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

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

adamhdv

Indiana

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

Pours a golden yellowish, a light color really. Very cloudy. Small head retention. No lacing to be seen.

Aroma is typical citrus, nothing special here...maybe a little yeast.

First taste is lemon. Some malt... Taste, for some reason seems a little artificial.

Mouthful is...eh' slight citrus. Light, yet a little thick. It is crisp however. Little spice to it too.

I think this would have been a better beer to drink in the summer actually. Not horrible, not great.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2009 05:57:42 | More by adamhdv

Hojaminbag

Colorado

2.85/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Very cloudy yellow body, almost opaque. Lots of yeasties. White head with little retention or lacing.

Smells spicy, but with lots of bannana.

First there is some nice spiciness, but next there is just a ton of bannana flavor. A little bit of wheat bite. Too much bannana for me. Mouthfeel is pretty good though.

Drinkability is ok for a wheat beer. Strong bannana throws me off.

This beer has potential, but is too unbalanced for me. For those who like bannanas a lot, it would be a winner.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2008 23:23:20 | More by Hojaminbag

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Hazy, yellow color. Minimal white head.

S: Light citrus, and light, dried fruits, banana, etc.

T: Wheatish bite, some citrus and banana, and a little bit of spice.

M: Light body with moderate carbonation.

D: Somewhat drinkable. At this point, I'm losing interest in witbiers, but still a good summertime diversion.

Serving type: on-tap

12-12-2010 16:46:32 | More by Rifugium

BierStein711

Illinois

2.88/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bottle poured into weizen, no freshness date

Four finger white head

Average combo of Hefe and Wit. Truthfully, I was expecting far more from a great brewery such as Bell’s. Banana and bubblegum paired with Belgian Candi-sugar. I wanted more!!

The aroma was mainly malt and bubblegum, very silly beer

No substance and all water!

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 02:27:26 | More by BierStein711

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a cloudy yellow/ pale orange color with a white head. In the aroma, wheaty, orange citrus, and corriander. In the taste, kind of watery for a wit and hints of corriander. A small bite, but overall smooth mouthfeel, with a dry, small bitter corriandr aftertaste. Light and easy, good all around, except for somewhat watery in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2007 21:52:14 | More by OWSLEY069

pasdachuri

Illinois

2.9/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a cloudy orange with absolutely no head at all. You can tell this beer is unfiltered.

Strong bready yeast flavor and thick wheat malts.

Lemons and heavy, very juicy orange citrus, coriander, cloves, and strong spice. The cloves, coriander, and winter spices are a little too overwhelming. Bell's may have hit what they were aiming for here but I'm not liking this too much.

Semi thin, decent carbonation but I would expect more for the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2010 18:02:35 | More by pasdachuri

Tifore

Ohio

2.93/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

A - Pours a gold to light yellow color that is cloudy looking. A very tiny head develops which fades very fast. Lots of carbonation going on in my glass.

S - Smells of wheat and yeast. Lots of strong spices come through after. Not what I thought I was getting into.

T - Tastes of wheat right off the bat with just kind of a mish mash of stuff coming after. Some spice some sweet. Overall just kinda... bleh.

M - Mouthfeel is light and bubbly. I was expecting something heavier and warmer. More like the traditional winter brews.

D - Drinkability of this is ok I guess, just not what I thought, I suppose. I will not buying this again. I'll stick to my heavy warming winter beverages.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2010 03:17:32 | More by Tifore

clint1019

Michigan

2.93/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - straw colored with a thin head that dissapated with in a minute.

S - Has a fairly strong wheaty/bready aroma with a spicyness and slight hop aroma.

T - Definately taste the wheatyness and the coriander. Not much else though. Also, has some bitterness on the back of the tongue.

M - Light to medium bodied.

O - Wasn't overly impressed with this beer. Had an ok taste, but I've had much better witbier's than this.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 01:04:33 | More by clint1019

Minkybut

Virginia

2.98/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I poured this beer into my tumbler at 50 degrees. The beer was yeasty smelling and looking, cliudy and it had a non-existant head with no lacing whats so ever.
The beer was fruity tasting and almost salty with a hint of oranges or something. Though the beer was drinkable I just did not care for it that much and will not buy again.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2007 16:05:17 | More by Minkybut

jtothamo

Indiana

2.98/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I've always been a fan of Bell's products, so I was looking forward to giving this a try. Maybe I had built up too much anticipation because, in the end, I was a bit disappointed.

A- Cloudy yellow. Poured with a very small head, very little retention...a small lace around 2/3 of the rim.

S- Smelled like the outside of my favorite bakery around 6am. Yeasty...bread...My sniffer is a bit clogged this evening...so I'm not catching the fruit/citrus aromas others indicated (this may influence the taste as well).

T- Pretty much went with the smell. Kind of tasted like drinking a slice of light wheat bread.

M- It sort of fell flat in the mouth. Fairly smooth, but definitely no excitement.

D- It's definitely drinkable. But, I'm not sure I'll revisit this one. There are other witbier's and winter ales I prefer.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2008 01:56:22 | More by jtothamo

cadaugherty

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint-

Appearance- Pours a hazy gold with minimal head and no retention.

