Bellwoods Brewery Barn Owl (No. 19) – Sour / Wild Ale at 5.8% ABV (C$24.80 at Collective, 500 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 13-Mar-2020, reviewed 23-Mar-2020)
Appearance: slightly hazy pale straw with two fat fingers of fluffy pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate chunky lacing. (5/5) Aroma: stone fruit, brett funk, grape must, oak, citrus, floral, hint of dank pine. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, moderate-low bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively carbonation, crisply tart and mildly funky finish. (4/5)
This is dramatically different than the last one of this series I had, #10. That one was completely dominated by the apricot adjunct, while this one is a lovely combination of barrel notes, brett funk, and dry hopping. This is pretty much exactly what I was asking for when I criticized #10, and I can’t say there’s a lot I’d change here. If I have one complaint, it’s that it’s pretty expensive, but as always that’s not a factor in my rating. I’m just happy that I can (occasionally) get this locally, especially since I stopped my trans-Canada commuting last year and can’t just pop in to the Ossington shop every now and then. Great beer. (18/20)
9/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
