Peak to Peak
Collective Arts Brewing

I got a tall boy can of this beer from the LCBO store in Red Lake, Ontario whilst up there dropping my son off for two week hockey excursion. It poured a slightly hazy golden with thin white ring head that is leaving some lace. The scent had bold bitter hop notes. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with crisp malt base and bitter hop presence. The mouthfeel was medium in body and had good carbonation. Overall it is a great beer.

 

473 mL can from the brewery; dated Jun 11 2024 and served barely chilled. No. 27 in their series of numbered IPAs, which has been going strong for at least seven years.

Pours a foggy pale golden colour with countless flecks of silty sediment floating within. Situated atop is one finger of dense, creamy white head that slowly seeps away over the next five-plus minutes, eventually reduced to a foamy collar surrounding a thin cap. It's visually attractive, for sure - but I found the nose rather subdued, with its hints of pine resin, lemon, floral hops and grapefruit.

The flavours are along the same lines, but with the dial turned up a few notches - starts mostly with grapefruit and lemon, adding suggestions of passion fruit and grainy, wheaty malts by mid-sip. Finishes with a barrage of pine resin and floral, earthy, spicy hops that contribute to a bitter conclusion; hints of lemon in the aftertaste, which is resiny and persistent. Medium in body, with lively carbonation that contributes to this brew's crisp, smooth mouthfeel.

Final Grade: 3.94, a B+. The name Peak to Peak is suggestive of an exhilarating hike, yet I can't help but feel underwhelmed. One point in this beer's favour is that it's extremely drinkable for a 7% IPA, with practically no sign of alcohol whatsoever. My primary train of thought, however, is that this is unusually mundane, considering the source. That may come off as snotty, but it's really a backhanded compliment: Collective Arts has set the bar so high for themselves that even an above average WCIPA seems like one of their less interesting offerings. I'd absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys old school IPAs.

An excellent piney west coast style IPA. Hoppy with a slight bitterness.

Aug 11 2024

 

 

 

Pours lightly hazy gold with a crackly, big head. The aroma is of pine and grapefruit hops and cookie dough. The taste is replete with danky, resiny pine hops with lots of citrus in there too. Classic old school west coast IPA profile. Plenty of bready malt in the back keeps some semblance of balance. The mouthfeel is full bodied with medium carbonation. High bitterness in the long finish.

A fantastic take on a west coast IPA from the masters of IPAs. A must try if you like the bitter, piney old IPAs.

 

 

 

473ml can served cold into a pint glass. Canned February 5, 2024.

Appearance - Fairly clear yellowy golden colored brew with a finger or so of white head and moderate retention. Not much in the way of lacing either.

Smell - Pine with some orange citrus but the pine is the forerunner. Not a much malt base.

Taste - Again the pine with orange blended in. High ABV hop water. Tastes decent, but not my favorite from CA, that is for sure.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, crisp carbonation and dry finish.

Overall - One of the weakest IPA entries from CA. Maybe just not to my taste, but I enjoyed a much older can of Singular Form a great deal more in the past week.