CynicAle is one of four year-round releases from Surly and probably the one that's best suited for summertime (although Furious isn't far behind). It is also the ONLY saison currently canned in the entire world as far as we know. The saison style is perfectly constructed to be refreshing and light on the palate. Surly's CynicAle takes the traditional Belgian Farmhouse Ale and puts a bit of an American twist on it by working with Columbus hops to create something pretty damn special.

From the Surly site:

"Oh great, a fizzy yellow beer in a can, that's just what the craft beer world needs! CynicAle melds Old World ingredients in a new school style. French malted barley, English oats and Belgian yeast create honey & black pepper flavors. Lively Slovenian hops provide the floral, apricot and peach notes. Toss your doubts away, toss one back and enjoy!”

Here we go...

Pour - bright, bright orange with some yellow hues. Clean, clear with about a half inch of bubbly head that is quick to dissipate. A little hazy in appearance. Looking good.

Aroma - the spicy smell of the Belgian yeast is the first to hit my nose. This is followed by some sweet brown sugar and some orange or lemon and even watermelon. 

Taste - one sip and you'll be hooked. CynicAle is spicy with some citrus and sweet fruit flavors that are perfectly refreshing. You definitely get some of the peach and apricot mentioned above and it has a nice hoppiness to it, not so much bitter but floral. I am happy to have 16 oz. but wish I had access to more of this.

Overall - an outstanding take on a very traditional style that is great to drink during the warm summer months, like it was originally intended. Bold, flavorful and thirst quenching. If you've not had this try and get some. I'd love to see more saisons in cans!

Would I buy more of it? - like all the other Surly beers I've had, you bet.

Note - “Saison” is the French word for season, because these ales were traditionally brewed in the autumn or winter for consumption during the late summer harvest for farm workers who were entitled to up to five liters throughout the workday during harvest season. After brewing, the ale was stored until the late summer harvest. Although now most commercial examples range from 5 to 8% abv, originally saisons were meant to be refreshing and thus had alcohol levels less than 3%. Because of the lack of potable water, saisons would give the farm hands the hydration they needed without the threat of illness." - Wikipedia