I wasn't sure what to expect from a Balter XPA. A more intense Pale Ale? A twist on an IPA? This bright and hoppy ale is somewhere in between.

The Good: Hoppy aromas hit you as soon as the can is cracked. Decent bitterness without over powering, a good all rounder. Really like the lower ABV, can still drink a few of these bad boys without going three sheets to the wind.

The Bad: Nothing massive. Pretty basic malt profile for mine. Maybe it could benefit from a little more backbone. It's a bit like going to see a band with no bass player. It's good, but maybe it could be even better.

Enjoyment: I quite like this one. Thought the hoppy flavours and aromas were really nice (even if the beer is overly biased in that direction - I guess that's what XPA is all about). Again, the ABV is a plus, I have a propensity to drink lower ABV beers and have a few, so this works perfectly for me compared to a normal IPA. That said, I'm still a big IPA and Pale Ale fan, but this XPA really is the best of both worlds. Really drinkable beer, and that aroma! Fantastic.

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