Catherine Wheel
Bellwoods Brewery

473 mL can from the brewery; dated Oct 7 2025 and listed at 6.3%. Served barely chilled. Bellwoods has tweaked this beer's recipe since its last release, which appears to have been last decade.

Pours a hazy pale yellow colour, briefly supporting one finger of foamy white head that melts away within two or three minutes. A collar of soapy suds lives on, encircling a filmy-thin cap; a modest smattering of stringy lace is deposited over the course of the session. The aroma is intriguing yet understated; I'm getting hints of grassy, herbal, earthy hops, alongside suggestions of grapefruit, pine, wheat and a peppery spiciness.

It's alright, but fairly mild-tasting for an IPA, Belgian or otherwise. I'm getting a hint of plum at the forefront, which is soon joined by berries, orange and indeterminate tropical fruit - passion fruit and pineapple, perhaps. A little bit of sweet lemon curd, too, with peppery spice, light piney-ness and some herbal, earthy, grassy hops bringing up the rear; mildly acidic, with low bitterness. Medium-full in body, with light carbonation that meekly nudges the surface of the tongue, contributing to this brew's soft, pillowy mouthfeel. Easy to toss back.

Final Grade: 3.77, a B+. I don't think Catherine Wheel is one of Bellwoods' better IPAs, nor did I find it to be an especially memorable example of a Belgian IPA. That being said, maybe I'm just being hyper-critical because this brewery has set the bar so high - it's still a decent brew, just not a superlative one. It's also worth mentioning that, historically speaking, I tend to prefer high abv Belgian IPAs over the lower abv examples (such as this one), i.e. personal preference is a very relevant consideration. I'd say it's worth trying at least once, but it's not a brew I'll be rushing to revisit.

A little less potent at 6.3% ABV for 2025's brew.

Pours a thin head of foam that dies down quickly. Pale yellow color that smells a little like pineapple mango.
Taste follows the smell with a hints of floral pineapple like flavors. Nice and easy to drink. Low bitterness, but still there.
I prefer the bitter citrus rind IPA flavors rather than pineapple mango myself but this is by no means a poor beer.

In my opinion this is more of a middle of the road IPA. I've had better and worse from Bellwood's.
Don't think I'd jump at it again if they release another version next year, but I won't be against it either depending what else they have.

 

 

Overall a fantastic beer. Highly recommended.

Look: Dark, Golden, almost brown colour. good half inch of head that stayed for quite some time.
Smell: Very hop forward scent, high citrus notes, minor grass undertones
Taste: Very yeast forward taste, which is quite pleasant. Grapefruit, citrus taste. Bitter, dry finish.
Feel: Creamy, minor carbonation.

got this by accident at the brew pub. ordered a cat lady and the wrong keg was hooked up and I got this instead...sniffed it out immediately and the bartender checked and confirmed it want cat lady and fixed it.

solid Belgian ipa with big bubblegum and banana notes. really nice...candied Belgian. very well executed and tasty.

 

 

 

 

Had it at the brewpub in Toronto. Spicy, hopy and some balancimg sweetness. Good stuff