Bellwoods Brewery Jelly King Apricot – Sour / Wild Ale at 5.6% ABV (C$12.85 at Collective, 500 ml, packaged on 29-Oct-2020, acquired 15-Jan-2021, reviewed 22-Jan-2021)
Appearance: opaque medium gold with one fat finger of fluffy pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thick persistent cap, minimal spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: jammy apricot, tart stone fruit, lemon zest, resiny pine. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, low bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, short duration medium tart finish. (4/5)
One thing (maybe the only thing?) I miss about my transcontinental commute was that flying between Alberta and Newfoundland every couple of weeks gave me the opportunity to drop into Bellwoods a few times a year. On the other hand, these might be twice the price they are at the brewery, but that’s still a lot less pricey than a plane ticket (and a two week quarantine!). For this variant, I decided to do a side-by-side comparison with the original base brew. Both are dry-hopped Citra, Amarillo, and Cascade, but this variant includes apricot purée. The other two variants I’ve had were Plum, which I felt was a bit overwhelming compared to the original, and Guava, which I actually liked just a hair better than the original. This one is a lot more like the Guava than the Plum: that is, the fruit itself has a character that is similar to the base brew, and so augments without dominating. I don’t generally get a lot of funk from these, but during this side-by-side it’s definitely present in the base version, and notable in its absence from the variant. That just reminds me how much I like Bellwoods funk, so I’m a little on the fence as to which I prefer. Luckily, I have both, so don’t have to choose! (17/20)
8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
