Origin of Darkness - Bellwoods
Collective Arts Brewing

The entire contents of two twelve ounce cans were emptied into a clear glass liter mug. Virtually no head at all was produced. Considering its ABV level and lactose inclusion, that isn't surprising. No glass lacing is expected, neither. A pronounced aroma of roasted grain and barrel tannins, with the milk solids, add chocolate and licorice notes. It is densely black coffee brown. The body is rich, almost too thickly so. A pronounced sweetness is first noticed by the taste buds. It's joined by the woodiness of the tannins and an obvious hit of alcohol. This warms the mouth, then the esophagus. There are chocolate and coffee taste hints, but the tannins and the bite from the roasted grain and alcohol overpower them. This is made to be sipped, rather than drank normally. Overall, this is so far into its category niche that those that like its style will love it. But, those that don't care for a strong taste of tannins and/or alcohol may want to take a pass. Milkshake beer haters probably will want to stay away as well, as the lactose adds more stickiness to the mouthfeel than it does smooth things out. Obviously, this is well crafted, but it's certainly not for everyone.

12oz can into a Lost Abbey teku.

Stringy and patchy. Beer is pitch black. Oily lace. Thin, barely there head. Nose is creme brulee, booze, and brown sugar. Notes of chocolate and cocoa powder too. Muted overall. Beer opens brown sugar and sweet cream. Chocolate, molasses, and custard. End is toasted brown sugar and lightly tart. Cocoa on the finish. Body is medium to full with moderate to low carbonation. Prickly on the palate and goes down with some foam. Long, lingering, filmy aftertaste.

Solid. Body and nose could use a touch of work.

 

 

355 mL can purchased from the brewery over a year ago; dated Aug 30 2022 and served barely chilled.

Pours totally black, topped with nearly an inch of bubbly, sudsy, dark brown-coloured head that settles off over the next couple of minutes. Afterwards, a tight collar encircles a mostly-barren surface; a swirl of the glass produces a temporary coat of leopard spotted lace. The aroma is rich and dessert-like, comprised of dark chocolate, caramel, fudge, sweet cream, bourbon and vanilla; there are also hints of coffee and oak, as well as some ethanol fumes.

Decadent and delicious, yet unabashedly sweet and boozy, this could be the boldest Origin I've tried thus far. Caramel is the dominant flavour, co-operating well with notes of dark chocolate, condensed milk, fudge, roasted malts and vanilla. The bourbon comes barreling in on the back end, lasting into a hot, boozy aftertaste alongside chocolate, oak, vanilla and caramel/dulce de leche for days. Full bodied, with a thick, luscious, tongue-coating mouthfeel that could even be described as syrupy - virtually the perfect mouthfeel for what it is. Poor drinkability, but c'mon, it's a 12% BBA imperial milk stout.

Final Grade: 4.58, an A+. I wasn't planning to save the best variant for last, but it looks like I might've unintentionally done just that. Origin of Darkness (Bellwoods) is an outstanding beer, one that I must insist all sweet-toothed stout lovers seek out and try. Unlike many of the other Origins, this one was available at the LCBO for a limited run last year, so I'm still sitting on a few bottles. The best before date on this can was 2027 - pretty far off compared to some of the other OoDs - so I'll more than likely be sitting on them for a while, waiting to crack them open on a special occasion.

Pours black, and it absorbs all colors. Carbonation is low, with no head whatsoever. Aroma is bourbon, vanilla and caramel. Taste follows all three profiles being balanced all throughout the tongue. Mouthfeel is dense, sweet and without any carbonation. Recommended.

Only my third brew from Collective Arts (CAB), but the other two were on tap several years ago. (All three are courtesy of Chicago's Beer Temple.) My reviews have yet to offer a micro-review of this very creative brewer. First of all, CA is more serious about finding and promoting artists than any micro I've known. Their Hamilton taproom has a collection of bottles and labels detailing all the artists' work, a museum in itself that other micros should consider... if they have the wares to boast. Second, their emphasis on innovation is not distracting them from growing. Their bar in a cool Toronto neighborhood also is a piece of artwork and has a full daily program to bring in the like minds. They've just opened a pop-up in the food court at Union Station, which is fast becoming a food and retail destination and centering Toronto's rail resurgence. So, CAB is proving it can spend lots on creativity and still grow its niche. For all this, I give it very high Overall Hugs.

