Surly Abrasive Ale

Surly was my first venture into IPA beers.  I was with a coworker at his longtime friend's restaurant in Woodbury.  The food was great and they had an impressive beer selection for a sit down “non-bar” and grill.  It was there that I had my first Furious but more on that in a further review.  From there I needed to have some bitterness in my life.  I thought to myself, “Self, what can be better than an IPA?  How about a double or imperial IPA?” (I like imperial because because it sounds more prestigious).  So here we go!  My favorite Imperial IPA is Surly Abrasive Ale.    

Beer:  Abrasive Ale

Brewery:  Surly Brewing

Beer Style:  Imperial IPA

Year:  2014

Alcohol:  9.00%

Look  Very nice golden orange color.  Head is a brilliant bone white that is about two fingers tall.  A very nice amount of carbonation is present along with some suspension of floaters which create a hazy appearance.  The side of my glass was almost white due to the lacing.

Smell  The smell is very abrasive (Ha!).  I was punched in the nose by the smell of citrus, pine, and some floral as soon I opened the can.  The closer the beer got to my nose the more I smelt a cross between grapefruit and orange.  The smell really peaked my interest of tasting this beer.    

Taste  Abrasive Ale starts off with IPA bitterness all the way.  After the hops, a great malt biscuit flavor comes out.  The hops and malt work together in harmony to balance this beer really well.  Abrasive Ale has 120 IBUs of bitterness but you would not notice because of the malt.  Tastes of grapefruit, pine, and orange also come to play along with some sweet caramel malt flavor.      

Overall Rating

Price:  $$$$ out of $$$$

Rating:  5 out of 5

If you like IPAs you will LOVE this one.  If you are on the fence about IPAs, you’ll LOVE this one.  Abrasive Ale hits you in the face with its bitterness but your taste buds get quick relief from the malt.  It’s a seasonal beer so make sure to get to a liquor store soon to pick some up!  You won’t be disappointed.  If you are, message me on Facebook or Twitter and I will take it off your hands!