XPA

[jmcnamara]

I heard on the radio last night that a local brewery, Flying Dog, is making an Extra Pale Ale (XPA). I had never heard of it, but they were saying it's like an IPA but without the hop bite. So, wouldn't that just be a Pale Ale? or an APA?
i did a little bit of googling, because i didn't know know what XPA stood for. Apparently, it's becoming a thing now, with a few breweries offering them. But, there's no real consensus as to what that "style" is
Anyone else heard of this?

 

[oliver]

does it mean,,,, a more alcoholic pale with lower IBUs? Like, 7% ABV and 35 IBUs. my only guess.

 

[jmcnamara]

no idea, it's only available on site. i didn't see anything on their website about it, but i didn't check too carefully.
they made it sound like more of a session beer, but they didn't throw out any numbers that i heard.

to top it off, it also sounded like the recipe changed a little bit each time. whatever hops were on hand, whatever the brewer felt like the schedule should be this time.
I kinda dig the "different brew every time, we don't do the same recipe again" mentality that some breweries around here have. but, i've also heard that, in a commercial setting, consistent beer is better than a good beer every x number of batches.
kinda makes you wonder if the one-off mentality is covering up for some deficiencies in their brewing process.

 

[newmanwell]

If the ABV is high but the IBUs are low I would imagine that would taste to sweet to be a pale ale. Seems like a "session IPA" to me. But I prefer to call it by it's original name: pale ale.

 

[Nosybear]

I've had several extra pale ales. It's a little - little being the important word - more hoppy and alcoholic than a "standard" pale ale. More of a marketing gimmick than a stylistic description. It isn't by any means an "Imperial Pale Ale" (an IPA in anyone else's definition).

 

[jmcnamara]

this sort of echos another thread about the new BJCP styles this year, but what's next? XXXPA? An ELK (Extra Lagered Kolsch)?
i get it from a marketing standpoint, get people into craft beer with something entry level and hopefully they try other things.
I think it was either Nosy or Ozarks who pointed it out, but an argument could be made that each brew, unless it contains the exact same ingredients and amount, was brewed the exact same way by the same person on the same equipment, etc., would be it's own style (or sub-sub-sub-sub-style).
idk, this makes me feel a bit crotchety-er for my age

 

[Head First]

Deschutes Brewery out of Bend OR puts out an Armory XPA , "Experimental Pale Ale". It was the first beer brewed in there Portland Pub. Lots of Citrus finish. It's just one of there regular beers and I don't think it changes from batch to batch.

Armory Experimental Pale Ale
Malt- Crystal, Pale

Hops- Nugget, Northern Brewer, Citra, Cascade, Centennial

Alc. 5.9%

IBU. 55

 

[UgliestLemming]

I consider an Extra Pale Ale pretty much a pale ale. Based on the awards that Summit has on their extra pale ale I consider them just a fancy name for a pale ale. This is the only one I can recall drinking and again, I consider it firmly in the pale ale category.

 

[Hogarthe]

the name to me sounds like a pale ale that is very pale. so it would be a pale ale made with the lightest kilned base malt and not anything to add color.maybe I'm wrong, but thats what I think when I hear it.

 

[jeffpn]

I think maybe it's a beer that used to be a pale ale.

 

[Nosybear]

Not confusing an ex pale ale with an extra pale ale.... I do know what an ex pale ale is called. There's an example of the Extra "style" at one of my favorite little brew pubs, the Dillon Dam Brewery. It runs about 6% ABV, about 40 IBUs. So "Extra" isn't "Extra-light," the color is even a nice amber! So if I'm presented with an extra pale ale, I'm expecting a slightly maltier, bitterer beer than a regular pale ale, but not in any respect an IPA.