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

SpecialK088

Missouri

1.9/5  rDev -48.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured from a bottle into a willy and poured another just to be sure in my sam adams pint glass.

Let me start this review by saying I dont fail beers often I take style in mind and try to be fair but this one i'm giving the grade I belive it earned.

A-Very hazy yellow alot of yeast at the bottom of the bottle

S-Bannana and grain

T-Here is where you lose me 100% this is in no way a winter beer and I would not even classify it as a wibier it tastes thru and thru like your average run of the mill american wheat. No spice no warmer nothing.

M-Medium body good carbonation level goes down easy.

D-Would never buy this again I stopped drinking wheats long ago and have no reason to pay 13 bucks for one.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2008 23:24:38 | More by SpecialK088

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

CDBeerDisappear

Ohio

2.33/5  rDev -36.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

a - Cloudy yellow, little head looked like a witbier

s - Smelled of wheat but not much else

t - Dissappointingly thin, lacked complexity

m - light carbonation, thin

d - There are many better witbiers available don't waste your money. Generally I like witbiers this one just did not do it for me.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2006 19:04:59 | More by CDBeerDisappear

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

jdhilt

New Hampshire

2.35/5  rDev -35.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a two finger white head that fades to a thin layer leaving some lace. Hazy yellow/amber color. Light-medium carbonation and light bodied. Hoppy/yeasty nose. Starts with a hoppy/citrusy flavor, dry hoppy finish. Batch #7195, $1.79 for a 12oz bottle from Chalet Party Goshen, In.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2007 23:52:13 | More by jdhilt

walleye

Michigan

2.38/5  rDev -35%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

from the bottle. poured a hazy straw with a white head that didn’t last long. aroma bread yeast, citrus, sour orange, wheat, and straw. flavor hops, straw, wheat, lemon, bitter. this should not be a winter beer. I think it would be better suited for the summer standing at the bbq griling some steak.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2004 22:44:46 | More by walleye

Crosling

Colorado

2.38/5  rDev -35%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Attractive color of diluted tang. Far too gentle aroma and very spiratic. Hints of coriander, light wheat, dried apricot, clove and spice. Again, very subtle in the flavor. Tingling spicing but not enough. Notes of banana peel, peach and light wheat. Shows weiss and white style. An average American wheat but I expected more from Bell’s.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2006 06:18:36 | More by Crosling

dananabanana

Massachusetts

2.4/5  rDev -34.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

A: Hazy yellow color, no head. A little bit of white foam. No lacing.

S: Lemony, wheaty.

T: Wheat, a hint of lemon. Slightly metallic. Not at all complex.

M: Very bubbly, over carbonated.

D: Just not flavorful enough to be worth finishing. I suppose it might be good to wash down a spicy chilli in the winter, but that's about it.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2009 04:21:20 | More by dananabanana

chiefthreebeers

Vermont

2.5/5  rDev -31.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Bell's Winter White is a good addition to the white beer category. The beer itself does not scream winter to me. White beers are known for being warm summer month beers. I give Bell's props for bucking that trend and releasing a white for winter. Also, now that I think of it "white" could be a clever play on words for a "white Christmas".

A- Meets all the normal characteristics for a white beer. Cloudy, golden brown color with a white lace.

S- Strong aromas, abundantly sweet and citrus

T- This is where I tend to get off the bus a little. While it has the spice of orange and coriander I am accustomed to, there seems to be little else and a watered down sour apple flavor.

M- Any sweetness is masked by an ever present sour feel. I always like a little tang on my white beers but here I find myself waiting for a spicy flavor and only getting a watery sour finish.

D- Not bad, thought it was more alcoholic than 4.5, seemed to have a little more zing. Overall drinkable, find myself wanting to
put an orange slice in there, not a good sign.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2008 23:42:29 | More by chiefthreebeers

naterock

Missouri

2.53/5  rDev -30.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

pours a extremely cloudy pale yellow. looks like orange juice rather than beer. tick head at first.

smells so strongly of yeast, I can barely smell anything else. barely get a hop nose. just ok.

body is solid for an american wheat but I expect some spice from a wit style. Nothing but yeast, orange peel, more like orange juice flavor. I've never had such a dissapointing experience from bells.

mouth is heavy with yeast, I can't even speak about this beer, it's just horrible. I'm pouring it down the drain.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2008 18:00:49 | More by naterock

frazbri

Ohio

2.58/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bell's Winter White poured cloudy, straw yellow with a short-lived bright white head on top of a cascade of carbonation. Aroma of corriander, pepper, flowers and fruit. Apples, oranges, lemon zest, and spice comprise the flavor. Medium-light in body and highly carbonated.

