HOPIQ FACEOFF
United States · American Brown Ale · 5.2% ABV
70%
Overall similarity
hopIQ take
Blind Tiger Capitol Dark if you want roasted depth and assertive bitterness,
Surly Bender if you want smooth, creamy texture with restraint.
Both sit at nearly identical ABV, but Capitol Dark's 30 IBUs give it a noticeably sharper bite—think cocoa-forward with a dry finish. Bender leans oatmeal smoothness and plays it safer at 24 IBUs, letting grain sweetness linger. Pick Capitol Dark for contemplation, Bender for easy-drinking company.
At a glance
Generated from the four anchored axes — never hand-written.
Beer DNA
Body
Δ 3
Sweetness
Δ 4
Situations
In words
Blind Tiger Capitol Dark
Capitol Dark doesn't mess around. You get immediate roasted grain character—dark chocolate, espresso, maybe a hint of tobacco leaf. The 5.2% ABV is deceptively present; this thing has weight and doesn't apologize. Those 30 IBUs aren't just a number; they show up as a real herbal-bitter backbone that dries your mouth out cleanly. It's the kind of brown ale that tastes like it knows what it's doing.
Surly Bender
Surly Bender is the friend who shows up on time and genuinely listens. Oatmeal does exactly what it promises—soft, almost silky mouthfeel that makes you want another sip immediately. The roast is there but it's gentle, almost caramel-leaning rather than sharp. At 24 IBUs, bitterness is a whisper, not a shout. It's approachable without being forgettable.
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Beers like Blind Tiger Capitol Dark
View alternatives →Beers like Surly Bender
View alternatives →Both are
Similarly carbonated
Within Δ 2. Neither reads as noticeably livelier on this axis.
Texture 50 vs 48 · Δ 2
Bitterness
Δ 8
Texture
Δ 2
Only Blind Tiger Capitol Dark
Shared character
Only Surly Bender