Roman Candle
Bellwoods Brewery

Roman CandleRoman Candle
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From:
Bellwoods Brewery
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
American IPA
Ranked #520
ABV:
6.8%
Score:
91
Ranked #7,346
Avg:
4.08 | pDev: 7.84%
Reviews:
57
Ratings:
168
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 25, 2023
Added:
Sep 17, 2012
Wants:
  17
Gots:
  25
If you're looking for a perfect, no-nonsense hoppy American IPA, this is your jam. It provides you with all the excitement of a real roman candle, but without the risk of accidentally lighting the damn thing while it's still in your pocket. If Roman Candle was a person, it would be the sort that brings home dinner and a movie, and then asks you if you want a massage. If you ask me, I think this is as good as it gets, but you probably weren't gonna ask me, and I do work here, so, take it as you will.

Over the past year this beer has risen to fame and won a much deserved place in the hearts of all us hop-loving folk.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by LanceH:
Photo of LanceH
Rated by LanceH from Canada (ON)

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Jan 08, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of White_Dragon
Reviewed by White_Dragon

4.73/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Pours nearly opaque, yet bright and light, not thick at all. Some foam, and lacing not remarkable amount. Drinks like a hazy IPA in around there 4.5% slot, but fuller, not as thin as the lighter beers can be. Overall remarkable and maybe after trying again a couple time this might take my benchmark spot on my list!

I should add in fairness as another reviewer reminded, though I’ve not been commenting so much lately on value as all cost have gone up, this is a ridiculous price point and if value was a factor it would drop the rating considerably- you absolutely can and will find as good of a beer at ~3/5 to 2/3 of the cost! These guys, Dominion and Tooth and Nail have all us hipster beer nerds dead to rights and frankly I don’t buy the whole “how many special hops or ingredients or small batch” claims of innocence.
Dec 25, 2023
Photo of AnyBeerULike
Reviewed by AnyBeerULike from Canada (ON)

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a pale, hazy yellow color. White head formation with little retention. Tangerine, pineapple on the nose. Melon, citrusy taste with mild after taste bitterness. One of their greatest IPAs!
Aug 25, 2023
 
Rated: 3.98 by 322wingedfoot from Pennsylvania

Aug 14, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by paulish from New York

Mar 30, 2023
 
Rated: 4.19 by blissfulNemo from Michigan

Mar 01, 2023
 
Rated: 3.15 by BeerWasp from Germany

Dec 31, 2022
 
Rated: 4.1 by BeerMe8 from Florida

Nov 16, 2022
 
Rated: 4.25 by Gkruszewski from New York

Jun 18, 2022
Photo of leaddog
Reviewed by leaddog from Canada (AB)

4.17/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Appearance - Pours a cloudy pineapple gold with two fingers of foamy white head.

Smell - Tropical fruit (pineapple, mango, passion fruit), citrus fruit (orange, tangerine), bready malts, notes of caramel.

Taste - Bitter tropical and citrus hops (with flavour notes in line with the aromas above), followed by bready malts to balance and a lingering mild hop bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Sticky on the palate.

Overall - A refreshing and tropical fruit-forward (NE)IPA from the folks at Bellwoods. Good amount of hop bitterness to balance the juicy flavours.
Jun 05, 2022
Photo of Ghrymm
Reviewed by Ghrymm from Canada (BC)

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 473ml can. Canned on March 14/2022.
Overall a pretty good NEIPA.
Nice tropical nose and nice hop bitterness missing the tropical fruit notes i was expecting.
May 10, 2022
Photo of AlexandraDen
Reviewed by AlexandraDen from Canada (ON)

3.78/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Less an IPA and closer to an NEIPA, this pours what basically looks like thick orange juice with a white creamy head. Fades fast into a millimetre thick cap

Aromas: Orange, mango, melon. Tropical fruit forward, mild citrus backing. Gentle grains

Surprising amount of bready malt up front, with tropical fruits like mango and melon, tangelo, and grapefruit. Bitterness is pretty low for an IPA, beer is almost bittersweet in character.

Medium bodied, medium carbonation that is very crisp, pleasant, and smooth. Finish isn’t super long but is mildly bittersweet with pale general tropical tastes and slight graininess.

