If you’ve read my review of Heaps Normal Half Day Hazy Ale, you’ll know I’m a big fan of what this dedicated non-alcoholic craft brewery is doing (not just for their drinks, but also for championing low-impact brewing practices and having a vegan-friendly – i.e. inclusive – ethos). That brew might well be my favourite non-alcoholic beer. So, it made sense to see how their other products stack up to that high bar. Enter Heaps Normal Quiet XPA. And I may well be a bit late to this particular party, as it place 33rd in the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2022.
So, I thought it was high time that I gave it a try. Here are my tasting notes on Heap Normal Quiet XPA.
Appearance
Quiet XPA pours a slightly hazy (no surprise there, then), light gold colour. There’s a bit of a resemblance to wheat beer, if I’m honest. The carbonation is lively and consistent. It looks very much like a craft beer in the glass.
Aroma
Heap Normal Quiet XPA is made with a dry hopping technique, which tends to foreground citrus and tropical fruit notes. And boy, do they come through. On the nose one gets an initial wallop of mango, pineapple and lemon. It could get overwhelming, but then the grassier undertones of the hops come through for balance. There’s an earthiness to it that I like. Might not be to everyone’s taste (er, smell?) but it’s more a feature of craft beers and I think the balance of sweet and herbal notes works well.
Taste
On the palate, Heaps Normal Quiet XPA delivers a really nice mix of malt sweetness and hop-forward bitterness. The initial taste is mildly sweet, with those tropical fruits more to the fore, and then transitioning into grassy and citrusy hop notes. These are the ones that linger most, which may or may not be to your taste, but I find it well-balanced and decently complex for an NA beer. Suffice it to say… very drinkable.
Mouthfeel
This is a fairly light-bodied XPA, with a crisp, effervescent carbonation. I also detect a slight creaminess in the mouthfeel that prevents it from being too flash in the pan. It is quite bubbly, but I think that helps make it ideal as a summer drink. Refreshing.
Finish
The finish is unmistakably beer-like. Those hop notes definitely linger, as does a dash of the malt sweetness. The conclusion is also dry and crisp. The simplest way to put it is that once you’ve had a gulp, you want another one.
Pairing Suggestions
Quiet XPA’s tropical fruit notes and light body make it most suited to serving with fresh salads, seafood, or grilled chicken. The crisp finish would cut through slightly heftier dishes such as a chargrilled burger, but I’d err on the lighter side of things for this brew. Alongside a tofu stir-fry or any avocado-based dishes would work as well. Personally, I like it cold from the can alongside a bowl of salty snacks to contrast with the fruitiness.
Overall Impressions of Heaps Normal Quiet XPA
Heaps Normal Quiet XPA is, I have to say it, pretty damn close to Heaps Normal Hazy Day in terms of non-alcoholic beers I like to drink (although there are quite a few of them, to be honest). It doesn’t quite pip it, but that comes down to personal taste rather than anything “wrong” with this NA brew. It’s sophisticated, complex and refreshing all at the same time. You can’t ask for much more than that.