Ghost Orchid

Ghost Orchid is a beautifully-named IPA from the always-reliable Bellwoods Brewery. Coming from all the way across the park from my apartment in Toronto, this little gem is a 6.3% alcohol brew sold in pretty 500mL bottles.

According to the Bellwoods website, this cheery IPA, brewed with oats, used to be a pale ale, but has been bumped up a category for this release. It's a hazy orange-gold number that pours with a hefty off-white foam. It has a fresh and fruity aroma that exudes clementines and tart pear. The flavour is quite well-rounded, with a decent malt background, under a mostly bitter body. There are powerful fruit notes, manifested in orange, pear, and grapefuit.

A beer with quality hop elements, but not an abundance of IBUs, Ghost Orchid is highly downable and refined, without the gritty potency of a typical IPA. Bellwoods has brewed a number of memorable IPAs--while this one isn't there most remarkable, it really is a well-executed beer. I'd have liked a bit more pop, alcohol-wise, to push it to the next level.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.