Surly Mild

Surly Mild

Rating: Solid

There was once a time when mention of a mild would earn me quizzical looks. Not so any more – at least, not in the Twin Cities, where Great Waters, Town Hall, and now Surly have all brewed their own terrific examples of the style.

Today's milds are a reincarnation of a style from simpler times.

Sampled from a pint glass at Common Roots, Minneapolis, where I found it on tap.

Poured from the tap with no head, but immediately displayed a thick collar around the top. The beer itself is beautiful, its color the translucent red of a garnet.

The smell is primarily sweet and nutty, with a hint of roasted malts deep into the breath. Honey. No detectable hops bouquet.

Less sweet on the palate than the aroma led me to expect. Nutty, roasty, and reminiscences of cream. A perfectly balanced bitterness.

Medium body with light/moderate carbonation. Although this is being served on CO2 from the keg, the carbonation was just about right for a style traditionally carbonated through natural conditioning methods (I.e. In a cask).

This beer is immensely drinkable, as a mild should be. I can imagine sitting with friends while I enjoy three or four of these in a couple hours, without much detriment to the conversation.

Read Beer Advocate reviews of this beer.