Appearance

The Collective Arts Brewing IPA No. 5 pours a cloudy yellow with a soft, fluffy head. The beer appears a darker yellow on the top and fades to a light, almost lemon juice color at the bottom.

Aroma

The aroma is an intense citrus overload of grapefruit blended together with orange rind.

Flavor

I’m immediately greeted by a big burst of lemon, grapefruit and orange citrus. The mouthfeel is very satisfying and doesn’t leave a thick coating. As the IPA No. 5 warms up, there’s some sweetness that counterbalances the hoppy, juicy, citrus flavors. When I think of juicy IPA flavors, this is what I have in mind.

Balance

Even though there are a number of individual citrus flavors, they manage to harmonize, with the grapefruit consistently edging out the orange and lemon.

Finish

As the fruity citrus notes fade away, they give rise to a slightly bitter orange rind note that has a long finish. Some sweet creaminess is present and it serves to take the edge off of the bitterness. The post sip hoppy intensity evolves to be cloying as the beer warms up.

Overall

If you’re looking for the quintessential juicy IPA experience, then the Collective Arts Brewing IPA No. 5 is going to satisfy. Although the finish on the beer falls short of the other qualities, the overall tasting experience elevates it to one of the better IPA’s I’ve enjoyed in several years.

John McTavish

SCORE

8.08

Cost/Point

$0.46

Scoring System

Personal Beer Review: Collective Arts Brewing IPA No. 5