In this job not a lot surprises me. I’ve had a chicken salt gose, a souvlaki ale and just the other day a blonde designed by AI, so there isn’t much that shocks me anymore. Yet this morning when I opened up a parcel from Bucketty’s and saw their new XPA titled Run To Paradise was made in collaboration with the actual Choirboys, I'll admit I had some trouble finding my words.
Thoughts gathered and beer sampled, what should you expect from this Northern Beaches beer/rock mashup celebrating 35 years since the eponymous banger? Expect a lively orange colour, darker than a typical XPA, with a head that makes it look like beer poured in a cartoon. There’s an aroma packed with potential, buzzing notes of peach and nectarine.
When tasting, I once again had some trouble finding my words (why’d I let ‘em slip away?). At the risk of sounding crazy, this 5 percent ABV XPA tastes kind of like it’s alive. It has a tang with a hint of orange peel and a whisper of pine. The centre of your palate will be flooded with a guava gelato kick before a crisp finish with a lingering tickle. I quite like the way that Bucketty’s founder Nick describes it: “Tastes like summer in the ‘80s – you know when you didn’t really care, sunburn wasn’t a thing.”
There’s only about 2500 cans of this limited XPA (2496 if you take away the four I got sent) so if you see these in your bottlo, run, don’t walk. After all, have you ever seen anyone walk to paradise?
Benedict Kennedy-Cox
Published January 29, 2023 2023-01-29 00:00:00
