One Drop XPA

One Drop XPA is an aromatic and sessionable pale ale. It’s one of the brewery’s first packaged releases.

One Drop Brewing Co. are one of the new kids of the Sydney beer scene.

Tropical Fruit

This One Drop XPA is packed with tropical fruit flavours and aromas. There’s the requisite grapefruit but there’s also juicy slices of mandarin, a generous squeeze of passionfruit pulp, and some dried mango.

There’s moderate but rounded bitterness and mellow, white bread malt flavours in the background but it’s hops that dominate the flavour profile of this beer.

It pours a pale gold colour, with a wispy and sudsy white head. There’s plenty of carbonation as bubbles stream up through the liquid.

What Is XPA?

XPA as a style has been on the rise of a while. Balter from up in Queensland really brought the term into common use in Australia. They were quickly followed up local inner west favourites, Philter who launched their own XPA.

Since then we’ve seen a great number of XPAs from all over the country, and they seem to vary significantly in alcohol and flavour profile. Because of that it’s still hard to define exactly what the style is but it’s safe to say it’s pretty similar to other Aussie pale ales from a stylistic perspective.

Outstanding Can Design

The standard of the packaging is notable, particularly as this was the brewery’s first release in cans (alongside their flagship Botany Bay Lager). It’s a fully printed can, and while it does have a wrap around label (look closely and you’ll see the green XPA banner is adhered to the can), it’s one of the most nicely branded cans since Philter launched. It certainly stands out in a bottle shop fridge.

You might have to shop around to find this one as One Drop are still not producing huge volumes. Your best bet would be to visit their tap room in Botany Bay, try the beer there and then pick up some tinnies for takeaway.

It’s a deliciously flavourful pale ale and a very impressive start for a new brewery. One Drop XPA is the type of beer you could drink again and again.

Have you tried One Drop XPA? Leave a comment and share what you think and how it compares to other XPAs.