Surly Abrasive Ale

Brewed by Surly Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota USA

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   update pic

Pint can in a tulip. Pours cloudy golden with a lacy, off-white head. Aroma of a lot of citrusy and resinous hops plus a nice pale/caramel maltiness to balance it. Flavor of a lot of citrus with a good amount of balance. Smooth texture. A really good double IPA.

I’ll only rate a few bees at 100% and this is one of them. If you like grapefruit juice and can get it buy a 4 pack. One of the best tasting and smelling beers I’ve ever had. This one sets the bar. You can’t taste the ABV but you sure can feel it. 2 of these and you’ll probably be buzzing pretty good.

Pours a hazy golden orange with a pretty thick off-white head that settles after a bit and laces. What a nose: thick dank hoppy goodness with a smattering of stone fruit, grapefruit, yeasty dough, and biscuits and honey malt. Quite sweet but very bitter, really nicely balanced actually, which makes it incredibly drinkable. Full bodied yet not really heavy, toward syrupy but stopping just short, creamy and oily, with an exquisite drying bitterness to end it. Damn good brew, does everything you want a DIPA to do. Seriously awesome. You Minnesotans are some lucky bastards, minus the whole losing your real hockey team 20 years ago (which is still bullshit).

Keg @ CBC 2013. The pour’s deep gold with a small head. The aroma’s unwashed peaches, skunky hop bitterness. General sweet caramel candy, grass shoots. THe taste is quite aggressively bitter. Strong grassy hops. Light orchard fruit sweetness to balance. More apricot and peach. Full body, moderate carbonation. Overall, quite good.

Draught @ CBC. Pours deep golden with a white head. Aroma of malt, biscuit, rich hops, grapefruit, pine. Flavor is malt, caramel, biscuit, rich bitter hops, grapefruit, pine, resin. Medium to full body, soft carbonation, lasting bitter finish. 030513

Sample @ CBC. Nice head with good duration. Color is golden. Aroma and taste are fruits, flowers, mango, grapefruits, pine, hops and malt.

Draught @ CBC2013. Pours tiny hazy yellow with a frothy white head that slowly dissipates while leaving a small trace on the glass. Smell is fruity with crackers, dried apricots, passionfruit, mango, lemon grass, grapefruit juice, lemon zest, freshly cut grass, pine needles and hints of resinous wood and alcohol. Taste is bitter and fruity with crackers, grapefruit juice, lemon zest, lychee, cape gooseberries, apricots, passionfruit, lemon grass, mango, starfruit, freshly cut grass, pine needles and resinous wood. Mouthfeel is slightly crisp, dry, slightly astringent and medium bodied. Finish is bitter and fruity with grapefruit juice, pineapple, lychee, apricots, mango, grapefruit rinds and lots of pine needles, freshly cut grass and resinous wood. Very tasty...

Bottle. Pours a clear golden color with a small offwhite head. Aroma is very assertive hops, sweet caramel malts, and orange/grapefruit pith. Intense hop flavor; earthy, floral, grapefruit, pine, resin-like. Full bodied and a bit ABRASIVE. Some serious lingering bitterness happening here.

On tap at CBC. Clear golden-orange colour, with white head. Hoppy aroma with some caramel. Hoppy taste, with sweetness and bitter ending. Medium body.

Tap @ CBC. Clear deep golden with small off-white head. Aroma is malt, fruit, hops, citrus and grapefruit. Flavour is malt, fruit, hops, citrus, grapefruit, bitter, pine and a little sweet.