Pig
Bellwoods Brewery

I’m really enjoying this beer and think it’s a nice blend of new and old school. It looks beautifully clear and golden, with a foamy head that I wish lasted a little longer. The taste has a tame bitterness that perhaps stops just short of a traditional west coaster, but the palate is rewarded with pops of pineapple and a resiny and pleasantly dank and thin mouthfeel. Overall, I’ve been craving old school IPA’s that are clear and lean towards a more bitter, clean, and dryer taste. This isn’t quite it, but I think this beer checks all the boxes for a beautiful place somewhere in between and I can’t seem to get enough of it. The 7% abv is hidden a little too well. I noticed this wasn’t on tap recently at ossington and hope it’s not going to disappear.

 

 

 

Pretty good. For a " West Coast IPA " i would of thought it was more American Pale Ale " East Coast ".
It tastes good but it's not as bitter as many other West Coast IPA's that I've tried. So you can take that as a plus or minus. Maybe you don't like super bitter, and if so then you would like this beer. West coasts are supposed to be very bitter. Pig is bitter, but not super bitter. Ok, enough about bitterness.

Color is light gold. Foam head is kind of thin and doesn't last very long.
You can clearly smell the hops and light citrous peel like smell they produce.
I rated it above a 3.0 which means i would actively buy again if i came across one, but i really prefer Bellwood's other IPA's more than this one. Ratclops is amazing. Ghost Orchid is really good as well. Pig is under both of those but above some other IPA's that I've drank, but not above too many to be honest. It's a middle of the road IPA.
If you drink it you will like it...but i know there's probably something better close by.
Either way, don't be too picky. Enjoy your beer and cheers!

Buy Canadian Eh!

 

Can: Poured a golden color ale with a large white foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of citrusy floral hops undertones with some light bitter notes. Taste is also a mix of citrusy floral hops undertones with some light bitter notes. Body is about average with good carbonation. Solid West Coast IPA with a great level of drinkability.

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Aug 24 2024 and served slightly chilled. This is sure to be an interesting experience, as I literally *just* reviewed another self-styled 'West Coast IPA' brewed with the exact same four hops. Not even deliberately!

Pours a hazy golden apricot colour, barely managing a half-inch of loose, soapy white head that evaporates within a matter of minutes. A tight collar and some filmy wisps remain, with scant lace generation as the level drops - not much to look at, really. Subdued aromas of lemon, grapefruit, passion fruit and flaked oats, with hints of floral, earthy hops.

I do like the flavour profile, but it doesn't scream "west coast" to me. Fruity at first, with pineapple, stone fruit and passion fruit giving way to muddled orange and grapefruit. Dank and floral on the back end, with an earthy bitterness persisting through the finish and into an off-dry, slightly warming aftertaste. Medium in body, with moderate carbonation that adds some bite to this brew's generally smooth, fluffy mouthfeel. At 7%, it's easy enough to toss back, but one can is plenty.

Final Grade: 3.75, squeaking (/squealing?) out a B+. Pig is a solid pale ale, but is it a good example of a West Coast IPA? Not really - and this right here is my least-favourite type of criticism, because if Bellwoods had omitted the term "WCIPA" from its marketing blurb, I wouldn't even be complaining about this! But they didn't, and here I am. I think a more robust malt backbone would improve this beer significantly. At the very least, this was a valuable demonstration of how two beers that seem to share commonalities on-paper (e.g. near-identical hop bills) can turn out to be almost nothing alike whatsoever. Good stuff, but still a little disappointing given the source.

 

Dull gold body, with a misty haze, forming a solid, white head, bubbly and with good retention.
Aroma is juicy, fruity, floral, of passion fruit, golden pineapple, orange, clementine - bright and fresh.
First taste brings to mind orange creamsicle, tropical citrus cocktails (even a screwdriver), fruit cups, but that is all well balanced by bittering hops (dank, grapefruit peel) and a dry finish; feel is soft and medium-full, a sense of wheat filling it out, medium carbonation.

While the flavour is not as delightful as the aroma, it is a tasty, well made DIPA.

My first from brewer, and I generally like Canadian crafts.
a) It's an OG style West Coast IPA with a touch more haze but the pumkin amber body we expect
s) Grass, sunny earthen hills, herbs, pine, dry brush.
t) Adds some grapefruit rind but keeps that sunny coastal trail climb going.
f) Juicy, then drying. Nice see saw, great less sweet profile.
o) I'm a westy and Canuck lover.

 

 

 

Aug 12 2023

473 ml can from the brewery. Canned 4/17/23. Served cold into a pint glass.

Appearance - Hazy, yellowy gold brew that looks more like a NEIPA. A finger of loose white head that fizzles out pretty quick.

Smell - Lots of mango in the nose, some grapefruit in the background. Aromatics are of a medium robustness.

Taste - Some mango, grapefruit, earthy bitterness to finish.

Mouthfeel - Carbonation is on the low side, seems a bit flat. Finish is more juicy than dry as well. Body is moderate and with the lack of carbonation, just not quite right.

Overall - Not a bad beer, but considering this comes from Bellwoods, with the lack of carbonation, New England style appearance and nose, Pig just gets a bit lost. Worth a try, but this is one of the most underwhelming beers I've had from Bellwoods.

WAY to hazy to be a West Coast IPA, hops too muddled and the feel too flabby. Lacks the clean dry bitter finish that defines the style. However, there are a few hints of grapefruit and other “C hop” goodness and this is notably closer than other Bellwoods (or Ontario) attempts.
Not a bad IPA - just not West Coast by any measure.

Bright clear golden pour with perhaps a half finger of short lived foamy white head.
Nose of tropical fruit - pineapple, a touch of mango, orange/citrus - some grainy doughy malt. As warmed a bit of dankness.
Taste is much more of a hop bomb - dank, earthy and piney resin, orange, stone fruit, and floral notes. Grapefruit peel bitterness balances the tropical fruit and citrus sweetness along with doughy malt.
Medium mouthfeel with bright carbonation and a lingering resiny hop bite.