Balter XPA - In depth beer chat is good chat

So in one of my side projects (I have many, I never know when to slow down) my mate Al (yep, a fellow Al) have been working on a podcast called 'Who the hell?'. In a nutshell it's a podcast about finding out more about fascinating people. In our first episode we learnt that Ian Moss from Cold Chisel fame loves to collect red wines. In episode two recorded yesterday, we discovered the amazing story of Balter head brewer Scott Hargrave. And just in time for Christmas, he came baring gifts..

The podcast will be released some time next year (I'll update this post when that happens) but Scott shares some amazing yarns about leaving the life of a concreter to focus on his love of brewing beer. From creating a beer the same color as Angus Young from ACDC's guitar to what the crew at Stone and Wood drank at their Christmas parties, it was a riveting chat from whoa to go as his passion is infectious - it was like a good ole pub chat, just in a radio station of all places.

And at the end of it he revealed that he'd brought along some of his current crop to take home. The award winning XPA, the limited release Black Metal Disco and Balter IPA - my fridge now looks well and truly prepared for Christmas. Onya Scotty!

So last night the first cab off the rank was the XPA - Al number 2 has been raving about this for quite some time and I have been looking forward to it, especially after hearing Scott talk about his journey into the world of brewing. (It hit the can only the day before too so it's a brew at it's freshest.)

So let's put another local (brewed less than 50kms from my place) through it's paces!

What am I getting smell wise when I pop the top?: Soft pine and tropical fruit.

Initial thoughts: Good brew gold almighty is this thing easy to drink. Lovely color, head fades quickly. There's plenty of fruit and hops dancing around coupled with a nice level of sweetness. It leaves a pleasant lingering aftertaste that shifts into a very slight bitter end with a dry finish. It reminds me a lot of the Wayfarer from earlier this year.

Overall: This is a complex beer of many parts but the good news is, the parts work incredibly well with each other - like a well oiled Lexus LFA for example. From opening whiff to looking longingly at the empty can when you're done it's really hard to fault any part along the tasting. It holds its flavors right to the end where a few beers fade away as they warm up and it's no wonder it's done so well with everything it's faced against. A ripper brew at any time of the year but would really stand proud in the back yard on a hot day right after mowing your palace gardens. Top job Scotty! Can't wait to see who we're chatting to next..

4.5 out of 5 random podcasts.