Collective Arts Blueberry, Chocolate, Coffee & Vanilla Sour 4Pk

Collective Arts Blueberry, Chocolate, Coffee & Vanilla Sour 4Pk is a 5.5% ABV fruited sour ale brewed in collaboration with Stillwater Artisanal, sold as a four-pack. This layered, multi-adjunct sour earned a BeerAdvocate final grade of 4.27 — an A- — and carries a 3.8 out of 5 rating on Untappd across more than 9,100 reviews, reflecting strong consensus among craft beer drinkers.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5.5%  |  Origin: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada  |  Style: Fruited Sour Ale  |  Brewery: Collective Arts Brewing (with Stillwater Artisanal)

Production & Heritage

Collective Arts Brewing operates out of Hamilton, Ontario, and has built a reputation for boundary-pushing collaborations and artist-driven label design. This particular sour was brewed in partnership with Stillwater Artisanal, the acclaimed nomadic brewing project founded by Brian Strumke. The recipe layers blueberry — delivering both sweetness and tartness — with bright acidity, roasty chocolate, Detour coffee, and cocoa, creating a beer where each named ingredient occupies its own distinct space. The result pours a striking deep reddish-purple with a purple-tinged head, signaling the intensity of fruit and adjunct integration before the first sip.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Blueberry arrives first, ripe and slightly jammy, followed by a light cocoa-chocolate undertone. Subtle vanilla rounds out the nose, while coffee remains quiet in the background.

Taste: The palate opens with assertive tartness — blueberry and souring agents hit potently and immediately. Mid-palate, coffee and chocolate emerge as a rich, roasty counterpoint, adding depth and smoothness beneath the acidity. Vanilla weaves through the second half, softening the sour edges without masking them. The beer is medium-bodied and surprisingly easy to drink given the complexity of its ingredient list.

Finish: Tart berry lingers with a clean, slightly drying close. Faint roast and cocoa notes trail off, leaving a balanced impression that invites another sip.

How to Drink This Sour

Pour cold into a tulip glass or wide-mouthed goblet to let the aromatics open up; this beer rewards attentive sipping rather than quick drinking. Its acidity and fruit-forward character also make it a strong base in beer cocktails: try it in a Berliner Shandy with a splash of lemonade for amplified citrus tang, a Sour Float topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to play off the chocolate and vanilla notes, or a Purple Snakebite layered with dry cider for a tart, effervescent pairing.

Best For

• Sharing with craft beer enthusiasts who appreciate adjunct-heavy sours
• Dessert course pairing at a dinner party as an alternative to wine
• Gifting to someone exploring the intersection of coffee, chocolate, and sour beer
• Summer evening sessions where a tart, fruit-driven beer outperforms heavier stouts

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this Collective Arts Sour taste like? It delivers an assertively tart blueberry punch up front, followed by roasty chocolate and coffee in the mid-palate, with vanilla smoothing the finish into a medium-bodied, easy-drinking sour ale.

How does this compare to other Collective Arts sours? Collective Arts produces a rotating lineup of fruited sours, but this expression stands apart through its collaboration with Stillwater Artisanal and its unusually complex four-adjunct layering of blueberry, chocolate, coffee, and vanilla — most of the brewery's other sours focus on fruit alone.

Is this sour good for beginners? Its tartness is pronounced and hits immediately, so drinkers new to sour ales should be prepared for significant acidity; however, the chocolate, coffee, and vanilla components add enough sweetness and body to make it more approachable than a straight Berliner Weisse or lambic.

Where is this beer made? It is brewed at Collective Arts Brewing in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in collaboration with Stillwater Artisanal, the nomadic brewing project founded by Brian Strumke.

What foods pair well with this sour? Dark chocolate truffles echo the cocoa notes; a blueberry cheesecake mirrors the fruit while matching the beer's acidity; smoked duck benefits from the tartness cutting through its richness; aged Gouda offers caramel sweetness against the sour backbone; and espresso-rubbed pork ribs reinforce the coffee element.

What sizes does this sour come in? This expression is sold as a four-pack of cans, which is its standard retail format.

Is this sour worth the price? With a BeerAdvocate grade of A- and a complex ingredient profile born from a notable brewery collaboration, it positions in the premium craft sour tier — a reasonable value for drinkers seeking a multi-dimensional fruited sour rather than a single-note offering.

Why This Collective Arts Sour?

The collaboration between Collective Arts and Stillwater Artisanal brings together two respected names in experimental brewing, and the result justifies the partnership. Earning a 4.27 on BeerAdvocate places it well above the average fruited sour, and the integration of Detour coffee and cocoa alongside blueberry and vanilla creates a layered drinking experience that few single-brewery releases attempt. At 5.5% ABV, it remains sessionable enough to enjoy across a full four-pack without fatigue. For anyone who finds most fruited sours one-dimensional, this beer makes a convincing case that the style can handle genuine complexity.