Bellwoods' Jelly King and I Have an Announcement to Make: We're in Love

Sometimes lately beer bores me. I mean, not exactly, but my consumption has changed.  You see, when I first started this blog, I didn't really know a good brewery from a bad, a good American Wild from a Berliner, and I was just trying things. And there were often seeming masterpieces which shone alongside massive failures. But they'd no longer shine.

See, now I basically only drink good beer. What I mean by noting this is not some snobby claim of superiority (just experience), but rather that when most things one tastes are of a comparable standard, the differences between them actually get subtler. I often think, "This is good," and it seems I am much less frequently saying "WOW!"

But Jelly King... WOW! Thanks for exciting me again! This is easily - EASILY - the best new beer of 2016 I have had and with Motley Cru and Double Barrel Peche Mortel, that is a bold claim!

Take two

Let me start this again, in the other way I'd pondered. I really enjoy Bellwoods beers: their regular offerings are all solid and exemplary of their styles, while their barrel-aged and experimental products are world-class.

But, as much as they are all great, if Bellwoods announced they were discontinuing all production of their regular products except Jelly King (and Lost River), I wouldn't mind. I mean I know they would. I am not proposing that they do this! I am just saying... imagine, Oct 1 through Mar 31: all you can handle Lost River, April 1 through Sept 30, drowning in Jelly! My personal nirvana.

And I hear this very well priced (at $6.50 per 500ml) beer is set to be a semi-regular product. That makes me happy, well... giddy or ecstatic even!

For those who don't know Jelly King is a dry-hopped sour, massively dry-hopped with Citra for bold fruit aromatics, with a lower ABV (at 5.6%) than the earlier untitled "Dry-Hopped Sour" experiments. It is sold out at the moment, but remains on draught on site I believe.

At the pub, they told me some find it too sour and others not sour enough. I have heard some lament that it's too thin. Others simply assume sour and hops can't/shouldn't mix. What can I say... haters. They're entitled to hate and all, and I'm entitled to drink their shares.

Appearance: It pours a fairly clear yellowish to light amber with a much longer lasting, substantial, small-bubbled white foamy head than is typical for the style.

Smell: This smells so overwhelmingly fruity that it reminds me of (what I imagine it would be like to be) stuffing your face into a mixed pile of powdered tangerine and lemon-lime gatorade pre-mix. In fact, it smells almost like Gator-GUM from the 1980s. They say aroma is strongly linked to memory in the brain, and this reminds me of this delightful, long discontinued gum (that smelled great and tasted equally good, until losing it's flavour rapidly). That might not sound great to you, but it is, OH IT IS! I have heard it said, several times, that Four Winds' Nectarous is the fruitiest sour beer that isn't fruited. Nope. This is twice as fruity as Nectarous (which is also awesome, btw!) I could smell this and nothing else, eternally. It's luxurious. It is dominated, for me, by a tangerine and lemon-lime gatorade quality, but there are also some fuzzy peaches lurking in there somewhere. This beer smells like fruity candy! AMAZING!

Taste: Heavenly. It begins with a tangy tangerine quality, before drying and souring up to a quenching peach dominance. It is quite dry, and fairly sour, but for those who find this too sour: don't drink sour beer. For those who find this not sour enough: sure, it won't strip the enamel from your teeth and require either 36 Tums or a trip to the ER if you drink seven of them, but dammit... YOU CAN DRINK SEVEN OF THEM! This is totally crushable, entirely juicy, perfect for the hot summer day!

Mouthfeel: Sure, it's a touch thin, but that's one of its nice perks. It also may seem that way thanks to the spritzy effervescence that dries the palate and spreads the fruity notes. And it isn't that thin. Again, with an overused cliche: it's crushable. Ideally, perfectly, as if from some beertopia: crushable.

Overall: I don't think you'd like this beer. The eight I had have disappeared far too quickly. So if you're carrying... I'm buying. Let's talk. I'll save you from this "thin" beer that's "too sour" or "not sour enough."

