My favourite kinds of “work meetings” are the ones that turn into “beer meetings”. And when you are developing a beer competition reality tv show, a beer celebrity interview web series, a beer + food pairing cookbook AND taking a beer sommelier course and writing a beer blog …    …  well, “beer meetings” are aplenty. (rushes to AA meeting…)*

Today’s beer meeting was made all the better by Collective Arts Brewing’s spectacular Rhyme & Reason American Pale Ale. At Collective Arts, they aspire to “raise the creative consciousness through the sociability of craft beer.” The brewery features an ever-changing selection of local and international artists’ work on their labels. Different labels are being released four times per year, so you’re always getting something new and something beautiful. They also have an augmented reality feature on the labels that partners with an app that you can download on your smart phone. All you gotta do is scan the label and you’re free to “hear the music, see the videos and view artist bios” of the many indie bands they’ve partnered with. It’s all very ambitious and grand and wonderful. Warms the deep cockles of my frozen winter soul.

Now back to the beer itself. I’ve profiled this style of beer before and it’s a favourite of mine. When done right, an APA has all the most delicious hoppy and bitter characteristics of an IPA, just toned down enough to make them more sessionable. Also, they have less % of alcohol, so you can knock ’em back with a little more vigour than a typical IPA.

Rhyme & Reason opens with an explosion of gorgeous hop aromas. Ruby red grapefruit, lemon juice, pine resin and tropical fruits like mango and pineapple burst from the glass. The taste leans more towards the bitter side of sweet, with lemon rind and grapefruit being the first flavours I notice. There’s a really interesting herbal spiciness that’s here, as well; not so strong that it’s overpowering, just enough to add some complexity. The malty sweetness is definitely present, and it helps balance the taste but doesn’t stick around too long. In fact, the finish is so crisp and clean that it practically begs you to take another sip right away.

Ok … twist my rubber arm.

 

 

 

 

 

*Just kidding, mom. I’m not an alcoholic.