Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color porter with a large brown foamy head with good retention and some good lacing. Aroma of black chocolate with light roasted malt is quite nice. Taste is a great mix between some lightly dry roasted malt with loads of black chocolate notes which are not overly bitter with some light lactose also discernable at the end. Body is about average with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Great beer with good amount of black chocolate and no too much astringency.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
(Sample of a friend’s on draught at the brewpub, Sept 28, 2012) Poured a slightly hazed orange with a fairly frothy, lacy white head. Aroma of citrus (orange, some pith) and biscuit malt, slight yeast funk and some sugary sweetness and leafy hops. Flavour fruity orange, slightly leafy hop character, spices and pepper, very faint yeast. Light sweetness from the malt, lightly bitter and slightly boozy finish. Medium mouthfeel, lively and effervescent carbonation, alcohol not hidden but not overwhelming. Well-balanced, quite drinkable take on a tripel with good use of Amarillo hops.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9
(On draught at the brewpub, Sept 28 2012) Pours a clear amber with a fluffy white head that left lacing. Aroma very complex: sour plum aroma definitely present but not overpowering, woody barrel, grape, banana and clove esters, citrus, light funk. Flavour brings the plums to the fore, definitely sour, some candy sugar sweetness, light wine grape, funky hay, slightly buttery like a barrel-aged Chardonnay, a little vanilla, finishes sour and a bit bitter as well. Body medium-full, soft active carbonation, alcohol mostly hidden. So complex, well-balanced sweet/sour/funky/bitter, delicious riot of fruity flavours and barrel characters. Superb sour, needed another the next day!
neongolden (4416) reviewed Hellwoods from Bellwoods Brewery 13 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
(On draught at the brewpub Sept 29 2012) Poured black with a small brownish head. Aroma of dark heavily roasted malts, cocoa, coffee, soya, a bit of pine and fruit. Flavour big dark roasted malts, brown sugar sweetness at first, some chocolate, dark stewed fruit, a bit of woody vanilla and the sweetness tempered at the finish by piney hops as it warmed up and the bitterness kicked in more. Rich flavours. Fairly full mouthfeel, soft to medium carb, a fair bit of alcohol on the finish as it warmed up. A pretty good impy, quite big but not quite as perfectly balanced as it could be. Great effort though.
neongolden (4416) reviewed Last Splash from Bellwoods Brewery 13 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
(On draught at the brewpub, Sept 29 2012) Poured a blonde colour with an inch of foamy white head that hung around and left lacing. Aroma of fresh grassy hops, floral, some bready yeast and pale malt character and Belgian-esque esters. Flavour follows, very grassy and rather vegetal hops and pale malts with yeast characters both fruity and bready. Fairly dry the whole way through, but fading to a mild bitterness in the finish. Fairly full-bodied, lively carbonation, alcohol on the finish. A pretty good, slightly unusual hopped strong golden Belgian, but not quite enough interest to match some of the other beers from this brewer.
neongolden (4416) reviewed Farmhouse Saison from Bellwoods Brewery 13 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
(draught at the brewpub, Sept 28 2012) Pours a slightly hazy pale gold with a decent-sized fluffy white head that left lots of lace. Aroma conveys lots of both yeast and hops - there is a slightly white grape and gooseberry character, grass, herbs, lemon, wheat, yeast funk, amazing nose. Flavour is grassy, a bit of funky yeast, lemony bitterness, peppery spice, coriander and mild wheat grain. Finishes dry and spicy with hop bitterness. Mouthfeel quite full for a saison with active carbonation. Balanced, refreshing and very flavourful, great use of Nelson Sauvin in a saison!
neongolden (4416) reviewed Roman Candle from Bellwoods Brewery 13 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5
(draught sample of a friend’s pint at the brewpub, Sept 28 2012) Poured a slightly hazed pale orange with a thin white head that left no lacing. Aroma fruity and tropical, orange and mango noticeable along with a good helping of pine. More fruit in the taste giving some acidity, a little malt sweetness but not much, and spicy, sticky pine resin. Bitterness fairly restrained on the finish. Light to medium body, soft carb. Very good, balanced and tasty IPA.
neongolden (4416) reviewed Witchshark from Bellwoods Brewery 13 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9
(On draught at the brewpub, Sept 28 2012) Pours a clear amber with an inch of fine, dissipating white head that left a little lace. Aroma big on grapefruit-heavy citrus, some pine, tropical hints, very little malt coming through. Flavour big juicy citrus up front, some floral greenness, pine and just a little caramel. Bitterness comes in mid-palate and finishes quite dry but not overwhelming. Body is moderately full, carbonation active but fairly light with no detectable alcohol. This is a perfectly balanced hop-forward DIPA that keeps sweetness and bitterness both in check and lets the flavour shine. Great job Bellwoods!
Boutip (9769) reviewed Last Splash from Bellwoods Brewery 13 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Bottle: Poured a hazy dirty blonde color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some good lacing. Aroma consists of sweet Belgian malt notes with light fruity ester. Taste is a good mix between a solid malt backbone with some fruity ester and a quite sweet finish. Body is quite full with limited filtration and good carbonation with no apparent alcohol. Good offering with nice fruity ester though a tad too sweet and maybe lacking some attenuation.
solidfunk (21946) reviewed Hellwoods from Bellwoods Brewery 13 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 7
The smell is relatively light. Smells a bit like fermenting coffee beans - a bit funky even. Some malt, some basement musk, also some kind of soy sauce like taste or something. Huge on the palate - I would rate it a six out of five if I could on the palate. Alcohol is well hidden. Some coffee taste and whisky barrel bitterness with hops. Some lacing, pitch black with some reddish tinge on foam and beer in light. On tap at brewpub.