Bell's Winter White Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

beergeek279

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a pint glass at Mad Mex in Scott Township. The color is a hazy golden, with a wispy white head. The smell is nicely spiced. The taste is a nice wheat, with a well-balanced amount of spicing not overkilling the beer. Mouthfeel is average. Drinkability-wise, could definitely have a few.

My first wi-fi review....quite nice to sit the laptop at the bar and write the review as I go. A nice wit, and definitely a treat to see the style in the midst of winter, even if it's not a warmer. Definitely one I'd have again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2004 19:24:12 | More by beergeek279

cokes

Wisconsin

3.63/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Smudged brass under a milky bed of froth.
Nose of Bananas, with a steely hop or two poking out in the corners.
Very much a hefeweizen, flavorwise. The archetypical banana, vanilla, and clove are all present (and listed in order of magnitude). Some ginger tones manifest themselves as well. Turns breadier by midway, accented by a dusting of black pepper. Odd metallic twang late. Difficult to tell if it was originated from the yeast or the hops. And speaking of hops, it closes with a lightly bitter and woody, dried grass notation.
Medium bodied, texture-wise, but seems thin in flavor width and depth.
I didn't know much (anything) about this beer heading in. But it's clearly not a Wit, in a Belgo sense. It's doesn't seem like a typical Bell's offering either.
What it is, is a decent hefeweizen, and not much more.
Strange style for a winter seasonal.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2003 06:48:14 | More by cokes

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Whatever Vecenie's did for the Pittsburgh area it's amazing setting up the deal with Bell's to bring in their products was a huge step but now we're getting a taste of their winter white ale, wow thank you? Appearance: Cloudy peach golden with a nice chunky whtie head nice full sporadic layer of patched lacing. Aroma: Spiced up, banana an excellent Bell's wit. Taste: Slightly creamy sharp sweetness of malted wheat, creamy at first but then the coriander and zest of the peppery hops takes a nice turn toward oh yeah. Mouthfeel: Medium to light in body kinda beefed up Oberon ala winter white, pretty damn good I'm a fan. Drinkability: Awesome session all the way solid all around one of my favorite wits so far.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2003 01:13:30 | More by WVbeergeek

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Hazy golden orange appearance. Actually, quite murky looking. A fair sized off white head sits on top and leaves sparse lace down the sides of the glass as I drink. Aromas of clove and banana, yeast and pepper hit my nostrils. The taste is quite nice. Very nice bavarian weizen profile. Some great banana and vanilla things happening. And more subtle tones of pepper and clove. Yeasty tones are quite nice and a little bready. When I tasted this tonight, I was hoping for a big ol weizenbock or something. I didn't know what style it was, but after tasting it, I was guessing German style Hefe. It has a great full body and a luscious mouthfeel. Very easy drinking and quite tasty. After one try, I'd have to say I prefer this to their Oberon "American Wheat" beer. I just think it has more character and depth. I'd like to see this one in bottles over the summer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2003 03:54:36 | More by Bighuge

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2-07-04
I've since had this one many more times, fresh off of a new keg, and found more to appreciate than before, and have raised my ratings from the original appraisal to reflect this new appreciation. No, it's not what I'd look for in a winter beer, but that's no reason to rate against what it is...which is a smooth, tasty wheat...here's the original, but I'd definitely recant the low opinion of the aroma...maybe it was the bar I was in at the time...also, banana is felt keener, as well...

Appearance: cloudy dull orange, opaque, with a solid, bone-white head, 1/2", long-lasting.
Aroma: on the mild side, yielding minor notes of spice and citrus, doesn't stand forward in the least, though, but nicely woven, nonetheless.
Taste: neat spiciness starts off on the palate, coriander, chiefly, with the citrus character continuing in the taste, though terribly muted compared to other wits. Compared to their own Oberon, which is a bright, juicy explosion of fruity/yeasty goodness, it's a mellow affair, with the finish, too, on the downlow, though it fades happily off the tongue. The citric twang on the palate is persistent and well-liked by this tongue.
Drinkability is quite good, but in the final summation, this Bell's fan would sooner reach for a TwoHearted or one of their spectacular stouts. I hope it appeals to others, as it's not a bad beer in the least. Just not great.

Serving type: on-tap

12-05-2003 02:52:43 | More by feloniousmonk

BitteBier

Indiana

3.58/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy, creamy yellow color with a light tinge of apricot orange. Topped off with a bit of fine and fleeting head. This was served way too cold, so I had to wait a bit for the nose to develop. The smell that emerged was pleasant but unremarkable--not inappropriate for this style. Clean grains and light floral scents. Taste was crisp with hints of banana and clove complementing the foundational grains. The mouthfeel was the most disappointing feature of this beer--unduly creamy and even milky. Still, this is a nicely drinkable beer but with the toned-down character that makes wits pleasant but uninteresting.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2003 15:33:51 | More by BitteBier

CRJMellor

Arkansas

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I was eagerly anticipating this beer and it looked great as it poured a nice golden yellow with crisp white head. Aroma was very pleasant had a slight malt profle but dominated by citrus and clove notes. Little banana, little orange maybe something else that I can't quite finger. Taste was not as strong or malty as I was anticipating and left a litte sour on the palate. To me they might have been better going all out and making a strong Hefe, as someone below suggested. I was a little confused by this one and not really sure what to think. Felt good in the mouth but not as "lively" as I would expect. My experience with Bell's suggests they will refine this over time but not the best from this great brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2003 03:00:27 | More by CRJMellor

ManekiNeko

Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at a Bell's tasting at the Brickskeller.

