Brouhaha Hinterland XPA

With their broad core range (seven beers!), their split batches, and their fun seasonals, it’s obvious Brouhaha are all about giving drinkers plenty of options. Since their regular pale ale is malt driven, they brewed a keg-only XPA that dials back the malt for a crisper take. And when that proved popular, they brewed it again and popped it into tinnies.

While the core Hinterland Pale has a coppery colour and caramel malt sweetness, the Hinterland XPA is extra pale and extra clean. I expected nothing but fruit from the Eclipse and Nectaron hops, but there’s a pine needle freshness at play here alongside the citrus zest. Throw in a dry finish with a gentle, ongoing bitterness and I dare you not to let out a long, satisfied sigh after a sip of this.

Mick Wüst