Barn Owl No. 13

Looks to me like the last batch of Bellwood’s Brewery’s Barn Owl that I reviewed was No. 3, which I reviewed with me mudder-in-law. Two plus spins around the sun later, Barn Owl No. 13 came into my life. This iteration was a bit stronger (6.7% compared to No. 3’s 6.5%) and it looked completely different. This version had a hazy pink tone, owing to it being a “sour ale with raspberries and cranberries barrel aged 18 months”. The beer in the 500mL bottle poured with a nice pinkish white head that didn’t have a lot of staying power.

No. 13 had a pungent aroma that walked the line between assertive and pushy, with big notes of tart raspberries and tangy cran. The sourness in this ale packed a pretty nifty punch, with funky yeast working hard, but it was the duo of sharp red berries that really amped things up. The 1.5 years spent aging in a barrel stuffed with sour fruit clearly made quite an impact, though I didn’t find a surfeit of the woody, oaken qualities I’ve come to expect from wood-aged ales. That said, some barrel was in evidence in the short and tart finish.

This beer had a lot of the same qualities of a Belgian kriek, which means it will appeal to some and alienate many—not a beer for everyone. But if you dig sours and you dig ‘em fruity, this is a fine brew for you.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.