Appearance: Cloudy lemon yellow, slight white head that left little bits of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell: Banana esters are quite prominent. Faint bubblegum aromas.

Taste: Peppery and medicinal, slightly clovey. Banana on aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Very light and crisp.

Drinkability: A hefe/wit hybrid. Smells like a hefe, tastes more like a wit. Uses both Belgian Trappist and hefe yeast strains in the fermenation (according to powerpoint slide from the head brewer). Quite drinkable, but I liked Oberon better. Still, an interesting idea for a winter beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2003 03:38:33 | More by ManekiNeko

ngandhi

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Draught bottled for private distribution. Thanks to Drew from The Corkscrew in Urbana, Ill. for this sample.

A bit cloudier than Oberon with better lacing and a thin, consistent sheet of head.

Bready, yeasty, sweet on the nose with some green citric rind . I just bottled my AG hefe attenuated with White Labs Hefe IV. This is comparable, but without the phenols of IV. Obviously, there's a wheat yeast aroma, but it's neutral in its hefeness (how's that for a new word!).

Though predominantly hefe rather than wit (Drew tells me the goal was, in fact, to make a hybrid of sorts), the orange rind makes a nice cameo and a welcomed encore in the aftertaste. The lemon, sage, caraway flavor we would expect from the coriander works extraordinarily well here. Crisp yet subtle hops; I don't know what they are, but it has the effect of Hallertau. While this beer might be lambasted for its lack of pronouncement in key wit flavors, I say it is only the awesome balance (and not some flaw) in this brew that would make one feel that way.

Bell's isn't bottling this for at least another year (fall 2004); they see it cutting into the Oberon market and confusing some drinkers -- too similar. Perhaps, but as Oberon is a good American Wheat beer, Winter White is a fine German weiss. Call it what you will -- wit or hefe -- but the fuller body and well-defined yeast and malt profiles seem to take it out of the realm of American Wheat and into a much more fulfilling category. A good brew I'd love to see more of that could only get better over the years as larger distribution would force them to define their flavors a bit more (a mass of drinkers is not one for subtleties). It doesn't exactly fit the Bell's profile, but is a welcomed change and a solid improvement from Oberon.

Relax, relax.
ng

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2003 23:42:15 | More by ngandhi

Sudmissle

Michigan

4.85/5  rDev +32.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer is probably misnamed. I found it to be a direct competitor with the finest German wheat beers such as Paulaner and Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbiers. I was told the same thing as another reviewer about the Bell's folks being concerned it would compete to closely with Oberon. Oberon is a starter kit for people about a year away from sampling German-style wheat beers. This beer has the wonderful banana and yeast flavor of the best German Weissbiers and is the best American Microbrew version of this style I have sampled. I wish this was readily available in bottles!

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2003 02:31:49 | More by Sudmissle

Jon

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Sampled from a limited bottle run. This beer will be available on draft only this coming fall and winter. Hazy straw color with a fizzy white head. Some sediment is present in the pour. Looks more like a hefeweizen than a wit. Nose is doughy with notes of clove, curacao, banana and a less-than-desirable egg aroma which could be attributed to the yeast. Banana, orange rind, a faint hint of coriander, graininess and an earthy hop finish characterize the flavor of this ale. I don't know if it's the yeast strain or what, but this is still quite reminiscent of Oberon. Drinks quite well overall, this will be nice to drink on draught... but I'd prefer it in the summertime.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2003 01:33:21 | More by Jon

marburg

Michigan

4.08/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A highly quaffable ale from Bell's sampled yesterday at the Mich Beer Fest. It's only real "drawback" is that it's orange-ish, golden color is far too yellow for a witbier. Dull orange and banana aromas are potent and enjoyable but, again, it strikes me as more of a hefe than a wit. Similarly, big orange-banana smoothie flavors dull any intended coriander or other spices. It's a very tasty beer, but it's not within the style. Frankly, I'd be overjoyed if they replaced Oberon with this and stopped calling it a witbier.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2003 17:59:11 | More by marburg

hotstuff

Indiana

2.17/5  rDev -40.7%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

The nose of this particular beer is banana. The body is cloudy and the hue is pale yellow. I observed some yeast with this beer. I definitely was not impressed by the taste of this beer. After about half-way through I had had enough and tried another of their beers. This definitely is not one of my favorite beers from this brewer.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2003 16:34:32 | More by hotstuff

TheDM

Indiana

2.35/5  rDev -35.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This brew has a very fruity banana aroma. Its body is a weak yellow orange color that is very cloudy with yeast evident. It tastes as fruity as it smells and went down very easy, but later drinks caused my stomach to do flip flops. I didn't like it and eventually wound up getting another Porter and having them pour the rest of this beer down the drain.

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2003 09:13:55 | More by TheDM