A Whale A Week: Surly Darkness 2008

Ok, we are back to weekly posts about crazy rare beers with A Whale A Week!  This is my excuse to stop hoarding these beers and share them with friends who will appreciate them.  The catch?  Everyone taking part has to help me critique each beer.  I’ve enjoyed seeing the differences between these write-ups from BJCP judges, seasoned homebrewers, and craft beer fans.

This week we return to my stomping grounds of Minnesota, with a look at Surly Brewing’s Darkness.  This beer is Surly’s take on the Russian Imperial Stout, and was first brewed in 2006, in a very small batch and released in growlers.  I never got to try that first year’s release, but at the time it was pretty “ballsy” to put out an expensive-to-brew RIS for a very young upstart craft brewery.  They are called Surly after all.

The second year they released a limited run of bottles (under 500) that they released in the very first Darkness Day event at the brewery in St. Louis Park.  The event went well and …