol...although I'll probably have one of those, anyway...knowing me, as I do.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2010 01:11:43 | More by feloniousmonk

Florida9

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Cafe 28 (tasting note from mid-May)

A: Reddish mahogany brown in color. Served with a good sized tan head. Good retention.

S: Roasted malts. Bready. Some earthy tones and a bit of smoke.

T: Again roasted malts with a certain nuttiness and a noticeable bit of char, smoke and peat. Not overdone, but with this beer being on the lighter side, even the lighter notes of smoke and peat come through clearly. Very mild bitterness on the end.

M: On the lighter side of medium with active carbonation.

D: Overall another good beer from the folks at Surly. Lighter bodied with a full flavor makes this one both sessionable and great with food. And while this is not my preferred style of beer, I enjoyed this one thoroughly. Oddly, I felt this one had more smoke character than Surly's Smoke.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2010 02:29:20 | More by Florida9

kbutler1

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Draft at Stub & Herbs. Poured into a pint glass a dark brown color with a ever so slight head. What head there is collars around the rim of the glass a light tan color. I would have liked more head but it seems the bartender wanted to fill it to the brim! The aroma is actually quite mild with notes of light roast coffee. Medium mouthfeel. I would guess this uses maris otter barley given the appearance and aroma. Medium mouthfeel. Starts off with a very slight dark fruit flavor, a touch nuttiness, and the aforementioned light roast notes. Sweetness sticks around the whole time. Mild bitterness. Some caramel flavors as well as it warms up a touch. VERY easy drinking. Like.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2011 12:36:43 | More by kbutler1