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

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

KarlHungus

Minnesota

3.05/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This brew pours a cloudy pale yellow color. The head is white and fluffy like freshly fallen snow. The aroma is more like a hefe weizen than a witbier. Yeast, wheaty and tagny with only faint hints of coriander. The taste is rather light for a witbier. Tangy wheat makes up the flavor. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a little too much carbonation. Overall, this isn't a bad beer, but I would rather have Hoegaarden or Allagash White.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2005 19:30:23 | More by KarlHungus

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: The ale is a hazy yellow color with a white ring of head that retains reasonably well.

S: The aroma is part wheat and part grainy malt. Some orange peel as well but not much more.

T: The flavor is witbier, with a strong wheat presence and some coriander and curacao. With the name, I expected some more spiciness, maybe some nutmeg to add to the winter white name, but there was nothing to be found.

M: The mouthfeel is a a run-of-the-mill wheat, nothing special.

D: I hate to say it, but this is my least favorite Bell's brew, by far. There is nothing that makes this a winter ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2006 03:06:29 | More by akorsak

GPHarris

Alabama

3.05/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

a - poured a 1/2 finger thick off-white head into a snifter that left a thin ring and sheet which didn't last long at all. the body was straw gold.
s - bready and spicy.
t - bready and yeasty.
m - medium slick mouthfeel.
o - kind of a blah wit overall.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 21:30:10 | More by GPHarris

kingothewoods

Iowa

3.08/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

The color when poured into a pint glass is of wheat/copper. The head dissipates almost immediately. Not impressed about the lack of head.
This beer smells very sweet malt. The taste follows the smell with sweet malt that makes the back of your tongue curl. Tastes of alcohol come through as well. A warm feeling down into your stomach. Not drinkable at all. This is definitely a one beer in front of a winter fire.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2009 03:35:32 | More by kingothewoods

deapokid

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a golden, wheat color, adorned with some nice lacing, moderate carbonation and barely a head to speak of.

Scent is mildly spiced with light coriander and banana peaks out after a few whiffs. The smell is quite faint and it actually took me a minute or two to pull any aroma of this brew.

The general wheat beer flavors peak out at the forefront (banana esthers, sweet spicing, etc.), but are followed by an unfamiliar corn flavor, which is rather mild, but still, unexpected for the style.

Initially, I assumed the "Winter" in the title referred to more alcohol (since most of the flavors are pretty common for the style), but it seems that this wit has a really low ABV, which doesn't make for a warming, cold weather experience.

Despite some flaws in concept and execution, the tingle of carbonation and the slight dry finale are reasonably pleasant enough and, although it's never original or exciting, it's a passable wheat beer and definitely capable of heavy consumption.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2009 02:30:38 | More by deapokid

Shrews629

Kentucky

3.08/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - Cloudy orangish/yellow with a white head. Head was about 1 finger and the retention was not as good as expected. Lacing was clinging to the sides adequately. Bright gold highlights around the edges.

Smell - Smells of citrus. Orange and lemon. Picking up some peppery spice and some floral hops. Some wheat is hiding in there somewhere also.

Taste - Very peppery in the taste. Again, picking up some orange peel. Some wheat makes its way across the taste buds also. It seems as if the peppery spice is the dominant flavor. A tad much.

Mouthfeel - Medium to thin mouthfeel. Really, rather dry. Crisp and smooth. It does hang on the palate for a while. Goes down pretty easy and it's refreshing.

Drinkability - Honestly, I have never been a huge fan of "Wit" or "White" ales. The peppery spice is a bit much for me, but for the style it fits nicely. This beer reminds me more of a Summer brew than a Winter warmer. I'm sure this beer has an audience and I'm glad I tried it, but I'll probably move on from this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2010 14:27:28 | More by Shrews629

Immortale25

Florida

3.11/5  rDev -15%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a Cigar City snifter. No readable freshness date on bottle.

A- Light golden color with a paper thin head and lacing that doesn't stick to the glass

S- Can't detect much aroma. Maybe it'll be more apparent once I start drinking. I do pick up an obvious wheat scent with what seems to be a slight hint of wet cardboard. Let's hope it's not oxidized.

T- Eh. Not a whole lot going on. Thankfully, no oxidation. Just a pretty standard white beer. Belgian yeast flavor but not very apparent. Light, quaffable. Very little alcohol burn.

M- Thin, low-medium carbonation but still has enough spritz to make the beer lively given its less-than-exciting flavor.

O- Yeah, pretty average across the board. Won't be paying to drink this again when there are so many more flavorful witbiers out there. The first letdown I've had from Bell's.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 05:04:18 | More by Immortale25

granger10

Wisconsin

3.13/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured a cloudy orange color with a moderate white head. The smell was very lemony and slightly spicy. The taste reminded me distinctly of an overspiced Oberon. Citric flavors are dominant and a tarty finish is there. Lots, almost too much, coriander in the body. Light in body and mouthfeel this beer is simply decent and not one of Bell's best offerings. I think this was a bad batch of Oberon with a different name!

