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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