“REFRESHING LIKE AN ICED COFFEE, AROMATIC LIKE A BAG OF FRESHLY ROASTED BEANS, AND SATISFYING LIKE YOUR FAVORITE BEER. Guatemalan coffee, roasted locally, is added to our house oatmeal brown ale. Cold press coffee aromatics and intense coffee flavors are balanced by the oats in the malt bill, resulting in a cappuccino-like creaminess.”

Glassware: English Pint.

Appearance: Deep chestnut pour with a finger and a half of lightly tanned foam. Good retention with a wet lace being dragged down the glass.

Aroma: Huge wafts of coffee emanating off. If we had to guess we would have said Bolivian coffee as it offers strong dark chocolate with hints of vanilla and herbal spice but after a quick check on their website it reveals Guatemalan coffee was used (we were close!). The base is excellent too; plenty of nutty, toasty and creamy notes that marry up with the coffee brilliantly.

Flavour: The intensity of the coffee is scaled back a bit and is replaced with super smooth and creamy chocolate, nutty malts, earthy/woody cocoa, burnt milk and vanilla. But let’s be honest the coffee is still the name of the game here and it reenters with its bittersweet chocolate, mild florals, toffee and delicate smokiness. Lovely sweet and roasty finish rounding it all off.

Mouthfeel: So dense and creamy…and so incredibly smooth! Minimal bitterness, medium-full body. The 5.5% ABV is perfectly positioned.

Overall: Proper stoked to see some of Surly’s beers on our shores as we’ve been keen to try their wares for ages! And as anticipated this American brewery doesn’t disappoint…strong yet well balanced coffee, creamy, well layered, full bodied and delicious! Top notch stuff.