Surly Darkness

image (c) http://blogs.citypages.com/food/2008/10/beer_lovers_may.php

What: Surly Darkness beer

Rating: 8

Non-Quantifiable Rating: You try and be surly with 9.6% alcohol by volume.

Yep, you read that correctly - 9.6% alcohol by volume.  Ridiculous.  That explains why, after two of these, cross country skiing was a substantial challenge.  This will wipe away all memories of being terrorized by 839 of your nieces and nephews and cousins at Christmas.

This is a fiercely dark, intense stout with an angry flurry of flavors.  It's top-notch as far as full-bodied stouts go, but drinker be warned: if your beer tastes fall in the Natty Ice/Milwaukee's Best/Busch Light categories, Surly Darkness will taste like liquified charcoal to you.  If you don't like it, set down the Darkness and back away slowly, leaving every precious drop to the rest of us.

FYI, this is a seasonal beer that gets tapped around Halloween and is vanishing quickly, so go out and grab some before it's all gone.  Lack of surly would make anyone surly.