A new brew and a brew in for a 2nd round will be part of Surly’s 4th variety pack of 2019. Dark Phase Stout will be a new addition to Surly’s profile and Liquid Stardust will make it’s 2nd round to their lineup and they will be accompanying their flagship Furious and their citra pale ale Xtra in this pack.

Dark Phase Deets:
5.5% ABV
Hops: Warrior
Malt: Golden Promise, Aromatic, Crystal, Chocolate, Black Malt, Roasted Barley
Pour: Bright black
Aromatics: Chocolate, coffee, burnt sugar
Bitterness: Low

Liquid Stardust Deets:
7% ABV
Hops: Amarillo, Mosaic, Citra
Malt: Pilsner, Acidulated, Carafoam
Pour: Dark yellow
Bitterness: Medium

My take:
Dark Phase
Graciously, Surly sent me 2 of each brews to try out. Dark Phase is a solid stout. Will it knock your socks off? Probably not, but the profile of what you’d like in your everyday stout is there. Chocolate, coffee, and a tad bit of tobacco/smoky bitterness. I’d give this baby a solid 3.5/5 bottlecaps.

Liquid Stardust
Surly markets it as a sparkling IPA and untappd has it has a Brut IPA. Same thing? Not sure. With most Brut IPAs I’ve had, the pilsner malt stood out, with this one, the hops shined. Reminiscent of Stone Enjoy By when that first got released. Dry finish, easy drinking, but watch out for that 7%. 4/5 bottlecaps. I’ll take more of this!