(Brooklyn Center, MN) – MNBeer.com posted up the next Surly Brewing beer likely to get a label approved for a bottle run: Surly Smoke.
The blog reports that over 4,000 bottles are expected to be produced. “Nic Skrade at Uptown Tattoo did the art work, Al McCarty of Blue Nile fame wrote the text, but final label approval is pending from the, er, good folks at the TTB.”
Skrade also did the artwork for the 2008 version of Surly Darkness.
The label describes the beer, “”Ebony-hued, Smoke wafts out of the bottle and into your senses, borne on the wings of European traditions, wrapped in American innovation. Lager-brewed, like any true Baltic Porter, with smoked malts from Bamberg, Germany, the home of Rauchbiers, then mellowed by oak-aging. Black malt flavors mesh with notes of raisins, plums, figs and licorice with the subtle smoke on the side, for a complex and luxurious, yet silky smooth drinking experience. It’s a sipper at Alc. 8.2% by ABV, but everyone knows you can’t have Smoke without fire!”
How about Surly Four?
That will appear in kegs and in 750 mL bottles come February. Surly’s top brewer, Todd Haug, tweeted last week that the style would be an Iced Double Espresso Milk Stout. He is brewing up 60 bbl’s for the release. MNBeer says that the beer will be freeze-concentrated, 19 plato OG, and around 10% ABV.
The beer may or may not use 220 lbs. of Jim’s 5 Star Blend from local shop, Coffee and Tea Limited. Todd tweeted that he bought some two days before he brewed Four.
That label looks like it was designed by the same artist that creates labels for some of the Left Hand Brewing Co. Wonder if it’s the same person. Like the look of that label.
It’s a cool label. It’s by a tattoo artist unaffiliated with the Moxie Sozo people who did the Left Hand labels.
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