(Draught at Bar Hop, Sept 19 2013) Pours completely black with a small dark tan ring of bubbles that left lace. Aroma big and complex, dark chocolate, roast cacao, a bit of tart cherry, wood and vanilla from the barrel in the background. Flavour is even more complex than the nose, up front there is dark chocolate, coffee, tart cherry, roasted and smoked malt, some wood and a bit of brandy/ruby port character. Towards the finish there is some alcohol, but also a lovely roast cacao/semi-sweet chocolate flavour, a little powdery/chalky. The fruit and other elements linger in the background. Mouthfeel is full, silky smooth, soft carbonation. Just phenomenal, loads going on in this beer but producing a harmonious, drinkable alternative to red wine after a fall dinner. Not sure quite what the beer at Bar Hop for the takeover was, preceded the brewery release and some lists said sour cherry and cacao nibs a la the Volo Sunsplash cask...mystery!

(Draught at the brewpub, Oct 31 2013) Pours pitch black with a small bubbly pale brown head. Aroma fruity cognac, woody, boozy with roast and chocolate malts. Palate initially contains tons of cognac and that doesn’t really dissipate. Underneath that is sweetish chocolate and a bit of wood at first. Mid-palate the wood comes a bit more to the fore but cognac and malts predominate. In the finish alcohol is quite noticeable along with normal Hellwoods bittering hops, dry and slightly roasted. Mouthfeel full, not too syrupy, very soft carb, lots of alcohol heat. Barrel owns this one, but it’s a lovely barrel. One feels as though one is drinking a good brandy hybridized with a good RIS. Lush.

This comes together amazingly. Cherry is super well-integrated. Pours pitch black with mocha head and lacing. The cherry is sour and beautifully integrated with just the right note of sourness. Very bitter, coffee-like smell with some chocolate. Nice smoked barley. Palate is thick. The barrel is well-integrated with a faint cognac taste. Finishes bitter with a light sour tang that makes for a beast of a beer. Smokiness stays with you for a while as well as the cherry - for a good minute or longer after a sip. Tap at brewpub.

This is amazing. The brettamonyces is there, the barrel is there, quad elements are there and it’s all perfectly balanced. Pours cloudy brown with some mocha bubbles. You can taste the wood in the barrel, but only subtly. Some raisins, some well-integrated light candy cane. Everything extremely well-integrated and amazing. Sweet with just the right sourness to balance it out. Cask Days 2013.
Earlier Rating: 8/31/2013 Total Score: 4.2
Ranks among the best Bellwoods. Makes me more excited to open my bottle of Motley Cru. Barrel evident but meshes well with quadrupel elements. Aroma of wine, prune, raisins and some dark malt. Pours dark reddish brown with great head and lacing. Finishes with medium sweetness. Soft carbonation. Wonderful. Tap at volos.