#Justdoin'mypart

Wishing the Winter Goodbye with Fond Recollections of its Best in Beer

If you thought the fact that I have been too busy to write of late meant I hadn't either had time to have a few good beers or that I hadn't found any worth writing about lately... you'd be wrong indeed!

I thought I'd briefly share the notable findings of the last two months as I start to catch up with what matters to us all herein: good beer!

However, many of my newly discovered loves come from trades and a trip to Premier Gourmet in Buffalo (with "ONLY 1500 beers to choose from"), though I will start with my new discoveries in Quebec and Ontario first and post on the many excellent US gems shortly.  Note that these beers aren't (all) from these places, but are available/procured there for those wanting to find mentioned products.

Ontario

On my first visit to Bellwoods Brewery, I thought, "Everything's good; if nothing's great at least nothing is even as bad as average...impressive enough."  On my second visit, things improved with what would become Grizzly Beer American Brown Ale, Roman Candle IPA and Monogamy (Summit) impressing.  But then... on my third visit... Hellwoods Imperial Stout and Witchshark Imperial IPA became my two favourite Bellwoods offerings thus far!  I brought home - and promptly devoured the Witchshark which was also available in bombers from the now-opened retail store.  Though not available at the LCBO, the brewpub is a gem and their retail store offers excellent product at a reasonable price.  If you have yet to experience the place - or these specific beers - hop to it, lest they move on to something else (that will likely be equally delicious!)

Though no longer available, with some outside help - thanks Shlomit! - I managed to grab a couple Great Lakes 25th Anniversary Imperial Black IPA's which, though delicious, resulted in one bottle for trade that brought back two cans of Heady Topper in return.  More on that shortly.  Yes, the Black IPA was remarkable with a complex combination of melon, pine, citrus, and rind on the nose complemented by a toastiness dried with a smoky citrus finish.  I mention this mainly to say that, though I have now procured a few of their final 25th Anniversary product - a Bourbon-Barrel Aged Imperial Stout - I have yet to drink them, but anticipate marvellous goodness and so encourage you strongly to grab any of them few that remain in LCBO stocks!

The LCBO has a strong spring seasonal release this year, and one of those yet available that has stood out for me is Lakefront's Bridge Burner Special Reserve Ale.  This American Strong Ale (8.5% ABV) has a piney and slightly herbal hoppy nose with a faint roasted maltiness that quickly dries out with a nice spicy hops finish.  A very, very good beer and at just over $5 for a bomber (650 ml) of a solid American Strong, it is a (rapidly disappearing) steal!

Quebec

I have been disappointed of late with any new Quebec discoveries, while still enjoying regular staples.  Though Les Trois Mousquetaires' Hopfenweisse - a hoppier US-style version of the hefeweizen - has been available for some time, as a moderate fan of wheat beers at best, I had not as yet spent the money for it.  However, a bring-your-own-beer sushi night necessitated a hefeweizen pairing, and this didn't disappoint!  Especially if you enjoy hefeweizens, grab one and pair it with some sushi for a nice matchup!

Though not new, my love affair with Tripel Karmeliet continues.  Sometimes available at the LCBO and always at the SAQ, this is a treat not to be missed!

As always, many super finds from the US pleased (and continue to do so), but that will be for my next review!

'Til then... cheers!

On Scarcity, Sanctity and "the Best Beer in the World" at Bellwoods

Last week I had the opportunity to check out the new-ish Bellwoods Brewery on the trendy Ossington strip and to have my first Westvleteren 12 (the oft-called "Best Beer in the World").

The brewpub itself was packed by 5 pm on the day of my arrival, which could be perhaps partially explained by the pleasant patio weather which left the terrace entirely occupied, while my companion and I procured the last two remaining seats at the bar.

Bellwoods is a bit cramped, with extremely limited bathroom space and indoor seating, though the summer patio helps out a bunch!  The appetizer/light entree sort of menu looks good, if a bit pricey, though the beer (and excellent, knowledgeable, friendly staff) certainly meet the expectations.

