Donkey Venom
Bellwoods Brewery

Leading an outing of The Responsible Beer Drinking Club, at The Cookie Bar on Drouillard Rd. in nearby Windsor; on tap and chilled, 4oz. in a flight of six beers. My 39th beer from the Toronto, Ontario brewery, and 13th for 2026...

 

 

Right off the rip, Sour apple, tart cherry and oak barrel. You can smell the oak barrel vividly, and i like that in beers honestly so that's a plus for me. I noticed that the beer has almost a purple ruby tinge to it once I was almost done with my glass. This beer reminds me of wine more than beer, but it's a beer. It doesn't seem alcoholic and you can't taste the booze so good job on hiding that.

Won't say I'll have several of these a night unless I'm in a sour mood.

Ok screw it, I'm going for the 2nd bottle. There's something oddly satisfying about this sour...and it's not the booze, i promise.
Catch you next time.

Update: So after a few months I've gotten used to these sour ale beers. Donkey venom is a damn good one. I bought again but the raspberry version which is even better. Feels high quality. Tastes good. Buy this beer if you like sours.

Listed as a Barrel Aged Dark Sour Ale and 8.5%. Bottled Aug 3, 2022. Served cold into a pint glass. This isn't a porter so not rating it as such. More an American take on a Flanders Brown Ale.

Appearance - Dark brown with a slight reddish hue. A finger of tan head is poured with a limited retention time. Small soapy cap lingers on.

Smell - Wood and some grapey qualities. Has that earthiness that reminds me of some of the finer aged Belgians. That astringent balsamic and slight vinegar aroma.

Taste - Grape and must, oaky, woody with some earthy undertones. There's a minerally quality there too. Good flavor, with the earthiness and mineral quality was dialed back and that initial sour and grapey flavor were stronger throughout./ Booziness in check. The slightest touch of chocolate cake lingers in the background after a few sips.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, carbonation is light and easy to drink. No heat from the booze quotient.

Overall - Nose and interesting factor take this over the top. The flavor is good, just wish it was a bit more grape and barrel focused but this is still very very good. Just don't expect an imperial porter, Donkey Venom is certainly not that.

Pours deep red like red-wine, little brown foam. A bit more carbonated than usual stout. Taste oaky sweet and sour. It doesn’t go too far with either of these flavours. Once I tried Duchesse De Bourgogne which I didn’t like at all, DDB beer goes too far with all these flavours. But I really love the balanced sweet and sour and oaky flavours of Donkey Venum. Good job Bellwoods.

 

500ml bottle poured into tulip. I didn't know what a haskap berry was, so I looked it up. It looks like a blueberry made love to an eggplant and produced these.

Pours a very dark cabernet red with one finger of blushing cappuccino head that leaves sheets of gothic architecture lace as it recedes.

Smells of black cherries, pomegranate juice, chocolate cake, coffee grounds, barn loft, oak staves and dried vanilla.

Tastes of red wine vinegar, sour cherry candy, some juicy berry fruitiness, faint coffee, shaved milk chocolate, barrel wood, more barnyard brett funkiness and soft vanilla.

Feels rich and pillowy. Full bodied with frothy carbonation. Finishes long and vinous.

Verdict: Highly recommended. You get a lot more sour than porter out of this one, though.

500 mL Bottle. ABV 8.5%.
Appearance: Opaque dark brown, One finger of thin creamy caramel coloured head, Dissipates quickly, Thick collar and complete cap remains.
Aroma: Tart dark fruit, Prune, Cherry, Brett funk, Roasted malts, Vinous, Reminded me of an olive press at first.
Mouthfeel: Above medium body, Slightly sticky, Dry finish
Flavour: Tart coffee (wow, didn't think that was possible), Cherries, Vinous, Roasted malts, Licorice.
Overall: This is very unique (!) and threw me for a bit of a loop on the aroma and taste. The porter base is definitely there but it hits with more of the Brett yeast.

Review: 29

Pours very dark brown with a full, frothy head the colour of cappuccino foam; several minutes retention.
Aroma is on the lighter end, of tart fruit (sour cherry), with a hint of earthiness and roasted malts.
Taste is intensely sour upfront, with a compliment of roast coffee that makes for an odd combo - they conflict with each other rather than blending harmoniously; the sourness is that of a granny smith apple, puckering and mild flavour, not juicy fruit; feel is light carbonation, medium/light body, a touch watery.

After enjoying the haskap version, I can't say the same for this one. They are right to say this is one of their most unusual beers, and personally I find the experiment didn't work out. The flavours don't pair well, it's like a carbonated, really bitter espresso, or like 1/2 a sour beer and 1/2 a porter were just thrown in a vat together. Worth trying for the experience, but you'll enjoy the haskap more.

 

Poured this into a tulip.
The appearance was a dark rugged brown close to black color with a small stifled white semi-foamy head sliding off fairly quick. Not much lace.
The aroma had some red wine, dark fruits, roasty coffee notes, light vinegar with sour and tart puckering red cherry notes. Woody barrel on the back end. Bretty character.
The flavor meshed in the sour to the tart to the sweet and dry barrel woodiness. Slight dark chocolate, somewhat bittersweet with dryness and then roasty coffee ending with some dark toast. Not much of an aftertaste but seemed like a nice red wine sweet to sour tone to it with dark chocolate and dark fruits.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a very nice sipping quality about it. It's a soothing sipper running through vinous sour edges without being puckering. Good carbonation and ABV. Red wine and red cherry with Bretty sour-like finish, some dark chocolate.
Overall, a very well Imperial porter with Brett. Absolutely wonderful for this time of the year.

 

 

Really dark brown color with mocha head. Aroma has tart dark fruits, some balsamic vinegar and wood barrel notes. Taste is sour with dark fruit notes and roasted malts on top. Really well balanced and easy drinking.

 

This one pours a fairly dark black, with a small head, and not much lacing.

This smells super interesting- there's lots of tart cherry on top of the porter base- almost like a chocolate-covered cherry, with roast, slight coffee, and red wine.

This is really complex, and honestly confusing, but it's really good. There's a lot of cherry, red wine, and oak, and just a hint of funk, and it's on top of a really creamy and excellent porter- classic dark roast, some coffee, and lots of chocolate. It gives off the impression of really weird chocolate-covered cherries.

This is medium bodied and creamy, but a definite slow sipper due to the intense flavors here.

Bellwoods makes pretty amazing beers. This is really unique and really tasty.