Collective Project: Imperial Porter

At 8.6%, the Collective Project: Imperial Porter has some heft. Sold in 473mL cans with a wacky monster design, this powerful dark ale comes from Collective Arts Brewing out of Hamilton, Ontario. As one would expect, the Impish Port is a black ale with a sudsy cream fuzz.

For the nose, this ale has molasses and chocolate notes. The flavour has an odd balance—it’s quite sweet on the front end, but finishes with a boozy espresso bitterness.

While the front end is a bit too sweet, the hops ‘n’ java end note picks it up, making this an enjoyable IP. The can says that this is a “limited release”, so I’m sure I’ll buy another couple of cans before my time runs out—this is a beer I’ll be glad to revisit. And at south of $5 per tin, there is some pretty substantial bang for your buck.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.