Sunday, 8 May 2016

Queen City Craft--Countryside India Pale Ale


Sycamore Brewing hails from Charlotte, NC. The offering I was gifted, Countryside India Pale Ale, came housed in a pale blue 16oz can emblazoned with an old-timey truck. At a modest 6%, Contryside was a bit understrength for an IPA, but still hearty enough to make me salivate. Hazy brown-orange in colour, Countryside poured with a generous cloud of off-white head.



The can told me to expect "a beautiful bouquet of tropical fruits" and that was no lie! This beer smelled like a rain forest fruit salad, with mango and papaya notes sitting high atop a nice whiff of bitterness. The flavour was true to form--juicy and exotic, backed by a none-too-bashful whomp of sticky hops.

Countryside had big positives and only a few minor issues to whine about. It could have been a bit stronger, a few more of the ol' IBUs, a touch less sweet, and the head could have lasted a bit longer, but even that last one is a stretch. Really, a very solid beer, assuming that you're down with very fruity IPAs.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

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