I wasn't expecting to review this beer anytime soon because it was going to be only available at the Quality Inn Beer Vendor. Somehow.. it made its way to Liquor Marts as well! Chris & Co at the Quality Inn Beer Vendor have been some of the best craft beer cheerleaders in all of North America, to the point that we somehow have Surly here now!
Yesterday, Surly's Damien was released in Manitoba, and alongside it was Abrasive Ale. I wasn't expecting Abrasive.. but here I am about to review it!
Appearance: Abrasive pours a light cloudy, golden ale with a decent amount of carbonation. The head is a finger's worth of foam on top. I was honestly expecting a stout.. not a golden ale.
Aroma: This beer reminds me of being at the North Dakota State Fair campground - this is a tropical, lightly bitter (pine) hopped ale that just screams Summer! Pineapple, lemon, a bit of pine.. damn.. I didn't expect Abrasive to smell like this.. I was hoping for a coffee porter/stout!
Taste: This is one of the more interesting IPAs I've had in a while.. I'm getting a very vegetal flavour with notes of alfalfa and cucumber. There's a light amount of oatiness to the brew, lots of citrus (pineapple, lemon), and a good deal of piney bitterness at the end. It's not as abrasive as I was expecting.. it's fairly tropical with some oats and some bitter hops at the end.
Overall Thoughts: I was full on expecting a rich coffee porter/stout.. but came up with a tropical IPA with a solid bitter aspect to it. This is freaking 9.2% ABV! I'm definitely feeling a bit of a buzz..
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