Five - Surly Brewing Company

ngeunit1

California

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Reddish-brown with a finger of frothy tan-khaki head. Fades normal.

S - Sour cherries, oak, vanilla, red wine, other dark fruits, some dark malts, funky Brett, and some tart green fruits.

T - Sour cherries, funky Brett, oak, vanilla, red wine, dark fruits, dark malts, tart green apple and other green fruits.

M - Medium bodied with moderate-light carbonation. Smooth with a tart and sour finish.

D - Nice wild ale. Good overall balance and complexity.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 04:45:43 | More by ngeunit1

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Generously shared by Rutager.

A: Black liquid with a slight tan head around the edges of the glass.

S: Smells like an oud bruin. Caramel malt and sourness.

T: Pears, white wine, red wine, oak, chocolate, hazelnut and caramel.

M: Medium to thin viscosity and a low level of carbonation.

O: Interesting wild ale reminiscent of an oud bruin.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 01:19:03 | More by DaftCaskBC

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Huge thank you to Steasy66 and Mikesgroove for each getting me a bottle of this!

Appearance. Pours a deep dark brown with half a finger of khaki head.

Smell. Malt vinegar and sweet dark malts, a little cherry and dark fruit. Yum!

Taste. Sour, cocoa, red berry tartness, old dank barrel, a little dry funky brett.

Mouthfeel. Lighter than medium body, lowish carbonation.

Overall. Interesting, different and very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 02:21:54 | More by Rutager

ElderPuma

Wisconsin

4.56/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is a very dark deep red to brownish color and pours with a minimal head. Appearance is solid but leaves you wanting a bit more.

For whatever the beer lacks in appearance it makes up for in smell and flavor. The beer is a typical amazing Brett sour with heavy tones of leather, hay, and I hate to say it but wet horse blanket. If you love sours, this is right up your ally and I am quite sad I only had this one bottle.

In terms of mouthfeel this is spot on for a sour. It is effervescent and well carbonated but overly light in body. A perfect example of body for a sour.

All in all, this is a superb example of a Brett aged sour beer and one that sadly is a limited production.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 02:48:59 | More by ElderPuma

Jfriz25

Wisconsin

4.35/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance- Dark brown with ruby edges. Thin off white head that's fades to a film of tiny bubbles.

Smell- The dominant smell is sour apple but underneath there is some earthy funky stuff going on.

Taste- The taste follows the smell pretty closely. Sour apple, some cherry, funky leather seems to finish.

Mouthfeel- Fairly thin body but the carbonation makes the overall mouthfeel smooth and almost creamy.

Overall- Really glad I got a chance to try this out of the bottle after having a sample at the great taste. It lived up to my drunken memories. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 02:47:47 | More by Jfriz25

Jriggz

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark brown body with tan head that discipates quickly to ring. Smell sour cherries with slight funk. Taste sour cherries, red wine, moderately sour with slight notes of oak and funk finish. Mouthfeel lively with dry finish. Decent Brett brew. Nice job Surly!

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 22:27:03 | More by Jriggz

oline73

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this at the November Baltimore BA tasting. Poured from the bottle into a tasting snifter.

Appearance: The beer pours a mostly clear mahogany color with hardly any off white head. The head fades to a ring around the pour.

Smell: I'm getting lots of dark sour smell, some wine and a hint of red berry tartness. Just enough malt sweetness to compliment the sourness.

Taste: Wine and red berries with some malt sweetness in the background. Just a touch of vinegar and a hint of bitterness. The finish is tart with some fruity vinegar notes.

Mouthfeel: The body is medium with tingly carbonation and a finish that is a bit dry.

Overall: This is a nice dark sour. Quite smooth and I think it will age quite nicely. I would have more in the future.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 21:10:30 | More by oline73

DovaliHops

California

4.15/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown color, with a reddish hue. Light, off-white head. Scent is a good amount of cherry with some red wine vinegar. Slightly tannic and acidic. Somewhat funky with nice tart fruit aromas. A hint of tobacco as well. Taste is just as it smells. A lot more dry than I was expecting. This one is DRY! The cherry and tobacco flavors go lovely with the sour and sweet fruit flavors. Tart red wine flavors, and some acidity that compliments it well. Mouthfeel is extremely dry and somewhat acidic. Puckering. Drinkability is fairly high. Overall, this is the only wild ale I've ever had from Surly...could be the only one they've brewed...I'm not sure. However, whether they were new to this last year, or this is something they are looking to get into, I encourage it. Very lovely experience with this beer. Would love to have another bottle of it.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 07:56:09 | More by DovaliHops

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a waxed bottle into a Hennepin tulip

A- pours lack with a one finger tan head...that's a little odd looking for a sour. Decent carbonation, and real dark. Huh...

