Hot Wings
Bellwoods Brewery

Hot WingsHot Wings
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Bellwoods Brewery
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
American Pale Ale
Ranked #691
ABV:
5%
Score:
87
Ranked #23,459
Avg:
3.85 | pDev: 7.79%
Ratings:
12 | reviews: 6
Status:
Active
Rated:
Apr 03, 2025
Added:
Oct 30, 2022
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
Hot Wings! It’s neither physically hot nor does it possess any feathered-appendages, but this Pale Ale is flying into our lives and we are feeling the metaphorical heat.

Though brewing a beer is always done with the goal of creating something delicious, naming a beer is a completely different story. This one, for instance, is named “Hot Wings” so that we can say that we have “Hot Wings on tap” at the Bellwoods Brewpub. Why? Because it is funny, that’s why.

Hot Wings the joke is about committing to the bit until it sticks — lukewarm reception and half-hearted lols be damned! Hot Wings the beer is all about being outrageously refreshing and hoppy within a crisp and nearly crystal clear packaged. This iteration is hopped with Citra, Columbus and Amarillo and provides notes of pine and orange zest.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of Mikehicks100
Reviewed by Mikehicks100 from Canada (ON)

3/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Pours a thinner foam head. Filtered clear golden color. Smells floral, hoppy and citrousy.
They have different variations on the hops they use for this beer.
Taste is bitter. Citrous rind on the after taste. A little light for mouth feel.

The beers fine, but not as good as some of the IPA or Pale Ale beers Bellwood's makes.
They have several beers better than Hot Wings.
Apr 03, 2025
Photo of thehyperduck
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
473 mL can shipped from the brewery; dated Feb 2 2024 and served slightly chilled. Apparently there are different "iterations" of this beer - i.e. to my knowledge there has been a Citra/Amarillo/Columbus batch, a Citra/Amarillo/Simcoe batch, and the picture on this page shows a Motueka/Galaxy variant as well. Just FYI. Not sure which version I have here, but it's probably the Simcoe one, since that seems to be the most recent.

Pours a lightly fogged pale golden colour, stirring up nearly a finger of tight, foamy white head that lasts for three minutes, give or take. It is replaced with a thin, creamy collar surrounding a filmy-thin cap, with a narrow ring of even lace stuck to the glass - looks normal so far. Citrusy and floral on the nose, including hints of grapefruit, orange, peach, honeydew melon and kiwi.

A fine hoppy session ale - there's some semblance of a grainy pale malt backbone, but it's the hops in the driver's seat here. I'm getting lemon and orange zest, with hints of melon, stone fruit and a twinge of something tropical, e.g. passion fruit, maybe. Finishes floral, grassy and a little bit piney, with orange peel dissipating into a mildly fruity aftertaste that trends dry. Light in body, with assertive, tiny-bubbled carbonation that continuously tingles the palate, remaining active well into the course of the glass; a refreshing pale ale with great drinkability.

Final Grade: 3.93, a B+. Bellwoods' Hot Wings is a quality session brew, though to be frank it's not one of their more exciting pale ales. Flavourful enough to get the job done, and probably best used for washing down some pub grub - including, you guessed it, some spicy chicken wings. I honestly don't think it's *really* worth the Bellwoods markup, but I can't hold the price tag against it - it's still a tasty hop-forward ale that I'd encourage other BAs to try.
Mar 20, 2024
Photo of LampertLand
Reviewed by LampertLand from Canada (BC)

3.94/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Bellwoods Brewery 'Hot Wings Pale Ale' @ 5.0% , served from a 473 ml can
A-pour is a light gold from the can to a hazy gold in the glass with a small size white head leaving a spotty lace along the tulip
S-Motueka & Galaxy - hops
T-malt backbone stands out with a spicy swallow
MF-ok carbonation , medium body
Ov-might pair with a plate of hotwings
prost LampertLand
Aug 26, 2023
Photo of Pmicdee
Rated by Pmicdee from Canada (ON)

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Feb 1 2024
Aug 07, 2023
 
Rated: 4.24 by DaPan from Canada (ON)

May 01, 2023
Photo of CAMRAhardliner
Reviewed by CAMRAhardliner from Canada (ON)

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours light gold with a compact, chunky head. Citrusy, floral notes mixed with fresh baked bread in the nose. The taste is lemon rind, grapefruit and tangerine hop notes and a modest pale malt ballast. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with light carbonation. Medium bitterness in the citrusy, long lasting finish.

This is a solid APA. Worth a try.
Apr 20, 2023
Photo of taxandbeerguy
Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
473ml can served cold into a pint glass. Purchased from the brewery, it's fresh - canned February 28, 2023.

Appearance - Rather clear golden brew with a half finger of loose white head on top. Modest staying power and a healthy amount of visible crabonation.

Smell - Kind of hoppy with some light citrus notes, some grapefruit and orange with sort of a grassy backbone.

Taste - Grainy nad especially biscuity backbone, some mild fruity flavors, a hint of citrus and a slightly bitter flavor. The biscuity quality has something in common with store bought shortbreads, maybe is the every so slightly stale, buttery flavor.

Mouthfeel - Medium-light in body, crisp carbonation and pretty easy to drink.

Overall - Decent enough pale ale, well brewed, the sweeter than expected biscuity quality is a little different but not unpleasant. Did not eat with Hot WIngs, but imagine it would pair well with Hot Wings. Worth a try.
Mar 09, 2023
Photo of TooManyGlasses
Reviewed by TooManyGlasses from Canada (AB)

3.96/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours a bright mildly hazy golden with a finger of foamy white head.
Citrus explosion on the nose - orange grapefruit - with piney resin - as warmed tropical with ripe mango, notes of pineapple.
Tastes of sweet citrus with bready malt, mango but quickly followed by a sharp grapefruit peel bitterness that does become a little bit overpowering.
Crisp medium mouthfeel - sweet tropical fruit and citrus - lingering and building citrus peel bitterness. Bitterness out strips the sweetness in the end.
Feb 23, 2023
 
Rated: 3.9 by Coronaeus from Canada (ON)

Jan 07, 2023
 
Rated: 3.75 by Rukeli76 from Canada (ON)

Dec 22, 2022
 
Rated: 4.09 by Simon212 from Canada (ON)

Nov 04, 2022
Photo of Sammy
Rated by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.69/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
Quaffable but run of the mill hoppy beer. OK to drink, but nothing to seek out. Got it because was there and cheap price.
Oct 30, 2022