SŸX - Surly Brewing Company

FourBetter

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Drank twice. Once cold, then again later. The second bottle was opened, and allowed to breathe and warm for 15-20 minutes before pouring. Big difference. Main review is the warm pour.

Allowed to warm and poured 6 -7 0z from the Syx bottle into a snifter.

A: Pours a hazy, golden orange. Very little head but nice lacing.
S: Sweet aroma of orange and apricot. Sweeter malts and spice. Alcohol smell was present but balanced.
M: Nice concentration, not thin like some high ABV's. Just the right amount of carbonation.
T: The warmer pour really allows the flavors to outperform the booze. Sweet fruit flavors, orange/tangerine, apricot, honey. Subtle wood flavor comes and goes along with the malt and some spice to balance out the sweet aspects. Alcohol is definitely there. It nicely warms your throat and tummy the way a good whiskey would but without the burn.

O: Very nice strong ale. The warm (slightly cooler than room temp) really brought out all the layers that Syx had to offer. Each sip seemed to show something a bit different than the last.
The alcohol is not nearly as prominant as when drank cold, where it seems to dominate and taste more acidic, hiding the rest.

My advice: drink warm/cool. Age some and see what pops out after 1,2, 5 years.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 16:59:35 | More by FourBetter

HopsMatt

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

06-13-2013 06:42:59 | More by HopsMatt

Bluecane

North Carolina

1.5/5  rDev -60.7%

06-12-2013 04:57:19 | More by Bluecane

ajzy

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -21.5%

06-10-2013 18:33:55 | More by ajzy

jarrgal

North Dakota

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%

06-10-2013 02:03:40 | More by jarrgal

MNPikey

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%

06-07-2013 21:24:24 | More by MNPikey

nmann08

Maryland

3/5  rDev -21.5%

05-31-2013 22:44:33 | More by nmann08

beerpirates

Belgium

2.45/5  rDev -35.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

75 cl bottle poured in a tastingglass

Bright copper color with nearly no head. Messy aroma.
Oak, honey, slight citrus, and boozy. Not starting off well.
Sweet as balls. Thick and syrupy body. Lots of fruit, plenty of residual sugar, veryhigh bitterness in the finish. I’m not liking this. Thick, sweet, boozy. Wirh a very high bitter finish
I can’t fathom taking more than 3 sips of this,
One of the worst beers i ever had !

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2013 14:55:47 | More by beerpirates

KarlHungus

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%

05-28-2013 09:32:22 | More by KarlHungus

Morey

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +4.7%

05-25-2013 14:04:01 | More by Morey

Hugonaut13

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -14.9%

05-21-2013 14:42:17 | More by Hugonaut13

Photekut

Azerbaijan

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

05-19-2013 01:24:02 | More by Photekut

danfix99

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -21.5%

05-17-2013 20:11:45 | More by danfix99

Sirwootalot

Minnesota

4.41/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Aged for one year in my cellar, poured into three twelve-ounce pilsner glasses and shared with friends.

The smell is cloying, intense, and wonderful - like potpourri, honey, and fresh-cut-wood. It leaves a surprisingly thick head for its incredible ABV, white in contrast to the beer's vivid orange like a dreamsicle. Taste-wise, it's boozy, woody, sweet, and intoxicating - literally and figuratively. I cannot remember the last time a beer got me this dangerously drunk. It's like being in a pine forest and walking past a beehive, except in your mouth. The mouthfeel is more like a double IPA than a strong ale, sapping moisture from the mouth and encouraging yet more tasty dangerous boozy sips.

I wish i'd gotten to try this beer when it was fresh, but at the same time, it was absolutely fantastic and well worth aging to this point. If I haven't made a typo yet, that is incredible because seriously this is the strongest beer i've ever had. do *NOT* tackle this one by yourself!

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 23:46:33 | More by Sirwootalot

GRG1313

California

2.75/5  rDev -28%

05-15-2013 03:40:14 | More by GRG1313

n2185

North Carolina

3.91/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: pours a hazy orange-red with two fingers of white head that fade Iinto a frothy cap with good lacing.

S: lots of sweet caramel and toffee with oak dominating. There are also notes of raisins and Port.

T: similar to the aroma, lots of caramel with vanilla, toffee, and oak. There are raisins and Port toward the finish with a light alcohol burn.

M: medium-thick body with lowish carbonation, this beer is sticky sweet but avoids being overly so.

O: an interesting beer. It reminds me of an aged English old ale or barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 01:03:49 | More by n2185

shawnp

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +4.7%

05-10-2013 00:02:31 | More by shawnp

ngeunit1

California

4.16/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Hazy golden-orange with a finger of frothy off-white head. Fades normal.

S - Bready and biscuit malts, grapefruit, pineapple, and other citrus hops, oak, vanilla, booze.

T - Caramel, bready, and biscuit malts, grapefruit, pineapple, orange, and other citrus hops, some bitterness, oak, vanilla, booze.

M - Medium-plus bodied with moderate-light carbonation. Smooth with a sweet, bitter, and warming finish.

D - Nice hoppy profile with good base beer that holds up to the oak character.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 06:17:21 | More by ngeunit1

drummermattie02

Texas

2.5/5  rDev -34.6%

04-29-2013 13:53:58 | More by drummermattie02

Localdrinklax

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +4.7%

04-26-2013 07:47:50 | More by Localdrinklax

CCutch

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%

04-23-2013 05:40:10 | More by CCutch

NathanFink

Iowa

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

04-14-2013 15:33:26 | More by NathanFink

DaPan

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +4.7%

04-11-2013 16:39:12 | More by DaPan

Jeffrey2310

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +4.7%

04-09-2013 14:30:03 | More by Jeffrey2310

Arcane

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -14.9%

04-08-2013 21:56:04 | More by Arcane