Beer Review- Surly Bitter Brewer, Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

These two beers suprised me for totally different reasons. Surly is a brewery that in the few releases I've had of theirs, tries to push the limit. Furious is an extremely hoppy/bitter beer. In fact the 99 IBUs makes it one of the most (if not the most) bitter beer in America. I think Bender is a really unique beer, combining elements of a brown ale, porter and stout with a lot of hoppiness. Their other seasonal releases tend to be unique or extreme as well. Needless to say, I was quite surprised when I heard they had released a British Bitter. It just seemed a little to be a little too "ordinary" of a beer for Surly to release.

Without much to compare it to, but in reading the description of the British bitter, I'd have to say Surly nails it on the head. This beer pours a pale orange color with a lacy white head. It has a fairly floral aroma of hops, and some biscuity aromas as well. It is bitter and dry but very easy to drink. At 4% alcohol this is the definition of a session beer. It has just enough bite and hoppy flavor to make it interesting, but nothing stands out a lot, and it is crisp and light. There is a lingering bitterness from the hops and the dryness is balanced with a slight malty sweetness. Not a beer I would buy often, but a beer that surprises me in its simplicity from a brewery that often goes over the top. In some ways I'm more impressed with this effort because I think what is lost in American brewing sometimes is the craft of making something simple and not overloading it with hops, alcohol content, or a dominating flavor. In the era of big beers, its impressive to see a brewery known for extreme to come out with a well crafted session ale.

On the other end of the spectrum is Flying Dog's Gonzo Imperial Porter. I have only had a couple of offerings from Flying Dog before and have never been overly impressed. The artwork of Ralph Steadman on their labels is always really eye catching, and I am impressed with the large variety of beers and styles they brew. They have a line of beers called Canis Major, which are bigger beers that include a barley wine, a double IPA, a triple, and the imperial porter. After drinking the Gonzo, I am going to have to revisit the Flying Dog Line. This beer is pretty impressive. It pours jet black with a finger of mocha head. Right away are peppery hop aromas as well as hints of coco, coffee, and roastiness. A creamy mouthfeel, not quite as creamy as a stout, but more body than your average porter. Similar to Old Rasputin, in the aroma, it has strong flavors of roasted malt with some chocolate. A really good beer, there is a lot of dark, roasty flavors going on here. A lot of bitterness, but some sweetness in the finish. Its a sipper, but gets better as it warms up, so that's a good thing. A very good beer and one I would definitely buy again.

Two very different beers, but both very good. I am planning on heading to Wisconsin this weekend, so hopefully I can find some new offerings from New Glarus or possibly Dogfish Head. Have a great long weekend.

Salud!

The Bearded Brewer