North East Beer Review

Whilst shopping in Dunfermline I spotted a craft beer store which had some cool beers from all over the world. I don’t think I have tried craft beer from Canada so I instantly thought let’s give Bellwoods Jutsu a try. The can design drawn to this particular can as I thought it looked fun and different. So what did I think? During this review I will cover the history of this beer and brewery, the pour, the flavour profile and finally my verdict.

Popular in Canada

Bellwoods Brewery was founded in 2012 in Toronto, Canada. It started out as a brewpub on Ossington Avenue in the west side of Toronto. This brewery quickly garnered a reputation in Toronto due to its hazy and hop forward ales, mixed fermentation beers, and barrel aged releases. Beginning as a small scale neighbourhood brewery, Bellwoods steadily expanded into a larger brewing facility along with retail stores as they became famous for small batch quality focused brews.

Bellwoods helped shape Ontario’s modern craft beer scene by introducing drinkers to softer, fruit-forward pale ales and IPAs that stood apart from the aggressively bitter West Coast styles that had dominated the market before.

Bellwoods Jutsu is credited as the brewery’s original pale ale. This was created to showcase the brewers love for hoppy beers which are still approachable. Moving away from the West Coast style, Bellwoods wanted to showcase a beer that was super aromatic, light-bodied, low in bitterness and juicy yet dry. Bellwoods describes Jutsu as having the haze and aroma of a New-England style pale ale but the drinkability of session style beer. This has led this 5.6% ABV pale ale to become a core member of the Canadian brewery’s lineup. It became popular for its modern hazy approach, aromatic nature and softer mouthfeel.

A hazy and pale pour

Jutsu pours a pale yellow to golden colour which has the New England pale hazy appearance. A soft but small white bubbly head forms which just about remained present during the entire drinking experience. Thus, leaving a small degree of lacing down the glass. The carbonation was fine but still detectable, in which a light stream of bubbles can be observed. Overall, a fresh, light and inviting pour to the seasoned craft beer enjoyers to those are more novices.

A tropical led flavour

Aroma

Bellwoods Jutsu is famous for its aroma and I can see why. This expresses itself as soon as it leaves the can. This commences with a flavour tropical fruits such as melon, peach and mango as well as a splash of citrus notes. Beneath this is subtle pine bitterness but keeps the beer fresh as opposed to overpowering the experience. A smooth bready flavour hides further beneath to keep the aromas in check. Overall, a fresh and heavily aromatic pour.

Taste

On the palate, Bellwoods Jutsu delivers an immensely juicy tropical flavour such as mango and melon along with a stone fruit flavour along with a hint of citrus zests such as nectarine. A gentle herbal bitterness follows with stops the beer being too sweet. The malt backbone is soft and grainy which helps balances out the taste. The finish is crisp and dry with a slight citrus bitterness lingering. Overall, this beer is an incredibly balanced sipper which is clean and refreshing.

Time for my verdict

I feel my introduction to Bellwoods was an overall positive experience Jutsu is well flavoured and good quality. Overall, Bellwoods Jutsu is a tasty and juicy ale which helps deliver an incredibly balanced experience. I really enjoyed this ale and I feel despite being 5.6%, this is could easily become session able. I rate this an incredibly solid 4.5 out of 5. Cheers

Where did I purchase this beer?

I purchased this beer from the Caledonian Craft Beer Merchant in Dunfermline. A cool and quite hidden little place which I highly recommend if you are in the town.

Thanks for reading my review. If you enjoyed this review, you will love my review of Fierce Big Iron Brew.