Surly Abrasive

I've been on a double IPA kick recently, first Hopslam, then Pliny, then over the weekend I noticed Double Trouble was back in my neck of the woods. Had a chance to try Surly Abrasive last night and it had a rougher quality to it than the other three (maybe that's just its name resonating in my mind though).

Anyone else experienced this? I'm not sure it was pine or citrus or resin or any of those flavor descriptors. What it was most like, to me, is opening a vacuum sealed pack of pellet hops and really breathing deep from the package, both in the smell and the taste of the beer.

Really made it stand out from the others, in my opinion. Tasted quite a bit more bitter than the others too. Awesome beer. Gonna sample Coffee Bender tonight!

It's all subjective, I suppose. I haven't had a chance to try Pliny, but I'd drink an abrasive over a Hopslam any day of the week. Like you said, the aroma is so incredible... Personally, I find the extra bitterness in Abrasive helps cut the alcohol and make the beer more drinkable for me than Hopslam.

Hey hoppedupbrewer, I enjoy your blog, by the way - been checking it out every now and then for the past few weeks. Nice job!

Thanks much, Burgs! Nice to know some people have found my dark corner of the internet! It's been hard to keep regular posts going the last two weeks. Work has been crazy and I just don't feel like being on my computer more than I have to, but I'll get back to it soon.