Freestyle Series: Tropiskull Thunder
The Collingwood Brewery

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Mar 29 2021 and served slightly chilled.

Pours a clear, brassy golden colour, capped off with one finger of foamy, soapy white head that falls apart within three minutes or so. Afterwards, the glass has been draped with a smooth coat of lovely lacing, while a bubbly collar and thin cap also remain in place - lookin' good so far. Orange and grapefruit on the nose, along with lesser notes of apricot, bubble gum, coconut and spicy, earthy hops.

Interesting flavours - there's lightly caramelized, bready malts and a fruity, bubble gum-like note right off the bat, with notes of mandarin orange, pink grapefruit, melon and apricot developing not long after. It finishes with more citrus and stone fruit, then an earthy, slightly minty-floral bitterness that lingers into a weakly boozy-sweet, resiny aftertaste. Medium-full in body, with low carbonation that gently shuffles across the palate; feels smooth and slick on the tongue, with the spicy hops and alcohol contributing to its bite at least as much as the carbonation. I enjoyed this IPA, but one can per night is plenty.

Final Grade: 3.74, a B grade. I can't say I had strong feelings about Collingwood's Tropiskull Thunder IPA, good or bad - it's a well-constructed IPA, showcasing a range of hop flavours, from fruity and citrusy, to earthy, spicy and bitter. It's the sort of beer that I don't mind trying at all, and I might even pick up a couple more times while it's available... but I wouldn't really go out of my way for more. This batch is getting a little old for an IPA, but if they make more Tropiskull next year I'd say give 'er a go.