HOPIQ FACEOFF
65%
Overall similarity
hopIQ take
Alhambra Negra if you want clean, malty smoothness,
Surly Bender if you want texture and complexity.
Both hover around 5% ABV, so neither will knock you sideways—they're sessionable in totally different ways. The Alhambra leans European and straightforward; the Bender is American craft and layered. Pick based on whether you're chasing elegance or character.
At a glance
Generated from the four anchored axes — never hand-written.
Structurally near-identical
Structurally these two are the same beer. The difference is in the aromatics. Alhambra Negra runs a touch fuller in body (Δ 4). Alhambra Negra brings a distinct clean note that Surly Bender doesn't.
Beer DNA
Body
Δ 4
Sweetness
Δ 2
Situations
In words
Alhambra Negra
Alhambra Negra drinks like someone figured out the exact amount of roast needed to taste like cocoa and bread crust without going dark or heavy. It's a dark lager that doesn't feel like a lager—smooth, almost creamy finish, but with that crisp snap underneath that keeps it from sitting too long on your palate. The 22 IBUs are basically a whisper; you taste the malt first, last, and always.
Surly Bender
Surly Bender tastes like someone threw oatmeal into a brown ale and actually cared about the result. There's a silky mouthfeel that comes from the oats, but the beer doesn't disappear—it's got real body, some caramel sweetness, and those 24 IBUs give it just enough bite to keep it from being cloying. Finishes slightly dry, which makes you want another sip.
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hopIQ scores every beer against your palate, not the average drinker's.
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Beers like Alhambra Negra
View alternatives →Beers like Surly Bender
View alternatives →Bitterness
Δ 2
Texture
Δ 3
Only Alhambra Negra
Shared character
Only Surly Bender