“The Angry @$#% XPA takes the humble American Pale Ale to the next level. We start with an Xtra pale malt bill along with an Xtra large ABV of 6.6%. We then throw in an Xtraordinary amount of American hops that dominate the nose and palate.”
Served in a shaker glass. The cloudy amber pour aroused a thumb of tightly held foam that retracts to a fine overlay. A nice healthy lace is left in its wake.
Smells fresh, hoppy and piney and the bottling date of 24/11/16 reflects that. The generous use of American hops impart those hallmark citrus and tropical fruit notes while the malt backing provides not only a solid balance but a sweet combination of honey and rice crackers. Really starting to get more of an orange citrus tang as it settles in – kind of a tangerine and or a mandarin-like accent to it.
Medium carbonation on the tongue. Light bodied with a slightly lean mouth feel. A heady dose of bitterness is the saviour here.
That upfront bitterness carries hints of grapefruit, pine and stone fruit through the mid as a restrained honey sweetness and slightly grainy malts deliver an uber dry and bitter finish. There’s some serious length on this as grassy herbal notes continue on the back palate.
There’s some mediocre elements to this beer but it’s mostly a pretty decent drop. Being fresh is a huge plus as it’s quite a hoppy little number but furthermore there’s a lovely balance on the nose along with an approachable flavour and a well disguised 6.6% ABV. A nice little stepping stone between the Pale Ale and the IPA. Not bad.