CynicAle From Surly on the Shelves

Raise a pint, Swiftee this one's for you. Maybe it'll get you to post this month.

Hot night. Looks like all hell will break loose judging from the dark clouds and the unusually scratchy and interrupted radio signal from the Patriot—sounds like I'm trying to tune in Belarus. Must me heavy weather down Eagan way. So I'm off to beat these summer time blues by picking up a 4 pack before episope 2 of Rescue Me comes on.

I'm on my way to my usual mom and pop liquor store, anticipating picking up my typical Surly Furious 4 Pack—a time tested standard with me since Omar has been canning.

I open the supercooled specialty meat locker where they keep the good stuff... What's this! A cream colored can with different type. Surely not a LIGHT beer from the recently named #1 brewery in America:

Great news, BeerAdvocate magazine chose us the #1 American Brewery. We thought we would thank Surly Nation by pouring our last keg of Darkness at Mackenzies, Tuesday June 19th.

Nope. It's, in my view, Surly's version of a lawnmower beer—with one hell of a punch, as always.

CynicAle  Limited Release - This beer is coming back!

CynicAle is returning! We plan on brewing this beer from Memorial Day to Labor Day. You know summer in Minnesota is here when Cynic is around. We tweaked the recepie a little bit this year. We hope you enjoy this refreshing ale. Brewed with Belgian malted barley, this copper hued ale is brewed in the Belgian Saison style. A unique Belgian yeast strain creates the spicy flavor and imported hops lend the apricot/peach aroma.

IBU 38  —  6.6% abv

Apricot and peach! sounds a bit rich and fruity for me, but they have proved themselves in the integrity department so far. I was sold.

Brought her back and gave her a test taste. Much like your first oz. of Furious, it  gets a near shake of the head in flavor sensation, then you work past the hops into the wheat after-taste. And it just keeps getting smoother.

Now, I don't much go in for Belgian or Trappist style beers, but when they're done well, Well, they're well done. This one is a winner. Don't even bother with the extra citrus wedges. Give it a try, it's only here for the summer. Good job Omar. I look forward to whatever you and your mixmasters come up with next.

I'm almost through the first pint as I close this post and the clouds have cleared, the temps and barometric pressure has dropped off and Michael Barone is trying to make English common law sound sexy.

Cheers.