I don't quite get the Winter White. It's too aggressive for your average wit. It's kind of like a winter Oberon, but doesn't hit the mark for this BA. Bell's is one of the best breweries around, but this isn't a product I'd recommend.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2006 03:01:14 | More by frazbri

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

2.6/5  rDev -29%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle courtesy of Plucier: Poured extremely cloudy whitish/yellow color ale with a nice small pure white foamy head with good retention. Aroma of medium wheat with some very subtle spice note. Taste is lighter then expected with some wheat but no bubblegum notes that I usually appreciated in an hefeweizen and some very subtle spices and therefore no coriander that I usually like in my witbier. It appears that by mixing those two I am not getting the best of both word. This is probably one of the weakest offering from this fine brewer.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2007 16:00:53 | More by Phyl21ca

smakawhat

Maryland

2.65/5  rDev -27.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a tall glass displaying a 50/50 realm of clear to opaqueness quality. Golden in color, very nice, but slightly weak head. Virtually no lacing upon finishing.

Bouquet is missing the wheat bread characteristics which are faint being dominated first by a chemical "like" smell. Almost slightly macro in smell... not big though so at least it isn't totally off putting.

Taste and flavor profile leads to a very muted taste, and light body. No spices, nothing of distinctness to come out other than some sweetness.

Drinability is straight down the middle. Meh... I've had considerably better. Lord knows.. I've had worse.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 04:44:04 | More by smakawhat

Oxymoron

Colorado

2.68/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Im dreaming of a winter white ale. Well not really. Poured a semi hazy golden color with next to no head nor any lacing at all.

The smell is malty with some very noticeable yeasty smells in the background. Some lighter wheat background and next to no spice presence at all. A smidge of hops, maybe a floral but still masked. Would like a bit more complexity and other spice notes to balance.

The taste has more of a wheat feel mixed with malt added in. A little harsh (as compared with crisp) and a bit astringent. The wheat flavor starts out with a chill sense and then a stronger bitter orange flavor finishes with a somewhat rancid finish. Not much on the spice and some very light note of hops near the end, bring a floral taste out.

The body is a little high for a wit or even a wheat, and no carbonation. Overall the wheat is limited and the spice note are not where they should be but clean yeast and easy drinkabiliy.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2006 03:35:30 | More by Oxymoron

99bottles

Pennsylvania

2.7/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Hmmm. Looks like a witbier, only darker. That means more yeast, more beast. Dark yellow urine color, head of white that disappears in a blink. Curious, but not appealing.

Smell: Yeast, yeast and more....yeah, well. Maybe some lemon or perhaps some clove, but mostly....YEAST.

Taste: Whew. This is thicker than any White ale I've ever tasted; even more thick than any hefe. This is chock full of cloudy bastard yeast and it's too much; for any season. Ok; I give it the clove and some faint lemon, a little pepper spice, and a real raw wheat taste. Like right off a thresher. Too rough, not sweet enough, and too much yeast.

Mouthfeel: Rich, cloudy, clumpy and creamy. Not really what I like in a wit. Too heavy for all purposes.

Drinkability: I asked just to make sure I didn't get the bottom of a keg. Nope, was the reply. No, in fact we tapped this yesterday. You might be the 2nd person to have tried it. I think they missed their season, and I really wasn't impressed with this. Maybe try a double white instead of this murky mess. My first lackluster Bell's.

Serving type: on-tap

10-13-2004 23:18:23 | More by 99bottles

tjacobs610

Ohio

2.7/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: A very hazy yellowish amber color, with a thin white colored head that has no retention and not much lacing

Smell: Very fruity and citrusy aromas, has a bit of a musty smell to it as well. The citrusy aromas are very prominent

Taste: Very fruity and spicy taste right up front. Followed by a citrusy orangeish taste that leaves a little bitter taste in your mouth. Overall has a very strong taste

Mouthfeel: Very light body with very minimal carbonation. Very thick on the palate but not thick enough for its class

Overall: Very poor example of a witbier. Doesn’t seem thick enough but it does have good smell and great appearance

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 05:07:07 | More by tjacobs610

granite

New Hampshire

2.73/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Compliments of Lackenhauser

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A--- Poured a pale straw with lots of yeast in suspension. A thick creamy head collapsed in a couple minutes.

S--- Sweet smelling tropical fruit with clove and vanilla.

T--- I wish it tasted as good as it smells. It was very acidic and flavorless. My tongue hates me right now

M--- Good carbonation and to style.

D---A little disappointing flavor wise but I’m happy I got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2007 00:36:08 | More by granite

bigeyedfish

Pennsylvania

2.73/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

12 oz bottle, containing "a seasonally nuanced wheat ale that is both stylish and refreshing" poured into a pint glass.

Light orange color, with 1/2 a finger of head that vanishes quickly. A ton of carbonation; some sticks to the outside of the glass and there is still a lot bubbling up from the center. Almost a nice beer to look at.

Smells of mainly orange peels and to be honest, not much else. Not enough alcohol to be present on the nose and for the most part it's just orange.

The taste is mostly lemon-juice like, which is weird since there is no lemon on the nose. Kind of a chalk-dust taste that seems to be the product of lemon meets a sickly amount of carbonation. Yeah, this beer is slightly off-putting.