I had $3 5-ounce samples of the following: the Biere de Garde (7.5% ABV - lightly funky mustiness, with a nice yeasty nose and slight sour cherry notes, slightly tart yet nicely dry; Grade: B+/A-), Lost River Baltic Porter (7.7% ABV - cola and biscuit aromas with toasty notes and a pleasing crispy-dry finish; Grade: B+/A-), Fortune Cookie Tripel (8.2% ABV - dry-hopped with Amarillo hops that makes it a bit of a hybrid US/Belgian somewhat like Urthel Hop-It, excellent nose, good flavour; Grade: A-), Mash Pipe Berliner Weisse (3.6% ABV - very unique nose something like sweet lemonade, with a taste of sour lemon and sourdough, but more like a weisse than a true sour; Grade: A-), Monogamy Pale Ale (excellent very fruity nose of pineapple, mango, and grapefruit citrus, with a moderate taste of fair dryness, but with mellowed rind that pales in comparison to the great nose; Grade: B+/A-), and the perfectly sessionable Muggle Weisse (a 3.9% ABV dark sour with a wild yeast start that offers an accordingly mild, lightly funky aroma with a taste a bit like sugar-free sour keys alongside a finely drying finish; Grade: A-/A).

Though none of these beers blew me away, all were quite good and remarkably unique.  What is great about this brewery is the obvious commitment to uniqueness through obscure styles and twists on old favourites.  This portends a promise of the sort exemplified by Dieu du Ciel, which is high praise indeed if you know my tastes and/or DDC itself.  Bellwoods isn't there yet - if off to a great start - but it fills a needed and crucial Toronto niche for breaking from the English predominance of Southern Ontario craft beer (much as I love many English beer styles) and their ingenuity portends great things to come (such as the fitting new DDC collaboration Imperial IPA I just learned of today after already considering this comparison!)

Yet, unlike DDC, Bellwoods also offers a selection of imported bottles ranging from Dunham's stellar Black IPA to Rodenbach Grand Cru and the famed Westy 12 that provokes the reflections of this post and its title.  Awaiting the warming of my bottle (from fridge to cellar temperature) I found myself struggling to temper my expectations and to curtail my excitement, but (thankfully) Westy 12 tasted as expected - great, not earth-shatteringly so, but satisfyingly so.

Thus, like Bellwoods itself, Westy impresses, though is nonetheless slightly overrated.  By this, I mean that it is excellent - and better and different from the St. Bernardus Abt 12, and comparable to the Achel and Rochefort quads that I do so enjoy though a side by side (blind?) comparison may be required - but were it more common I believe it would be (more aptly) called "a damn good beer," and that the "best-in-the-world" label comes from scarcity and hype coupled with its consumptive quality rather than from the latter alone.

Specifically, Westvleteren 12 pours a cloudy reddish-brown with a thick tan head of solid retention and thick, but smooth lacing around the glass edges.  I personally get excellent and complex aromas of chocolate and plums initially that evolves into dark fruits, prunes, dark/molasses bread and candied sugar as it evolves.  The taste is similarly complex, as anticipated, yet is dominated by a sweet licorice, before it evolves to allow discernment of some figs, brown sugar, and an herbal/floral mix of the drying yeast and hops presence which clears the palate well.  It is thickly carbonated, yet somehow smooth and creamy nonetheless, with no hint of the 10.2% ABV discernible.  Grade: A/A+

Yes, this is an excellent beer and, at $30 a bottle at Bellwoods for a limited time, well worth trying/sharing once at this price, but it is not that much better (if at all) than a Trappist Rochefort 10 that is available regularly for $4.65 a bottle in Quebec.  For scarcity, hype, and the experience, grab yourself one while you can - then enjoy the best Bellwoods has to offer complementing your unique experience with the uniqueness of Toronto's virtual abbey.

Personally, though, much as I love quads and with all due respect to this delicious rarity, I love Imperial Stouts more and would call a few I have already tasted "better," such that a pursued tasting of Dark Lord now tops my remaining beer-bucket-list.

Cheers!