Summit Releases 3X Mild Ale

18 Nov 2014 --- Summit Brewing Company announced their newest edition in the limited-release Union Series: 3X Mild Ale. The Union Series explores the intersection of new ingredients and time-honored brewing traditions. 3X will be available the week of November 17, just in time for the holiday season.

Based on a style from the late 19th Century but using modern hop and malt varieties, 3X seeks to dismantle the idea that the term “Mild” can only be associated with low alcohol beers with lighter flavor profiles. Traditionally the term “Mild” signified the slightly immature nature of a beer that tended to be assertive in malt character with considerably lighter hopping levels than pale ale. The letter “X” would typically denote the strength of the beer, with Mild Ale of varying strength being consumed “young”. Stronger Milds that were more heavily hopped and aged were often essentially termed Old Ales.

Summit’s 3X combines Expedition, a new American base malt, and traditional mild and amber malts from the UK. A single US hop variety, Experimental 06300, is showcased, with yeast coming from a traditional Yorkshire source in the North of England. Also brought in is a unique brewing sugar from the UK, rarely seen in the US but quite often used in small amounts to adjust body and provide flavor in traditional British beers.

The end result is a moderately strong, rich, full bodied beer perfect for the cooler months of late Autumn and early Winter. Low hop bitterness allows considerable flavours to emanate from the malt, invert sugar and yeast. Expect notes of stone fruit, molasses, toffee and toast, with a hint of chocolate.

“Don’t be afraid to cellar this beer for some time and note the changes in character, essentially creating your own version of an Old Ale,” said Damian McConn, Head Brewer at Summit.

3X marks the fourth entry in Summit’s Union series, where new and more obscure ingredients are combined with traditional techniques to produce limited-availability beers. While most brewers focus on the ingredients required to produce a certain style or idea of a beer, the Union concept is based upon first acquiring new ingredients then combining them in creative ways.