The mouthfeel leaves a lot to be desired. It's a very carbonated beer- as in the first sip, mid-palate and finish are all full of carbonation. To be honest, this is dissapointing.

Drinkability? You could drink it all night...but why would you. This, especially coming from Bell's is a disappointing beer. I don't see how this is a winter ale (when i let my roomate sample this he remarked that it 'tasted like something we had in the summer'), nor a white ale. Nor a Bell's beer. This beer leaves me confused, about most things except my liking for this beer. Which is almost non-existent. It even starts to look like Tang after awhile. I'm almost afraid to write this, but I kind of like Tang more. Blah.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2007 03:02:15 | More by bigeyedfish

JDK

Ohio

2.75/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Poured a golden wheat color with very little head that quickly disappeared.
Faint smell of oranges, hops and spices
Lite carbonation with medium mouthfeel
Nothing really separated this from a regular wheat beer except for the slight orange taste, I guess I expected a lot more from Bell's.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2007 02:31:13 | More by JDK

TheStig

Virginia

2.75/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This is a decent, inoffensive and light tasting beer that isn't very complex. I'm a little disappointed because seasonal beers tend towards possessing attributes that fit with the season-- halloween gets the crop of pumpkin flavored beers, summer sometimes rustles up some sort of jalapeno-flavored creation and so on. This *winter beer* has nothing "wintry" about it apart from the name and the label artwork-- certainly nothing that suggests the scents and smells of winter (cinnamon, nutmeg, pine, chocolate, burning wood or even a decade-old, rock hard fruitcake.) The scents are typical average witbier: bread, wheat and yeast. There's a slight hint of citrus but it's gone quickly and doesn't translate into taste-- which is similarly average. So, why am I paying 11 bucks for a six pack of this when I could be trying that Allagash Dubbel I passed over?

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 02:05:57 | More by TheStig

cnally

Indiana

2.78/5  rDev -24%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

God, I hate Winter. But I do love beer, so maybe this won't be all bad.

The appearance is a bubbly, yellow-gold body, with a spotty and scummy looking off-white head.

The aroma is metallic, wheaty and a little fruity, like orange.

The fruity notes continue in the flavor, with some grapefruit and orange. The malt is very muted, but noticeable. Sour and spicy hop bitterness on the finish.

The mouthfeel just blew up in my mouth. It is a massive carbonation bomb, uncomfortable and fizzy like a soda.

Don't see myself wanting this again, because the mouthfeel is just a disaster. The flavor is decent for the style, and just spicy and fruity enough to make it drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2009 01:03:00 | More by cnally

barleyroad

Pennsylvania

2.78/5  rDev -24%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Cloudy gold in appearance. Smell is to much like your typical Witbier. Mouthfeel is standard for this syle of beer. Falls short for a winter style beer. Taste, the spices stick in the mouth, this takes away from the desirability. Overall this beer is way to typical and the spices take away from this beer. Not our cup of brew. Drinkable, just not something we prefer.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 00:23:03 | More by barleyroad

wagenvolks

Texas

2.8/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a mug from a 12 oz bottle.

A golden blonde, bubbly, cloudy ale pours out. Save at least an ounce of beer to your pour to swirl up the sediment from the bottom of the bottle. If not, it pours out in a dark grey sludge. Head goes fast...blink and you'll miss it. No lacing.
Aroma is of wheat, yeast, citrus, vanilla, buttered popcorn, and some floral notes. It's fragrant to say the least, but not exactly my cup of beer.

The taste doesn't wake up my mouth by any means. Hints of spice and bread. It's almost like Bell's tried going belgium with this beer but stopped short. Mouthfeel is under-carbonated, smooth, yet a bit bland in its smoothness. A slight aftertaste lingers for a while, but not long. All in all, this white lacks complexity and taste. I expected a bit more from the good brewer's at Bell's.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2007 05:25:15 | More by wagenvolks

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

2.8/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Batch 8780

A - Pours a hazy straw yellow with 1/4 inch of foam that left a fine layer of bubble

S - very little aroma on this one, faint hints of lemon and some yeast

T - not much in the taste department, a bit of lemon and I swear a chalkiness

M/D - Not really what I was expecting, there didn't seem to be much to this one at all.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2008 18:43:57 | More by mikereaser

BMoney575

Michigan

2.83/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Sampled on 3-6-07
Batch 7760
Bottled on 12-13-06

Pours a very light and somewhat cloudy golden color, with carbonation that bubbles to the surface.

Smells like a wheat beer, with distinct Belgian yeast character.

Taste is strong on Belgian yeast, with a summery wheat backbone and a slight hoppy bitterness.

Mouthfeel isn't bad, a little thicker and probably the most wintery part of the beer.

Drinkability is average, this beer just doesn't offer enough to warrant another.

Overall this is definately a witbier, but not really a "winter white". I can see what Bell's was going for here, but this beer is really an answer to a question no one asked.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2007 02:19:08 | More by BMoney575