Barn Owl Blend No. 1
Bellwoods Brewery

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From:
Bellwoods Brewery
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
Wild Ale
ABV:
8.5%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.09 | pDev: 7.58%
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
40
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 02, 2020
Added:
May 07, 2015
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  5
Blend No.1 — barrel-aged 12-18 months with ginger, apricot, and cranberry — is a strangely harmonious combination of flavours that work together seamlessly, in a style that almost lends itself more to cocktails than beer. Aromatics of candied apricot, ginger, warming spices and soft brett, give way to moderate acidity balanced by bright, juicy flavours that reference the tart cranberries. Great medium body and an off-dry finish.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Rutager:
Photo of Rutager
Rated by Rutager from Canada (BC)

3.84/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

May 08, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

4.15/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This one pours a slightly hazy golden yellow color, with a small head, and a little bit of lacing.

This smells like cranberry, spicy funk, white wine, apricot, and citrus.

The ginger seems to have fallen out of this one, but there is a vague spicy funky character to this that I really like. The cranberry dominates in terms of the fruit character, but the candied sweet apricot is nice on the back end.

This is light bodied, clean, slightly soft, and very drinkable.

Even with about 4 years on it, this one held up nicely.
Nov 02, 2020
 
Rated: 4.28 by deonreds from New York

Feb 20, 2017
 
Rated: 4.4 by zachthelaxer93 from South Carolina

May 29, 2016
 
Rated: 4.02 by Beervana from Canada (BC)

May 12, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by Kmat10 from Canada (AB)

Mar 09, 2016
 
Rated: 3.71 by GreenMind from Pennsylvania

Jan 19, 2016
 
Rated: 4.15 by Ultrarunner100 from Canada (ON)

Jan 09, 2016
 
Rated: 3.81 by byronic from Canada (ON)

Dec 29, 2015
 
Rated: 3.77 by polloenfuego from Canada (NB)

Dec 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4.2 by JonnyBeers from Canada (BC)

Dec 19, 2015
Photo of Phyl21ca
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottle: Poured an orangey color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of light ginger and apricot notes with dry Brett notes and light tart notes are also perceptible. Taste is a well-balanced mix between some dry Brett notes with some tart notes and some ginger and apricot notes. Body is about average with good carbonation. I really enjoyed the balance between the different flavors of this beer.
Dec 12, 2015
Photo of wordemupg
Reviewed by wordemupg from Canada (AB)

4.32/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
500ml bottle poured into tulip 15/11/15, cheers liamt07 for sending the bottle my way

A bright golden orange with a slight haze, looks very lively at first with bubbles everywhere but calms down quickly, large and loose noisy foams gone quickly leaving no lace

S lots of brett and ginger, some apricot and peaches, not much cranberry, maybe a little over-ripe strawberry, has some ginger ale sweetness working for it, just a hint of leather as it warms, everything just leaps out of the glass, smells very strong and I'm loving the nose

T more of a ginger ale flavor, I'm picking up on more cranberry and less stone fruit, picking up on a little wet wood I didn't find on the nose, tastes solid but the nose has a slight edge

M medium bodied, fluffs up and gets a little airy but not foamy, fairly slick in the mouth, a little ginger spice on the finish

O this one has a interesting mix of stuff going on that all work well together, nothing overwhelms and everything compliments each other, the 8.5% doesn't come up at any point either

Yet another brew I want more of and will never see again, Bellwoods just keeps nailing everything they brew, these guys are giving Driftwood some competition for my favorite Canadian brewery
Nov 15, 2015
 
Rated: 4.35 by yasky from Canada (ON)

Nov 07, 2015
 
Rated: 4.02 by goalie35 from Canada (AB)

Oct 30, 2015
 
Rated: 3.78 by Corson from Canada (AB)

Oct 13, 2015
 
Rated: 4.1 by w5baron from Pennsylvania

Aug 26, 2015
Photo of papat444
Reviewed by papat444 from Canada (QC)

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Big thanks to Jrenihan for this beer ot of the blue.

Pours a lazy gold color, sourness isn't mouthpuckering, has a certain smooth edge and is a bit dry as well. Very excellent.
Aug 15, 2015
Photo of invertedcrix
Reviewed by invertedcrix from New York

3.77/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
Pour is a very hazy amber color. Lots of carbonation, big off-white head. Smell is a little sour and has an almost soapy finish. Definitely smelling the ginger already. Taste lots of ginger and a bit of sweet fruit, a little bitter on the end and then that soapy flavor, but actually finished pretty smoothly. Mouthfeel is very good, lots of carb. Pretty solid, not a fan of the ginger and fruit combo I think.
Aug 14, 2015
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

4.22/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bottle picked up at the brewery by Bryna. Thanks! Served in a Volo Zwanze 2014 glass.

A - White foam quickly sizzles to a thin cap, and then nada. No lace, collar, just a few stray bubbles. Body is a transparent filtered apple juice sort of color.

S - Ginger and tropical brett notes. Lots of pineapple and melon flavors from the yeast, with mild apricot notes and a hint of cranberry. As it warms a touch of vinous oak creeps in. Really unique and extremely well integrated; just leaps from the glass. Reminds me a touch of the awesome Canada Dry cranberry ginger ale actually.

T - The taste is a bit of a letdown. There's still a good deal of ginger and brett, but a lot of the fruitiness and nuance is lost. More of an earthy, oaky, funky ale here. It's fine, but just a bit...I dunno, dull, by comparison.

M - Carbonation is initially quite zesty, although it settles down relatively quickly. Medium body, with a chewy, bready texture. Not particularly dry, which is a surprise for a brett beer. There's a touch of warmth by the end of the 500ml bottle, but it's not out of place for an 8.5% brew.

D - The aroma is incredible and one of the most unique things I've encountered in recent memory. The other facets of the beer are solid, but leave me wanting more. I know I've criticized the American Wild Ales genre for being to acidic, but in the case of Bellwoods I find the beers have swung a bit too far in the brett direction; could use a bit more tartness for balance in my humble opinion. Still, quite enjoyable on the whole.
Aug 06, 2015
Barn Owl Blend No. 1 from Bellwoods Brewery
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 40 ratings