Aroma- Light notes of yeast spice, torrified wheat. Pretty meh.

Taste- Sweet malt, orange peel, no chewy bread taste.

Mouth- Thin and not much carbonation.

Drink- Very high, I could easily drink a 6 pack of these in a short period of time.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 06:01:59 | More by cadaugherty

karengarys

Indiana

3/5  rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This pours greenish amber, like a summer wheat. Little head.

Smells are minimal, some floral hop.

Taste is somewhat sour, lemon like. A little hop, a little bland.

Mouthfeel is okay, but not great either.

Finish is clean.

This isn't a bad wheat beer, but wheats are bland to me. For a winter beer? Guess I just don't understand. If you see it, do give it a try, but don't expect much.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2005 22:23:29 | More by karengarys

twelvsies

Maine

3/5  rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Not really crazy about this one. As the scores reflect, it's average all around. Nothing particularly offensive about it, but nothing interesting or redeeming. Golden color, too many bubbles, no real head. Smell and taste have a somewhat pleasing lemony character and some typical spicing, but nothing really catches my interest. It's got a light, pale malt backdrop and a very non-descript hop profile. Still, it isn't exactly bad, just not good. Thin mouthfeel, and like I said, a little too bubbly for the style. This beer would be drinkable but it's just not interesting enough for me to have more than one. Try Bell's other stuff, this is probably my least favorite of the mixed case I got.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2005 22:36:47 | More by twelvsies

CortexBomb

Michigan

3/5  rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours out extremely pale yellow with a slight white head on top. Smell is pure wit, almost all wheat with a touch of yeast on the nose, perhaps hints of banana ala Oberon.

Flavour, also trademark wit. The wheat and yeast from the nose are front and centre in the flavour as well. Some lemon present, as well as cloves, but nothing overwhelming. Finish is a decently unique hop bite though. Ok, but like Oberon, nothing that speaks to me.

Mouthfeel, average. Some tingles in the right places, but nothing that will blow you away. Drinkability, par for the style.

More or less Bell's winter version of Oberon, a beer that I'm not that fond of anyway. If you want a light, easy quaffer in December you could do worse though.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2005 02:06:41 | More by CortexBomb

Dalem

Michigan

3/5  rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Dark cloudy golden color. Looks like a peach dosed glass of pineapple juice, minimal head lots of bubbles at first that slow down quickly but there's a spite of them that rise around the top with each sip. Lot's of yeast in the aroma with citrus, bananas and spices around it.

Think a slight heartier and well, winter version of the Oberon in the flavor. Little bit more of a Hefe slant. It's sparkly though a bit more bready and a ginger thing not noticed as much in an Obie. A little too lemony and coriander for what I prefer in an winter beer. A creamy banana thing on the back of the throat in the finish. Good but it just doesn't seem all that wintery. Early spring or late fall maybe. Quality recipe and very drinkable stuff but nothing all that exciting. Oberon lost it's charm for me awhile back (but was more than a passing fancy in my heyday with it) and this just doesn't seem all that different or special to me.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2008 02:13:12 | More by Dalem

archiespeck

Michigan

3/5  rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had this out of a bottle and it just left me cold (no pun intended). I'm usually the biggest Bell's cheerleader around, but this is a massively disappointing beer. The smell and taste are extremely average. That's all you can really say about this beer. It's not terrible, but the 9.99 price tag is not justified in the least bit. You can do better than this, Bell's.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2010 18:26:57 | More by archiespeck

GossageBrewery

Missouri

3/5  rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured this Witbier from a bottle into a pint glass. Poured a light golden color, produced a white head, retention was below average. The aroma consisted of light malted grain, banana, clove and lemon citrus. Light in body, a base of malted wheat, with yeast flavors of banana, citric lemon, and spicy clove. Overall decent beer, nice session beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 20:58:09 | More by GossageBrewery

SometimesIfart

Michigan

3/5  rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pours a murky orange with a one finger white frothy head that half dissipates. Left no lacing.

S - Lemon peel, Orange peel, Wheat.

T - Basically the same as the smell. Lemon peel up front, Stale orange in the middle and a very wheaty finish.

M - Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

O - Overall, It's alright. Definitely not even in the top ten for Bell's though.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 20:56:53 | More by SometimesIfart

adammills

Michigan

3.03/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

It poured a slight golden yellow with a smallish finely bubbled head. Little to no aroma, maybe a very faint biscuit, not sweet at all, no esters. I tastes creamy with no hop taste of aroma. The flavor is very bland, a shocking lack of complexity from what I expect from Bells. Finishes very smooth, very drinkable, and very much lacking in flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2007 00:39:33 | More by adammills

ClockworkOrange

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz. brown bottle into a shaker "pint" glass. Appears a cloudy golden color with about a finger of fluffy white head. Slight lacing left on the inside of the glass. Smell is spicy and herbal along with a faint sweetness. Tastes of mild peppery spice, yeast, citrus and wheat. A little bit thin in body with medium carbonation. I was expecting more out of this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2007 13:57:55 | More by ClockworkOrange