Sunday, July 7, 2013

Surly SeVIIn Review


Every year Surly Brewing releases a beer to commemorate another year in business and it's always named after the years they've been in operation. Since I wasn't really into craft beer until after Surly Five came & went and I was living in Chicago when Syx was released, I had yet to try a Surly Anniversary beer.

That was until about a couple weeks ago when I picked up a bottle of SeVIIn from the store. That's right, I managed to grab one of the beers on my bucket list. SeVIIn is a Belgian Strong Ale with an ABV of 12.5%. I like the stained glass look of the bottle, particularly the centerpiece which invokes that gothic/mystic feeling. And of course, the glass portraits of Omar Ansari and Todd Haug on the opposite sides of the label.

SeVIIn pours a mildy hazy dark brown & red color with a brown head that extends to about a finger in width. There's also a moderate amount of carbonated activity going on inside the glass.

The nose can be summed up into one word: Bananas. Okay that's not 100% true but the strongest aspect of the aroma is bananas which are followed by cloves, caramelized malts, and a slight citrus hoppiness; Reminds me almost of a strong hefeweizen.

Flavor-wise it's much more balanced out. Upfront you have cloves, bananas and caramel; which are followed by rye, oak, and wheat. There is a very slight boozy feel to the flavor but it pretty much blends in with the flavor so it's pretty easy to miss.

The body is fairly light as well as the carbonation so it's pretty easy to drink and it allows you to enjoy the flavors in which the beer has to offer.

I'm glad I got a chance to try this out. It has an incredibly rich and vibrant flavor and the body allows you to savor the flavor. On top of that, it smells pretty good too! Any dedicated Surly or Craft Beer Aficionado will want to add this to their collection.

Surly SeVIIn - 9.5/10

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