$20 a bottle, limit 6. WHAT A SCAM! kudos to them for fabricating the hype though.

One man's scam is another man's delight.

They really have done a masterful job in terms of marketing and creating a demand and a buzz around their beer.

I have always felt like there are a good number of people out there that I call "Beer Sheep". They basically just follow the crowds and like what they are told to like or what seems cool at the moment. You could probably put a Surly label on a can of Colt 45 and call it a limited one time release and there will be people who will wait in line, pay $15 a can, and drool all over it. It will be the best thing they've ever tasted and its all because of the Surly name and marketing engine.

As a person who works in marketing for a living I can appreciate what they've done on a business level but on a beer level it drives me nuts to see people flock to Surly and drool over every one of their beers. Most of their core lineup are indeed good beers however probably not worth the high price tag while some of their special releases I feel are overrated and at times barely drinkable.

I dunno. I have had some bad Surly experiments. Fiery Hell comes to mind. It wouldn't take long for followers to turn away, but overall Surly is producing some great stuff.

Last year, well after the hyped weekend, we visited the brewery at its old location and enjoyed some Darkness in relative calm. It was good, but what I thought was far superior was Damian aka Son of Darkness, made with the spent mash from production of the hyped stuff.

That kind of sounds like the Dark Lord Day at 3 Floyds here in Indiana. People camp out the night before to get in and buy a couple of bombers.

They've turned it into an event, complete with bands. $38 for a ticket just to get into the release event. Once you're in, it's cash only for the actual release.

Dark Lord Day

It's happened again. While having lunch at Surly on Friday, I had a 4 oz of Darkness 2015. Incredibly intense goodness, but at 12%, I was somewhat pleased that I only had the smaller glass. Followed it up with a 10 oz Damian. A black-as-tar ale that provides a refreshing crispness amid all of the rich spice. Oh, and the food is also amazing, even if you are just in the beer hall and not the high-end restaurant. Had the lamb sausage and the salmon salad. All good.