Jul 12, 2019

Surly Dots and Loops

As part of Surly’s 2019 Hop Pack – a mixed offering of IPAs also featuring Furios and Xtra-Citra – we see two new beers from the company. Billed as a new school IPA, Dots and Loops is the first of those new products that we’re going to take a look at.

At 6.7% ABV, Dots and Loops features Amarillo, Simcoe and Cascade hop varieties throughout the experience, delivering luscious fruit notes and just enough hop bitterness for balance. Tropical notes of pineapple meets hints of orange and grapefruit for an array of fruitiness that refreshes nicely. That moderate hop bite mentioned a moment ago keeps that fruit blend in check so Dots and Loops doesn’t get too far into the juice realm.

A lively mouthfeel and overall bright, fresh character make this smooth drinking IPA a wonderful Summer quencher. The beer has a long lasting tingle of hop bitterness that just begs you to take another swill. I can see an easy drinking brew like this within the mix of other IPAs like Surly’s Hop Pack. It’s a beer that won’t over power the palate, but still provides enough of a flavor difference to sit nicely in a variety pack.

Dots and Loops is also a beer that could very well stand on its own outside of a mixed offering. There’s enough flavor and easy drinking character to suit any IPA fan as a seasonal release from Surly. Well, the singular sample I reviewed was just a tease – selfishly, I would have loved a couple more cans to enjoy.

This is a review of a promotional sample.