Barrel Aged Grandma's Boy - Bellwoods Brewery

jbsteiny

Hawaii

4.31/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottled 9/12/12, cellared 7 months.

Hazy burnt orange with consistent, fine carbonation leading to a dense off-white head that condenses to wisps, but leaves nice lacing.

The nose is full of fruit, sweet pineapple brett, tartness (which I guess is the yellow plums, but I never would have nailed it), with a little bit of funk going on. A little grass/hay to boot. Really delightful. Palate has a little saison-like phenol spice, lots of dried and tropical fruits, and just dries right up. Really delightful - the Brett really came through, and it's much improved since the last tasting. Glad I saved this one and even more glad that I've got one left.

A tip of the hat to the boys of Bellwoods.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 18:40:27 | More by jbsteiny

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a hazy dirty beige color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of vinous notes with light tart notes and some funk notes. Taste is also dominated by more funk then expected with some tart and vinous notes. Plums are quite hard to distinguish and somehow get lost in the mix. Body is quite full with great carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Good sour with nice level of complexity while retaining some drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 21:29:43 | More by Phyl21ca

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from the brewery, 650ml into a tulip. Bottled Sept 12/2011, aged in wine barrels on yellow plums.

Mahogany body with a creamy head and sticky lace. Nose of Brett, tart fruits, barrel and wet wood. A bit musty, vinous and a touch acetic. Plums are on the rawer side. Very nice. Lots more malt on the palate, still retains fruit but not as prominently. Some sourdough bread, barrel sweetness and a touch if buttery character. Definitely a step down from the nose. Medium feel, low carbonation. A pleasant Belgian ale, but palate left me wanting a bit more complex sour character and barrel interplay.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 04:39:30 | More by liamt07

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

650ml bottle poured into tulip 21/10/12 cheers liamt07 for sending the bottle

A murky brownish amber with a short lived finger of foam that leaves no lace

S some funky vinous notes, faint vinegar, woody notes and the plums there but I doubt I'd think plum if it wasn't written on the bottle, I get some brown sugar and very faint booze

T some apple plum cider with some wet wood on top of what I smell, I'm curious of the barrel choice I'd guess white wine but I could be wrong, interesting yeast profile and well hidden booze considering its 10%

M slightly sour with a medium-full body, a little slick and it's impressive how well the booze is hidden, bubbles are soft and there's enough of them to give it some life

O I wasn't expecting a funky barreled beer but they pulled it off, I'm not sure if plum would be my first choice but it works well

I have a good feeling about Bellwoods, this would be a hard one to pull off but they made it work. More things could go wrong then are likely to go right with when brewing barrel aged sours but they did well, I can't wait to see what these guys get up to in the future

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 05:13:47 | More by wordemupg

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Bellwoods.

Beer is an orange/amber colour with a moderate to large sized white head. OK retention, some lacing.

Nose is slightly tart, with plum, oak, light fruit and caramel malt all present. I seem to get a bit of a red wine scent but perhaps that is the power of suggestion, as this beer was aged in wine barrels.

Tastewise, I get plum, wood and a vinous flavour. General fruit flavours. Somewhat sour. Good.

Full bodied, moderate carbonation, a bit sticky. Slightly puckery.

Overall, quite tasty. A nice beer for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2012 19:28:21 | More by jrenihan

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on tap at Volo Funk Night II. A good sour beer. The plums, thank goodness, are subtle, yet the fruit sourness is right there. The wine is subordinate, so the taste is not dominated by the barreling. Good fruit sugar makes it very drinkable. Very fresh. A good colour. Another bang on target for the style, kudos to these two imaginative brewers.

Serving type: on-tap

09-21-2012 12:57:21 | More by northyorksammy