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2004 17:26:21 | More by granger10

tar

Bahamas

3.13/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A bit of a different winter time offering from Bell's. Nice looking in the glass with a hazy golden color and thin, white, bubbly head. Presents a pleasant floral aroma with hints of banana, oranges, and a bit of spice (coriander and maybe a bit of pepper?). A mild overall taste with a dry finish. The spiciness present in the aroma along with citrusy flavors linger and add some depth of flavor. A light bodied beer with a crisp dry feel in the mouth. Not a bad tasting beer, but not particularly exciting--I feel like I'm still waiting for something else to emerge flavorwise.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2004 16:51:23 | More by tar

foureyedgeek

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Batch 7637

Poured into a tall wheat glass, which gave this beer a nice puffy, fizzing white head, which doesn't last very long. Not much in the way of lacing. Very hazy yellow straw body.

Smells of light spices and citrus.

Taste is interesting. I guess Bell's uses both a Hefe and a Belgian yeast in this beer so its got a clean fruitiness AND a but of a funk. The spices dominate the finish. Not a lot going on, this is one of the mellower wits I've had.

Mouthfeel is clean and crisp and quite effervescent. This is a light bodied beer thats a nice thirst quencher, and as Bell's says an interesting alternative to the majority of winter releases.

Quite drinkable, limited mainly by the lack of flavor depths here, this is a nice refresher after my morning bike ride, but it seems more suited to a warm, sunny day.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2006 19:03:05 | More by foureyedgeek

zsk

Ohio

3.13/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance was like any other white. Cloudy golden with white bubbly head
Smell was bland. Not much there, really
Taste was good. Refreshing.
Mouthfeel was Ok, not great.
Drinkability was OK too. I don't really care for another.

This is just average. I was hoping for a winter style beer (Great Lakes Christmas Ale, Celebration, etc) Might as well be any other white ale. Blue Moon is better.
What happened Bell's???

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2006 00:48:04 | More by zsk

Grundle20

Ohio

3.13/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance:
This beers look is scarily similar to your average American macro lager. Golden yellow, with no head.

Smell:
The scent is ever so faintly reminiscent of sweet banana bread. There's an underlying Miller High Life quality that again is quite the turn off.

Taste and Mouthfeel:
I can't believe I'm drinking Bells and/or a witbier. Initially there is some pleasant sweetness and wheat character but it almost instantly vanishes and is replaced with a taste of wet hay and aspirin. Despite apparent carbonation the beer drinks rather flat and thick. The finish is rife with wet hay character and the finish is also plagued with this taste. I'm absolutely shocked.

Drinkability:
It drinks just like a macro lager easy going down but has little to offer in terms of well balanced good flavors.

Bottom Line:
This beer is just a flavor notch up from making my shit list. This is the only disappointment I have ever had from Bells and it's a big one. It's just a step up from macro lager but considerably more expensive. A definite pass in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2006 20:54:44 | More by Grundle20

UDbeernut

New York

3.13/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: pours a cloudy gold with slight carbonation. Silky 1/2" Head reduces to lacing

s: distinct yeast smell with hints of citrus

t: typical wheat beer taste with yeast flavor. Slight hop bitterness

m: light to medium body. Slightly creamy.

d: This is an average Witbier.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2007 13:01:28 | More by UDbeernut

Traquairlover

Virginia

3.13/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A = Poured out a cloudy orange-yellow. Slight head, no lacing.

S = Smell of overripe fruits and wheat.

T = Nice wheat taste, some fruit (banana and star fruit) quickly dissipating in aftertaste. Cloying aftertaste.

M = Pretty average. Good carbonation, not too thin, not meaty. Hard to really find anything distinguishing to say about it.

D = Could stand as a session beer, but probably better for taking a taste and moving on to something more savory.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2007 22:33:49 | More by Traquairlover

clayrock81

Virginia

3.13/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass and was presented with a light, slightly seethru oragish body with a one-finger head that quickly died (note: shake those last few sips because this beer will leave some yeast floaters if you don't). The smell was nice and floral with some citrus, especially orange and lemon, coming out but nothing major. The taste is rather a letdown. as tjere really isn't anything there except a combo of wheat/yeast with a sharp lemony feel. The excessive wheat/yeast makes a real smooth but somewhat watery, slick brew that feels a little non-descript as it passes (a tad like a light beer). I could pond a few of these easily, but I won't be actively seeking this winter beer and as far as winter beers go it is a tad weak.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2008 00:45:05 | More by clayrock81