Abrasive Ale - Surly Brewing Company

Abrasive Ale

Write a Beer Review

Surly Brewing Company Surly Brewing Company web site map for Surly Brewing Company surlybrewing

Brooklyn Center , MN

Overall: 8.04/10 by 2 dudes

Standard Deviation: 0.06 or 0.75%

Trend: 8.04/10 over past 5 reviews

Style: Imperial/Double India Pale Ale

ABV: 9.00%

Season: Rotating

Have Another: 100%

1,467 beers rated with a 7.84 average
  • 7.98/10 have another
  • A: 7.7 | T: 7.8 | L: 8.0 | M: 9.1 | O: 8.1
  • sDev: 0.75% Color: 4
  • Can date: 2017-10-10.

    A good amount of haze greats the eye upon a stern pour. White, webbed, sticky laced foam is big but quickly recedes. Lacing is sticky.

    Aroma is hop forward with malt only for good measure and slight balance. There is a bread element: possibly the malt and/or the yeast. Citrus and tropical fruit is the focus of the hops, pineapple being the most distinguishable. Mango. Not as aromatic as memory tried to serve.

    Taste follows the nose. Malt is just there but not getting in the way. Tropical fruit: pineapple, orange and mango, pick up in the middle into the finish. Some bitterness but faint.

    Medium body and carbonation. Somewhat dry.

    I can't believe I have never rated this beer with all the times I have partaken. A solid beer but not a great beer (maybe a bit past prime based on date). Good balance, light bitterness for a DIPA that was around before the NEIPA craze. Could the recipe/process changed over time? Enjoy!
  • 968 characters
  • Reviewed: Friday, January 12, 2018 at 16:17:54
  • Tasted: Friday, January 12, 2018
  • $4.50 for 16 oz. can
370 beers rated with a 7.94 average
  • 8.10/10 have another
  • A: 7.2 | T: 8.6 | L: 7.8 | M: 8.2 | O: 8.2
  • sDev: 0.75% Color: 5
  • A: Deep gold color with a haze but not cloudy. Fizzy and fluffy but doesn't hang around too long.
    A: Citrus and fruit, maybe grapefruit mixed with orange but very not scent, faint pine. A tad bready.
    T: Very mild alcohol, semi-sweet tropical fruits with a tang of citrus. It's has bitterness, but Warrior hop's characteristic of clean and not overpowering bitterness.
    P: Mediums across the board on body, carbonation, and finish.
    Overall: One of the early DIPA's to use Citra hops, it's not for the uninitiated IPA drinker, but it's still an awesome Surly brew. It's always been tough to come by and a tad pricey ($18 for a 4 pack of 16-oz). Surly Brewing is a longtime favorite in the Midwest. One of the early craft brewery's to make a name for itself and to stay original. I've always thought of them as the northern plain version of Three Floyd's. My only nick is that the beer I bought in early January was packaged on 10/17/17. I just read that distribution has changed in Chicago from Windy City to Lakeshore. Maybe this packagwe got caught up in the changeover. Im still a big fan.
  • 1,091 characters
  • Reviewed: Sunday, January 07, 2018 at 17:15:20
  • Tasted: Sunday, January 07, 2018
  • $4.50 for 16 oz. can
  • 9.40/10 have another
  • A: 9.0 | T: 10.0 | L: 9.0 | M: 9.0 | O: 9.0
  • sDev: 16.92% Color: 5
  • A: Color is right in the middle of pale & deep gold. Just a very slight haze. Big, beige foamy head that was almost three fingers, but shrinks fairly quickly, and leaves lacing all over the glass.

    S: Citrus, citrus, and citrus. Mostly pink grapefruit. OK, a slight wisp of breadiness.

    T: Candied citrus is my first thought, then a quick sweetness, followed by a slight piney bite, and then fades off in a soft dryness. Really quite pleasant, in a rough shod manner. I know I overuse the term 'balance', but this brew totally is.

    O: Full disclosure, I drank two 16-oz cans by myself...and I could've had another one. For a big beer, this one's very juicy and full of flavor. Big but delicious, if you are into this kinda imperial IPA thang. This brew disappears really quickly, it's normally pretty limited when it shows up in sporadically in Chicagoland. A little pricey, but worth the dough, esp. when fresh. (These cans were dated 10-19-16.) I am a huge fan, and this brew is part of the Surly success story.
  • 1,017 characters
  • Reviewed: Wednesday, November 23, 2016 at 00:24:44
  • Tasted: Wednesday, November 23, 2016
  • $4.50 for 16 oz. tap
Untappd
  • (4.200)
    over 50,607 ratings
Beer Notes
  • Hazy gold in color, this Oatmeal Double IPA has aggressive aromas of candied grapefruit/tangerine and tropical fruit. Malted oats greatly enhance the body and the high level of bitterness is balanced by this sweetness. Citra hops are used for aroma & flavor additions and for dry-hopping, while Warrior hops are used primarily for bitterness.
Cost Breakdown
  • $4.50, 2 serving(s), 16 oz. cans
Beer Swapping
Malts
  • 2-Row, Golden Naked Oats
Hops
  • Citra, Warrior
Yeast
  • English Ale
Highest Rated Similar Beers