Random Ale - Zythos & Centennial
Bellwoods Brewery

 

Bottle: Poured a pale yellow color ale with a super large foamy head with good retention and some good lacing. Aroma of light floral hops notes with some light citrus undertones. Taste is also dominated by floral hops with some light citrus notes and a sweet non-descript malt backbone. Body is about average with good carbonation. Fell a bit short in terms of hops flavours.

 

 

Very fresh bottle purchased form the brewery only a couple of days after its bottling and consumed less than a week after purchase.

A - Translucent bright yellow colour. Fairly light in colour for the style. One finger of thick off-white head formed and slowly receded.

S - Some pine and grapefruit notes are present with a hint of caramel evident. Not a robust nose at all; unexpectedly muted aroma.

T - A light to moderate bitterness for the style with a very light flavour profile that consists of pine and a musky flavour with a light soapy flavour in the background (that is not off-putting). There isn't much happening here at all, even as the beer warms, the flavour profile remains weak.

O - This was very disappointing, especially for Bellwoods standards. That said, with all of the great beers, specifically pale ales and IPAs, that Bellwoods has produced over the past year, they have more than earned a free pass from me.

 

Pours clear straw with a big, rocky white head. Grapefruit and floral notes in the nose. The taste is hoppy with big white grapefruit and tangerine flavors and some raspberry and mint in the back. A balancing clean, bready malt lays in the background. The mouthfeel is light bodied with a sparse, prickly carbonation. The finish is moderately bitter with a fruity edge.

This is a great APA, very well hopped with interesting flavors from the Zythos hops used. Very impressive stuff.

Lightly hazed pale blonde, ring of white head, some lace. Smell is of floral-grassy hops, light lemony citrus, some orange and grapefruit, crisp malt backbone all the way through. Taste is hoppy. lemony and grassy hop flavour, citrus fruit, crisp crackery malt, medium dry bitterness. Medium carbonation, light-medium body. Good but not outstanding, still pretty drinkable but I can't see them making this one again though.

Beer is a cloudy orange golden, with a small white head that has good staying power. Some nice lace.

Nose is all hops, with a bunch of citrus fruit and some pine. Nice and pungent, but there is a scent that I cannot quite place that detracts a bit for me.

Taste is similar to the nose. Citrus fruit and weedy pine flavours. A notable caramel malt backbone. A bit soapy. Fairly bitter.

Medium bodied, strongly carbonated, with an oily feel.

Overall, pretty good, but certainly not one of the stronger entries among Bellwoods' hoppy beers.