Apologies in advance to Bellwoods Brewery lovers: I just do not get the hype. This flavour profile is a dime a dozen amongst modern brewers and NEIPAs. For $5 damn dollars, you could get a beer and a half at the LCBO of any other IPA/NEIPA and get just as good an experience. Whatever they’re paying for to add into the beer that makes it $5, they could probably cut half of it out and sell for less and probably have the exact same flavour profile and taste as before. I know they’ve added a crazy bunch of hops to other beers. Could probably just save on half of that and it wouldn’t make a difference except to our pocket. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good beer. Just not worth the hype or the money. This is like the third beer by them I’ve been let down on, and that’s $15. Might as well have bought 5 different beers from different breweries and tried 5 different styles, would’ve been more fun and edifying.
Apr 04, 2022
Photo of swim
Reviewed by swim from Canada (ON)

3.87/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
L: Opaque hazy vibrant straw yellow
S: Inviting floral perfumey fragrance with some tropical fruitiness
T: Smooth medium strength resiny piney and fruity pineapple and mango with some citrus hops and modest graham cracker malts. Pleasant aftertaste, minimal bitterness
F: Light but full and foamy, moderate carbonation, not very dry
O: Pretty decent and very drinkable but not worth $5
Jan 17, 2022
Photo of Roy_Hobbs
Reviewed by Roy_Hobbs from Connecticut

3.59/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured at roughly 42 degrees into a Teku. Medium yellow in color with some head, but a little less than I would have expected. Good, but not great looking beer. Aroma is somewhat muted. I pick up some melon and a limited amount of fruit. It smells nice, just doesn't jump out in any way. Taste is similarly muted. Grapefruit and a very light bitterness, but more than anything, I would describe this as smooth. The taste doesn't pop any more than the aroma, and it feels a tad thin. All that said, I'm having trouble rating this because while I stand by the above ratings, I'm really enjoying this and it's going down very, very easily. Maybe the best way I could describe this is a great beer for when you're not nerding out on a beer website and rating beer, but rather just sitting around with friends having a pint or two. In other words, this beer is great for its intended use.
Oct 10, 2021
 
Rated: 3.75 by boszormeny from Canada (ON)

Aug 29, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by ElGallo from New Hampshire

Jul 14, 2021
 
Rated: 3.89 by ikidunot from Canada (ON)

Jun 07, 2021
Photo of LampertLand
Reviewed by LampertLand from Canada (BC)

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bellwoods Brewery 'Roman Candle IPA' @ 6.8% , served from a 473 ml can (thanxs Vessel)
A-pour is a light gold from the can to a hazy(oh darn) gold in the glass with a small white head leaving a spotty lace along the Spiegelau
S-tropical & citrus kinda
T-big & bold , lots of hops , good bitterness
MF-decent carbonation , feels full bodied
Ov-dissapointing (NE IPA) -me , butt still a good beer
prost LampertLand
May 08, 2021
Photo of BGDrock
Reviewed by BGDrock from Canada (ON)

3.99/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Unfiltered, like fresh squeeze pineapple juice, forms a decent off-white head with 1-2 minute retention.
Tropical sweet & tart pineapple, orange, clementine aromas with some pine; vibrant and fresh.
Taste is matching fruit aromas, now with pine hops coming to the for, brisk & biting; assertive bitterness building in the finish, which is clean with low pithiness; some balance from malt but very much hop forward; medium body is crisp & refreshing and feels deceptively light, with medium-light carbonation; very dry finish.

Super refreshing, with cutting & clean hop bitterness and flavour that will appeal to IPA fans as a simple everyday choice.
Jan 03, 2021
Photo of TooManyGlasses
Reviewed by TooManyGlasses from Canada (AB)

4.07/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Gift import from Ontario into Edmonton.
Pours a bright milky yellow with a finger of white head that does not hang around.
Nose strikes with notes of orange, pineapple, melon, a floral aroma and a just a touch of sweaty pungency as warmed.
Tastes of sweet tropical fruit up front - pineapple, mango, melon; notes of orange and grapefruit - at back there is a piney note that moves to a slightly astringent bitterness, riding close to but not reaching unpleasant hop burn.
Creamy medium mouthfeel with carbonation that seemed low side remarkably tingling the palate. A touch of lingering bitterness.
Jan 03, 2021
Roman Candle from Bellwoods Brewery
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 168 ratings