S- aroma is of light cherries, wood, and a little funk. Tannins are high in this one. Not bad

T- the taste is largely of vinegar, with some funk. Also getting some tobacco coming through. I don't get much of the base beer, but I do get a lot of the barrel....very disappointing

M- thin body, part for the course

O- I expected a lot more from a brewery from Surly, but this one is a whiff IMO

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 02:46:58 | More by bigfnjoe

brystmar

New York

3.4/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks Jon!

Brown-black body pours zero head or lace. Aroma is very mild and disappoints; some sour fruit, mild roast, tiny bit of funk. Meh.

Tart and acetic up front. Roast fades in favor of some fruitiness. Acetic once again. Not too much going on here, honestly. A good attempt at a sour; hope they continue the testing.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 21:14:39 | More by brystmar

vandemonian

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Surly Five is an ok wild ale. Dark and harsh. A little too much vinegar for my tastes. Not so great.

A. Black colour and a crappy head. 4

S: Sour with a little maltiness. 4

T: Malty with a sour kick. Vinegary. Pretty nice though. 3.5

M: A little flat. 3

O: 3.5

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2012 02:55:47 | More by vandemonian

brewerburgundy

California

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

25.4oz bottle mostly stored in a fridge since I received it, Duvel tulip.

Very Porter-like looks; a light brown with more yellow highlights and scant light head.

Lightly tart strawberries, quite oaky, vanilla, a bit of barnyard, raspberry iced tea, and chewy malt in the background. Strawberries and cream, with a more pronounced acid note as it warms.

Again, it's lightly tart and I could see it being downright sour in the future. The berry flavors are more toward raspberry and the oak is expressed with much more tannin.

Mouthfeel is thin and a bit slick. Not many bubbles. Alcohol isn't really apparent anywhere. The acid and tannins dry the mouth moderately, enough to get the salivary glands going.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 02:22:04 | More by brewerburgundy

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dark brown with red hues. Thin ring around the glass, no lacing.

A nice mix of red wine and grape juice. There is some roasted malt that adds a nice sugar sweetness. Oak is subtle.

T-Red wine and sweet malts. Not as juice like as the noise leads you to believe. There is a slight char and dark roast in the taste. lingering finish.

M- Light bodied, good carbonation, slightly sticky on the lips.

Really reminds me of the Monk's Cafe Flanders. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 01:41:10 | More by korguy123

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750mL bottle poured into tulip - thanks to therobot

Pours a deep, ruddy red color with near-purple tones. Crop of beige head dissolves, leaving some spotty lacing on the glass.

Funky and sour in the nose with dark red grapes. Brett and wet hay with some red wine and oak notes. Soft alcohol warmth.

Sour and biting up front with red wine and grape skin. Brett-induced funk with some wet hay and lingering yeastyness. Soft fruits, raisins and sweetness with a touch of dry lactic tartness. Finishes dry and warm.

Fuller medium body, slightly higher carbonation, dry and lasting on the tongue. A nice wild ale from Surly, although there's better options out there for the $20 tag.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 23:35:04 | More by xnicknj

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.45/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours deep red almost purplish hue with a small brown head and a little lacing.

Smells like a medium bodied red wine with a lot of oak character and some brett funk along with sourness.

Similar flavors although the brett stands out a bit more. Again a lot like a medium bodied red wine with lots of lush red grape and some oak along with the bretty funk.

Medium bodied with ample carbonation.

Had this on draft at the FFF XV party and loved it so decided to age my bottle. Not holding up quite as well as I'd like, but still a really wonderful beer and one I apparently like more than its rep. I wish I had more.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 21:51:17 | More by jmarsh123

emerge077

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Draft served in a small footed goblet.

Second time trying this, first time with a full pour. The color appears black at first, with a brown hint in the lower meniscus of the glass. Towards the last third of the glass, it's a reddish transparent copper color. Thin ring of froth around the edges, it didn't have much head to speak of.

Tart and vinous aroma, wet barrel and cherry skins.

Flavors are similar, black cherry, some tannic cherry skin bitterness, lightly oaky and toasty. Feels a bit thin, though there's an ample level of tartness to it, lending some acidity that carries it through. Finishes somewhat dry and clean. The flavor profile seems Flanders-inspired, which always hits a sweet spot for me. It was good and i'd have one again if the rare opportunity arose.

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2012 21:33:35 | More by emerge077

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Weebay for sharing this one.

A - Dark brown, almost black in colour with some red wine coloured glow around the edges. A ring of cream coloured head formed on the poor and quickly disappeared.

S - Sourness up front with a big oak presence and some dark cherries.

