What do you call a hazy, five percent ABV pale ale that’s been generously dry-hopped with New World hops? Is it an XPA? A New World Pale Ale? A New England Pale Ale? Toying with styles and style names is all fun and games until someone gets confused. (That “someone” being me. I’m easily confused.)
Perhaps I’m overthinking it; it tastes delicious, and Eumundi’s happy calling it an XPA, so let’s go with that.
As with the Pale Ale, some of the familiar Galaxy aromatics are there, but they’re not alone; those tropical fruit notes are offset by Vic Secret, which shifts some of the attention away from the Galaxy. The result is closer to an orange juice character on the palate, and a touch of pine balancing out those more intense tropical flavours.
It’s always bittersweet when you find a limited release beer you enjoy, as you know it will soon cease to exist. But, while Tiny XPA is currently a limited release from Eumundi, this beer’s actually a trial recipe for another brewery, so there may come a day when it’s a permanent feature elsewhere.
Mick Wust
- Style
- XPA
- ABV
- 5.0%