As for this AIS named Bellwoods, it is a great complement to my dessert tonight of chocolate Christmas cookies. It Looks rich with its mocha foam (I wish it stuck around longer to enjoy.) Aside from mostly malts, Smells are the barrels and whatever went into the Dulce de Leche (never made it, just ate others.) Tastes follow closely, but surprisingly are balanced and never get sweet. This is luxurious in my mouth and the wheat makes it so very soft. Cheers ! I'd like to visit soon.

 

Strong head production; retention is mostly lacking.

Super strong aroma, noticeable from a couple feet away. Up close, the bourbon is equally balanced with the Dulce de Leche: it smells almost imposingly sweet and rich. Notes of caramel, cream, bourbon, oak, brown sugar, coffee, molasses, chocolate - roughly in order of strength.

Thick and smooth on the palate. Chewy, with a little bit of foaming from the high ABV; I recommend chewing on smaller sips, instead of trying to manage larger ones.

Taste matches the nose, and then some. Chewy caramel taffy, sweet bourbon mash, some alcohol sting, cream, vanilla, chocolate, molasses, pecan. The bourbon is well-integrated; I don't know how long it was aged, but it was more than a cup of coffee, as the influence is prominent and delightful.

This is excellent, period, hard stop. Among the Origin of Darkness series, this has to be up there with the very best. The Dulce de Leche is a bit of a gimmick, but it not only works, but it overpowers neither the base stout nor the bourbon. Fantastically well-crafted flavored stout.

 

Allowed to acclimate to room temperature for 20 minutes and poured into a snifter.

Pours completely black with a 1.5 finger dark tan head, dissipating quickly.

Initial aroma is strong caramel, soft leather, and alcohol. Subsequent smells yield what may be milk chocolate, almost like a candy bar, as well as a heavy amount of lactose. Smells cloyingly sweet, very promising.

Initial taste is alcohol burn and that chlorine lung feeling, followed by the dulce de leche, with an aftertaste in the roof of the mouth and back and sides of the tongue of dulce de delce and roasted malt, extremely sweet. Sipping further uncovers a strong hint of prune, and perhaps a hint of chocolate or cocoa powder. In the aftertaste there's almost a taste of what I imagine straw or hay might taste like, but it's pleasant, a very tan, cream colored taste, almost effervescent, unexpected but welcome. After letting the aftertaste stagnate for several minutes I noticed the taste of dried dates, tailing the overall taste regally.

So the alcohol taste is not at all hidden like some are. Once you get past the blaze of the bourbon barrel plus the alcohol taste (no hate, I just have trouble with spirits personally) it's incredible, this is positively the sweetest beer I've ever had. I quite enjoy sweets and this delivers tremendously. I will say that I've had a lot of beers with adjuncts don't seem to deliver the taste of said adjunct enough, and I want to say that I could absolutely taste the dulce de leche clearly, I could discern dulce de leche from caramel in this beer as well, another accolade to this beer.

The mouthfeel is extraordinarily syrupy, coating the tongue like diluted molasses.

This is for taking small sips. I took one gulp and it disagreed with me. I drink craft beer slowly and this has probably taken me the longest of any beer so far, combination of alcohol burn, heaviness, and intense taste m

It was expensive but I will surely buy again as well as recommend to others. One of the best beers I've had.

 

 

 

Tasty but dominated by sweetness that tramples the more subtle flavor notes for the most part. Good creamy feel with lowish carbonation. Really opens up over time, slowly, to reveal appealing barrel aging characteristics. I enjoyed this most at
Cellar temp when warming alcohol notes presented themselves and tempered the dulce de leche.

 

 

Can: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a medium dark brown foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of chocolate notes with some bourbon notes and some sweet caramel notes. Taste is also a nice mix of chocolate malt with some bourbon notes with some sweet caramel notes. Body is about average with good carbonation and light perceptible alcohol notes. Well brewed stout with a nice mix of flavors and good drinkability.

 

Collective Arts/Bellwoods collab 'Origin of Darkness' @ 11.9% , served from a 355 ml can , fourth of four
A-pour is black from the can to glass with a small size tan , dissipating into a minimal lace ring along the tulip
S-potent , barrel aged Bourbon
T-sweet Dulce de Leche (caramelized milk) start , strong & big flavoured Imperial stout
MF-mild carbonation , feels full bodied
Ov-a very sweet Imperial stout
prost LampertLand