Beer O'Clock: Jelly King

I could have sworn that I had reviewed a sour ale by Bellwoods Brewery before. I distinctly remember drinking their Plum sour ale before (my Untappd account has it logged, on February 13, 2020, complete with a photo that I took) but there is no review.

I also seem to recall drinking a Bellwoods ale that was made with concord grapes, though I can't find any record of that one and I must be thinking of someone else's brew. Maybe someone from the brewery can jog my memory on that one.

Regardless, a review of a sour ale from Bellwoods' Jelly King line is way overdue.

Those of you who know me know that I have an arms-length relationship with sour beer. I'm not keen on beers that get me puckering my cheeks with every mouthful. I don't like to screw up my face with anticipation of my next sip.

At the same time, I do like ales that are jam-packed with tropical-fruit flavours. I love mango, guava, passionfruit, and others in my glass of suds. And in that light, Bellwoods never fails.

Last month, on a trip down to Toronto, I stopped in at an LCBO and my eyes fell on the familiar label from this Toronto brewery (I would have gone to the brewery, directly, but time was not on my side on that trip). I picked up a couple of bottles, in addition to the lager that I reviewed last week, and headed home.

Let's look at this version of Jelly King.

Jelly King (Mango, Guava & Passionfruit: 5.6% ABV)
Bellwood's Brewery
Toronto ON

Appearance: a hazy orange with hues of pink that get captured in low light, with a foamy-white head that quickly settles to a fine lace and dissipates altogether, save for a fine ring around the meniscus that lines the glass. Some minute bubbles come and go on the top.

Nose: the mango leads the aroma, followed by a hint of passionfruit. There's a jam-like quality that tells you that you're in for a fruity treat.

Palate: the sourness punches you right in the mouth. On the first mouthful, I got sour lemons, backed by guava. The fruit is intense. There is strong citrus and as you get to the finish, more passionfruit comes out, as well as a ruby-red grapefruit flavour that seems to cleanse the palate.

Bellwoods' description claims "punchy hop aromatics" but I didn't pick up any hops. They seemed to be drowned out in the sour fruit.

It's really sour: almost too much for my liking.

Overall impression: if you love a good sour ale, this will get you puckering up. It's loaded with fruit, and not just the mango, guava, and passionfruit that's advertised. While this Jelly King is a bit too sour for me, the punch of tropical fruit wins me over.

Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺.5

While Bellwoods' Web site doesn't currently show this brew available from its shops, I did see a lot of it in the LCBO where I picked mine up. Check out the store nearest you. And if you can't find it, I encourage you to check out the other ales from the Jelly King series.

Cheers!