Sycamore Brewing releases its Honeysuckle Summer Ale (5.3% ABV), it’s first seasonal offering this spring. The Charlotte-born brewery sought to create a golden ale and used inspiration from its surroundings and connections with regional businesses. The barley was grown in Virginia and malted in Asheville with Riverbend Malting.
Being an ale designed for summer, drinkability and crispness were key in creating the Honeysuckle Summer Ale. The flavor is fruity and floral up front, followed by toasted wheat bread, light honey, melon, peach, with earthy and herbal notes in the middle. It finishes with lemon citrus and slight spice.
“In endeavoring to create a great summer beer, we took inspiration from nature and the beauty in our surroundings and local communities,” said head brewer Brad Bergman.
Creative brewing techniques included dry hopping the beer after the fermentation process, unique for a golden ale, with a modest amount of Loral and Cashmere hops, which lend complementary peach, lemon, melon and herbal notes. Finally, a natural honeysuckle extract was carefully added after the beer had cold conditioned, just enough to enhance the floral character of the beer.
Honeysuckle Summer Ale will be available for a limited time beginning in March wherever Sycamore beer is poured or sold in 16 oz cans – 4-packs, as well as the Sycamore Brewing taproom located in Charlotte’s South End, one of the largest tap rooms in the United States.
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