Roman Candle IPA — Bellwoods Brewery

I love a good fireworks display.  When I was younger, it was all about lighting off the kind you buy at pop-up shops on the way to the cottage, firing them off over the lake on Victoria Day, Canada Day, and midnight on New Year’s.  As I’m getting older, I prefer just wandering down my street to the beach to take in the display from Ashbridges Bay (a much safer option. When I was about 21, I had a fairly large commerical firework jam and explode about 18″ from my head, as I was lighting another one; not cool).  I also have some pretty serious concerns about airborne heavy metals after displays (Google it, it’s disturbing), and while I don’t know if the math holds up, I feel one professional display for 8000 people is better than 800 small commercial displays for 10 people. Anyways, PSA aside, I still really enjoy watching a well-executed display.  It evokes thoughts of summer at the cottage, and staying up late sitting on the dock with friends and all sorts of comfy thoughts.  So when one of my favourite breweries (Bellwoods) released a beer called Roman Candle IPA, it was like a giant vortex of amazingness.  If you like good hoppy beers, and all those good summertime feelings of fireworks and cookouts and whatever else you associate with summer, this could well be your go-to brew as the days get warmer and longer.

Roman Candle IPA — Bellwoods Brewery

Roman Candle IPA — Bellwoods Brewery

From a 500ml bottle, Roman Candle IPA pours a deep amber, a little tawny at the centre, and is crystal clear. A gentle pour lead to a small head that dropped to a nice thick ring that left a bit of lacing on the glass.  The aroma is big pine needles and earthiness.  While I love big citrusy pale ales and IPAs, I have a real soft spot for that evergreen forest aroma.  There is a touch of lemon to the aroma too, but the main attraction is big piney goodness.  There is a touch of whole wheat bread to the smell too, a little sweet and grainy.  The taste is (unsurprisingly), great big hops.  Pine, resin, lemon peel, damp earth, and some spices.  Wow!  Malts are present if you go looking for them, nicely sweet and still somewhat bready.  They are a nice foundation for the firework show that is the hops.  These show big pine the moment you lift the glass, bright citrusy lemon peel shine through on the mid palate, which blend nicely into the earthy, spicy, nearly herbal hop on the back of your tongue.  The finale rack is more pine and resin on the finish, bitingly dry and bitter.  Long after the bright lights of the hops have faded, the echos of the pine still ring around your mouth.  The medium mouthfeel is kept in check by a nice carbonation, which is just lively enough to give interest, but it is not fizzy; the perfect volume of bubbles for an IPA.  Not that I’m surprised to say it, but another incredible brew from Bellwoods.

Cheers guys!

Buy Roman Candle IPA

Bellwoods’ retail store is open noon-11pm Monday – Saturday and noon-6pm Sundays.  Roman Candle is a regular brew, so should pretty well always be available (and it’s getting a new label! http://bellwoodsbrewery.com/post/46618598213/its-okay-to-judge-a-beer-by-its-cover).  I’m not sure of this, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find it on draught at some of the beer-minded places around the city that have Bellwoods regularly.  And you can probably get it most nights at the brewpub.

Drink it With

A campfire while watching the Canada Day firework display near you! With the hops tending more towards the pine side of things, and less on the citrus, rather than having a spicy curry with this, why not go with some type of spicy BBQ’d meat?  Some nice sausages, maybe on the smoker, with some home made hot sauce.  What?! You don’t make your own hot sauce?  Hey, I get it, I keep a bottle of Sriracha on hand at all times, and do enjoy a variety of bought sauces, but really, nothing beats a home made variety.  Particularly in a few months, when our farmer’s markets are bursting with awesome peppers of varying heats.  Here’s a pro-tip: make yours using fermented ingredients.  Check out my friends at WellPreserved.ca for more info: http://wellpreserved.ca/fermented-hot-peppers-and-fermented-hot-sauce-recipe/. Oh yeah, cheese.  Well, if you read these reviews often enough, you already know this, but in case you’re new (welcome!), go with a big funky farmhouse cheddar.  The older and funkier the better.

About The Brewery

Bellwoods Brewery, located at 134 Ossington is one of the newest, hippest breweries in Toronto.  Luke and Mike combine to make some of the most progressive exciting beers in the city, which are served mainly at the brewpub, to a lesser extent at great beer bars, and occasionally at their pop-up retail store next door.  Drop by to give them a try, or check their website at http://bellwoodsbrewery.com

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