Top 100 Beers of 2015 (Issue 22)

World Class (100 to 96)

4.
96
by Jason Johnson
Todd The Axe Man
Surly Brewing Co.

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Brewer Q & A

Judge's Second Opinion
from Jason Johnson

When I started reflecting back on this collaboration beer between Surly Brewing Company and Denmark’s Amager Brewery, I was lucky enough to still have a stray can in my fridge – what better time to crack that last can than right now? I admit, I’m a hop head, and I really enjoy bright, hoppy beers from the IPA family. For me, it’s not so much the bitterness of IPAs that draws me in, but rather the marriage of hop aromas and flavors. This is why I tend to gravitate towards the less bitter and more hop-forward IPAs. I’ve had the likes of Sculpin, Maine Beer Company’s Lunch, Stone IPA, AleSmith IPA, Bell’s Two-Hearted and many, many other top-rated IPAs that are extremely well-balanced, bright and truly delicious. One of my local favorites here in Wisconsin is the intensely citrusy Green 19 from Titletown brewery in Green Bay, Wisconsin. 

Recently, I have come to appreciate the beautifully bright tropical and melon notes of the newer hop varieties. Beers like Heady Topper are a nice blend of traditional American pine and citrus flavors and the mango and pineapple notes in the newer hop varieties. Todd the Axe Man fits that bill perfectly of being on that cutting edge of bright and flavorful hoppy IPAs without that out-of-bounds bitterness. That is a very difficult act to pull off. We all know hops are bitter, but they can also be incredibly flavorful and juicy as well. It’s very impressive to not only be able to create a beer that’s chock-full of big bright hop flavors and aroma, but also avoid hop astringency and bitterness. 

I also think Todd the Axe Man is proof that less can be more. This beer consists of a single grain and two varieties of hops – that’s it. There is no complicated five grain grist to get a nice malty backbone, there is no complex blend of six different hops; it’s just Golden Promise for the base malt and Mosaic and Citra for the hops. That’s it! Surly did a great job balancing the flavors well even with so few ingredients. The beer is far from boring or one-dimensional. In fact, it’s proof that simplicity can achieve results that are deserving of becoming one of the best beers of 2015.

As a homebrewer, I’m generally not fond of “cloning” beers. I feel that if I like a beer that much, I will just buy it. So while cloning beer recipes is great, often there are minute details that brewers focus on that still set the beer apart from a clone – be it water chemistry, specific fermentation temperatures or yeast selection. But in the end, as I finish this glass, it’s still a mighty fine IPA, even if it is several weeks old. The big bright tropical notes are still delicious, and it has inspired me to brew some sort of variant of this beer with the ingredients listed on Surly’s website. What better compliment can you give a brewer or brewery than telling them that their beer has inspired you to brew something similar? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?

Brewer's Thoughts
from Todd Haug

After we released numerous stories about the brewery and its head brewer, Todd Haug, we finally reviewed some of Surly Brewing Company’s popular IPAs in 2015. The one that received the most acclaim from our reviewer was this Todd the Axe Man, a collaboration between Denmark’s Amager Brewery and Surly.

The name is based on Haug’s rather impressive guitar playing, which rivals his brewing prowess. According to Todd, the intention for Axe Man was “to create a collaboration beer that employed raw materials that each brewery hadn’t used before. Golden Promise malt is featured in a handful of my recipes here at Surly, and Mosaic hops are a favorite at Amager and also ones that I’ve never brewed with before.”

The use of Mosaic hops turned out to be an inspired choice, as our reviewer noted the subtle interplay of malt and hops as a highlight of the beer. Todd outlined the hop profile explicitly: “We used Warrior for bittering and Mosaic and Citra for aroma.” When I asked him to elaborate on quantity, he deflected: “We use a lot. It’s a secret.” With Axe Man scoring so highly in 2015, it’s understandable that Todd didn’t want to provide any more information on the hop profile, as he wants it to be a highly sought after beer in 2016 as well.

Speaking of 2016, Surly does plan to release Todd the Axe Man this year as well, though a release date hasn’t been set. “[Axe Man] will be available in cans and on tap in our markets occasionally throughout 2016,” Todd said.

As Axe Man has edged out Surly’s year-round Furious IPA in Todd’s list of favorite Surly beers, do yourself a favor and search far and wide for the 2016 release. You won’t be disappointed.