Liquid Art Fest IPA

Perhaps the “orangest” beer I’ve ever tried, Collective Arts Brewing’s Liquid Art Fest IPA has a milky creamsicle colour. The Hamilton, Ontario ale comes in funky 473mL cans that have some kind of rock hop monster on them. The milkshake IPA has just 5.9% alcohol and it’s brewed with lactose, mango purée, passion fruit purée, flaked oats, and vanilla.

Unsurprisingly, Liquid Art Fest has a juicy, fruit-forward nose. It has a particular emphasis on mango. The flavour kicks off with an unexpectedly tart element. Tropical fruits are ably represented and there is a whisper of vanilla sweetness that serves to mellow the sharpness of the purée.

The lactose and oats combo gives Liquid Art Fest (brewed in honour of the eponymous festival put on by Collective Arts in June) a very smooth and creamy body; something that runs a bit contrary to the tartness, but which has some unusual charm. My biggest complaint with this beer is that, for an IPA, bitterness isn’t at a premium and booze is a bit underrepresented. Still, I wouldn’t complain if the gang at Collective Arts decided to elevate this beer from a limited release to a regular offering. It’s innovative and oddball.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.