T - Sour up front with a big black cherry flavour. Tart. Some red wine and oak flavours come through in the finish.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 18:36:04 | More by TheSevenDuffs

minnesotaryan

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Have had multiple times, fresh on tap and in bottles and now after almost a year later opened another, and wow is it drinking good!

pours brown and turns black as night, slight cream head

smells sour and tart, bretty and lactic, sour cherries, rich and complex

tastes incredible! tart cherries, tobacco, brett and lactic yeast, sour fruits (peach and pear, apple) nice complexity, a little less tear jerker like now, truly delightful.

medium body, prickly carbonation and a wonderfully dry finish.

wow this is drinking nice, love the complexity, lots going on, but not so much that you can't pick it apart.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 03:26:42 | More by minnesotaryan

andrewinski1

Maine

3.68/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Bendurgin for sharing! The body is black. There is a small amount of bubbles somewhat resembling a head.

The aroma has chocolate and tart cherry. Notes of vanilla cream are mixed in.

The taste is nice and tart in the beginning. I notice a pleasing subtle cocoa finish. I like the clean lemon tart flavor without any vinegarryness.

This is medium bodied with a small amount of prickly carbonation.

Not bad, this exceeded my expectations.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 02:12:41 | More by andrewinski1

Bendurgin

Maine

3.9/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Grant for sending this one my way. This one pours dark brown with a short lived cap of brown foam. It settles quickly.

The aroma has a nice tart cherry aroma with hints of vanilla and just a faint cocoa powder aroma in the background. A little bit of a vinous finish here. Dark cherry flavor with some clean tartness right up front with a bit of sweetness on the finish. Just a faint cocoa powder flavor on the finish.

The body is light with good carbonation. A little bit of a dry tannin finish.

Pretty impressed with this one. To my knowledge this is Surly's first wild effort. Would love to see more.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 02:06:24 | More by Bendurgin

Mora2000

Texas

3.8/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to BMan1113VR for sharing this bottle at bu11zeye's 10,000th tasting.

The beer pours a dark brown color with a tan head. The aroma is fairly straightforward. I get some tart cherries and toffee, with not too much else going on. The flavor is basically the same. The toffee and caramel notes stand out, but there are some tart cherries and oak thrown in for good measure. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 15:26:24 | More by Mora2000

Florida9

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Clear dark brown. Forms a thin surface coating of dark tan head. No lacing. 3.5

S: Dirty, earthy, and sour. Malt vinegar. 3.5

T: Slightly vinous with notes of earth, tobacco, and just plain dirt. Mild malty vinegar quality. 3.5

M: Medium bodied, light sourness, clean finish. 4.0

O: I can't say I cared for this one. The sourness is light, but the flavors are earthy and dirty. Between the earth and the sour, I just didn't feel like it worked that well. 3.5

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 22:38:03 | More by Florida9

largadeer

California

3.1/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks, Cam.

Appearance: Opaque black with faintly translucent brown edges, very stout-like in appearance. The head recedes quickly.

Smell: Very vinous and barrel forward. Currants, raisins, balsamic vinegar, a little dark malt. Soft leathery notes from the brett, though the funk is fairly reserved with this bottle. Previous bottles I tried seemed a bit more acetic and bretty; not the case with this one.

Palate: Tart and extremely vinous, with lighter notes of roasted malt and sweet balsamic vinegar. Sourness is moderate - I'd be very surprised if this is in fact 100% brett fermentation. The acidity implies that there was some bacteria at work. Currants and raisins come to mind again. It's a rather dry beer, but the body has a decent amount of heft; about appropriate for the ABV. The finish leaves some leathery, almost tobacco-like flavors along with a touch of oak.

Overall: Very middle of the road. Nothing particularly bad about it. Sort of tastes like a mediocre version of Consecration.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 01:05:31 | More by largadeer

Ryan011235

Ohio

2.53/5  rDev -37.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Super Bowl Sunday 2012. A-B flute.

Shared by nrbw23. Thanks, Brad!

Brown in color. Loose head of bubbles. Thin retention.

Dark fruit aromas; vinous and such. There is some brett funk, but it's heavy on the wine - grapes and cherry. Vinegar. The feel is weird - thin/thick feel with appropriate carbonation. Tastes much more bretty and oaky. Lots of dank basement and dark funk. Tart, but not out of control.

Better as it warms. A bit bitter, but there are some interesting things going on.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 23:24:09 | More by Ryan011235

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This brew arrived in stemmed glassware, very dark in color, with nice cap of creamy foam. The aroma is sour, like cherries and citrus with some hints of darkly roasted malt. The dark malt comes alive on the palate with hints of cocoa as the beer melts around the tongue. The sourness drives the flavor while the dark malt and chocolate notes strangely and positively accent it. As the beer moves back the flavor weakens the slightest amount. An interesting brew, worthy of a fifth year celebration.

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2012 23:26:23 | More by BeardedBoffin