Motley Cru (2017)
Bellwoods Brewery

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From:
Bellwoods Brewery
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
Wild Ale
ABV:
8%
Score:
94
Avg:
4.39 | pDev: 5.47%
Reviews:
7
Ratings:
17
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 23, 2020
Added:
Jun 11, 2017
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  3
Motley Cru is our anniversary release, with the only requirement being that the final beer must incorporate a blend of various barrels. This year's edition is a wild ale with passion fruit blended from two mixed grain ales (containing pale ale barley malt, wheat, oats, and rye). Both new American oak barrels, and old use (wild ale program) barrels from Niagara and Prince Edward County provide an eclectic range of wild and local yeast strains, and several hundred kilos of passion fruit puree create a fantastic balance of old world sour flavours and bright tropical notes. Extra time spent conditioning in the bottle provides a lively carbonation.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Coronaeus:
Photo of Coronaeus
Rated by Coronaeus from Canada (ON)

4.28/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Jun 15, 2017
More User Ratings:
Photo of Phyl21ca
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

4/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle: Poured a bright hazy yellow color ale with a large white foamy head with limited retention and not much lacing. Aroma of sour notes with light oak and very subtle presence of passion fruits. Taste is also a mix of sour notes with some oak and very subtle passion fruits with light acidic notes also perceptible. Body is full enough for style with god carbonation. Another solid anniversary sour for this fine brewery.
Mar 23, 2020
 
Rated: 4.49 by 4ster from Canada (ON)

Jun 08, 2019
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

4.49/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This one pours a golden and slightly hazy yellow color, with a fluffy head, and a bit of lacing.

This smells like rich juicy passionfruit, lemon rind, old funky aromas, citrus, and stone fruit.

This is really bold and vibrant, with a wonderful clean sourness, and a refreshing lemon rind-esque funk and a slightly candied passionfruit flavor. The level of passionfruit added is perfect here.

This is light bodied, and quite crisp, with a very high level of drinkability. There's only a mild tartness and it doesn't linger for very long.

This is easily one of the best sours that I've had from Bellwoods- this is a truly tasty treat.
May 01, 2019
 
Rated: 4.5 by jonbonfondle from Minnesota

Dec 10, 2017
 
Rated: 4.9 by StormAles from Canada (ON)

Nov 13, 2017
 
Rated: 4.33 by kevinlater from Canada (ON)

Sep 26, 2017
 
Rated: 4.94 by DaPan from Canada (ON)

Sep 25, 2017
 
Rated: 4.37 by Whatup14 from Canada (QC)

Aug 28, 2017
Photo of kitch
Reviewed by kitch from Hong Kong

4.24/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A 750ml bottle at the brewery, 2017 vintage, poured into a Bellwoods stemmed wine glass.

Appearance: A mostly clear golden straw colour with a thin white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only sparse lacing.

Aroma: Sourish and tropical, passionfruit, apricot and pineapple.

Taste: Tart, sour, passionfruit and apricot with hints of lemon.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall: Light, refreshing and easy to drink.
Aug 28, 2017
 
Rated: 4.28 by schopenhauerale from Arizona

Aug 10, 2017
Photo of Derek
Reviewed by Derek from Canada (BC)

4.19/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a little head, but no retention.

Aroma is overwhelmed with passion fruit, but there's some underlying funk.

Nice sweet-tart balance, with lots of passion fruit.

It's a really good brew, but I'm not a fan of passion fruit, so I vastly preferred the previous version, which was truly exceptional.
Jul 28, 2017
Photo of ludachris
Reviewed by ludachris from Canada (ON)

4.49/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Its pale gold body is incredibly effervescent with a bit of haze. Over an inch of whipped, tightly knit bright white head sits on top with good retention. The initial ring of lace paints a thick stripe across the glass.

Bright and bouncy passionfruit and lemon meringue. Citrus peels with zingy tartness and lemon-like sourness. A bit of vanilla and a bit fluffy.

A slap of saliva inducing lemony tartness immediately quenches my thirst for sour. Bright and fresh passionfruit and minneola orange spills out in the middle and continues to the finish. It's more sweet than tart and makes for a great counterbalance.

Perfectly dry with a punchy, satisfying tartness. It's clean and wonderfully balanced.

Of the past 3 Motley releases, this is my favorite. Mostly in part due to the addition of passionfruit and how it plays so well off of its snappy, quenching lemon quality.
Jul 24, 2017
 
Rated: 4.36 by liamt07 from Canada (ON)

Jun 21, 2017
 
Rated: 4.38 by yancot from Canada (ON)

Jun 12, 2017
Photo of jrenihan
Reviewed by jrenihan from Canada (ON)

4.35/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Really lovely aroma of passionfruit, lemon and mild barnyard scents, all blended beautifully together. It is quite sour, but once my palate attuned to the acidity, the passionfruit became the star, with the lemon, funk and other fruit flavours mixing together with a crisp, tart finish. Really great. My favourite of the Motley Crus, with the exception of 2014.
Jun 11, 2017
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

4.03/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
big complex sourness with passion fruit noticeable behind it. Kettle and barrel bacteria blended souring. Very good sour., probably to drink now. Bottle pour at Hafis brewery.
Jun 11, 2017
Motley Cru (2017) from Bellwoods Brewery
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 17 ratings