Surly - Darkness 2010

After a long Labor Day weekend we are back!  Both Dunz and I had an enjoyable break.  Hopefully all of our readers did too!!!  Now its time to get back into the swing of things (my apologies for not posting on Monday as promised) and review some delicious brews.  For the first review after our elongated hiatus I figured I'd crack open something special.  This bottle has been hanging out in my fridge since Darkness Day last year.  Its one I've been saving it for a special occasion and I believe the time has come.  You Minnesotans (and those who read the title of this post) already know the beer I'm talking about - Surly Darkness.

Surly Darkness is a local phenomenon.  People wait outside the brewery overnight in order to get their hands on a bottle during Darkness Day.  Every year, since Surly's inception five years ago, Darkness has grown in popularity.  Last year it seemed to be particularly difficult to get your hands on a bottle if you didn't attend Darkness Day.  Luckily for me, I was able to hunt down a few bottles tucked away in a MGM liquor store.  And according to the history on the back of the bottle, Surly has been ramping up production of this RIS every year in order to satiate demand.  Thank gawd!  I'm looking forward to Darkness Day 2011 so I don't run into the same problem as I did last year.

The bottle for Darkness 2010 is, in one word, friggenawesome.  When I took the picture, my camera actually recognized the Satan-beast as an actual face and focused in on it.  I found that to be amusing.  The bottle art is done by the same guys who created the design on Surly Five, Aesthetic Apparatus.  These guys have created some of the coolest bottle art I've seen.  I have high expectations for the 2011 design.

This is a black hole of a brew.  I'm surprised time didn't stop the longer I stared into my glass.  The deep brown foam pulls me from my trance and sends off a pungent aroma that reminds me of dark chocolate infused with blackberries and tobacco.  Not that I have ever tasted such a combination... it's just what I was reminded of.  The thick, chewy viscosity creates a silky smooth mouthfeel that sets the stage for the multitude of flavors within this bold RIS.  Dark berries, cherries and chocolate, brown sugar, tobacco smokiness, roasted malt and hints of bitterness are only a handful of the flavors my feeble palate was able to discern.  The extra year of age on this bottle helped meld these flavors together and keep the 9.8% ABV at bay.

Overall - This beast is the rightful ruler within the Russian Imperial Stout kingdom.  I challenge any other beer to dethrone Darkness.  I've had some great RIS style brews in the past and nothing comes close to Surly's creation.  The extra year of age certainly made the experience more enjoyable, and another year can only make it better.  When Darkness Day 2011 arrives, I'll be buying multiple bottles to consume over the next few years.  Surly Darkness is definitely a Minnesota born gem that you cannot find anywhere else.  See you at Darkness Day!!!