Surly Brewing Company Darkness 2013

**Aroma:** “Pumpernickel biscuit, with rising bread dough yeast notes. Dates and bright stone fruit up front, with slightly hot-ferment aromas and booze coming in at the back. The medium-low roast is evident, with an ever-slight chocolate and malt sweetness.” **Flavor:** “This beer is a nice balance between dark, sweet chocolate, and roasted malt. It has a rich toasted bread-crust character, malty roast, and tobacco leaves. Slightly earthy hops are present on the sides of the tongue, with small alcohol warmth at the back, and a lingering roast astringency. Some backend fruity esters emerge as it warms. A nice body carries the beer well, and the carbonation is spot on.” **Overall:** “An incredible, complex malt profile that challenges the senses but is still delightful to drink, and overall a good beer that has some complexity throughout. It’s woody, cinnamon, earthy, and roasty, with tobacco—like chewing a cigar while eating a chocolate-covered raisin.”

Aroma is toasted marshmallows dipped in bourbon-spiked hot chocolate with perhaps a touch of oatmeal-raisin cookies. Taste is essentially identical. The finish is creamy and smooth. This beer hits the marshmallow notes in a way that most people only hope to. Barrel is present, adding notes of toasted coconut, cinnamon, and clove.

“Compelling aroma of vanilla, dark fudge, smoke, boysenberry, anise, dried cherry, caramel, coffee. Flavor reveals sweeter hints of sherry, vanilla, caramel, turbinado. Beautifully orchestrated.”