You know how sometimes you have a memory of something, and even though it’s a strong memory, it sounds vague when you try to explain it?†
Well, I have a clear sense in my mind of what a cracking XPA ordered fresh from the source at a craft brewery is like. Gold and clear with a white fluffy head. Lovely hop character of tropical fruit and citrus, with the fruity hops followed up by a smooth malt profile with just a touch of biscuit and grain. Clean and sessionable.
Now, I’m well aware that the above description sounds generic and clichéd, like it could describe a thousand beers. But it’s the experience of a distinct beer in my head. And Aether’s XPA ticks all the boxes of that distinct beer.
Or maybe I just have a lazy imagination and my incomplete and unreliable memories are susceptible to manipulation. Either way, this is a delicious XPA - and surprisingly so for a midstrength.
Mick Wüst
† Imagine my surprise when I read about the can art and learned that it represented the recollections of bits and pieces that make up our memories. What a fun coincidence.
