Surly Brewing Co. 2015 Darkness Art by Brandon Holt. Click on the image for the full version of the artwork.

Go figure that we stumble across the artwork for Surly Brewing Company’s 2015 Darkness on a hot and sticky day in which a Russian Imperial Stout is about the last thing I’d consider drinking. Truth be told, I’m nursing some iced tea and craving a saison. But I digress… For 2015 Surly brought tattoo artist and illustrator Brandon Holt on board. If you’re curious to check out some of his other work, click here for a some samples and here for his Instagram feed. Brandon follows Nic Skrade as second Darkness artist affiliated with Uptown Tattoo.

From the back:

Our 2015 vintage bottling of Darkness features a screeching bat-nightmare by local artist Brandon Holt.

No creature is more adept at navigating in the Darkness than a bat. Emerging from a deep and ancient cave, this year’s twisted nocturnal creature has evolved a set of adaptations well suited to detecting and devouring uncommon nourishment.

Notes of chocolate, coffee, dried tart cherries, and raisins emanate from his lair. If you can evade the talons and teeth, the thick body of this Russian Imperial Stout finishes sweet, with a piney resinous hop character.

Surly Darkness Day 2015 is slated for Saturday, October 24th at their Brooklyn Center brewery. Watch this space for more info as it becomes available.