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

dirtylou

Washington

3.93/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz single, Riley's, batch 7114 i think

appearance: sweet label...cheers to midwest winters. the beer is a very pale and watery yellow with a decent bright white head and some decent lacing

smell: heavy on the wheat, ripe bananas come through strong, orange and other citrus fruit, a little spice

taste: crisp and fresh...lots of fresh bananas, very clovey, toasted wheat throughout...a nice wit, but not up to bells par

mouthfeel: crisp, clean, fresh, light-medium bodied

drinkability: very drinkable

not a bad wit, just funny timing, but thats bell's

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2005 03:33:49 | More by dirtylou

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.25/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle courtesy of russpowell. Thanks Russ!

5.0%abv listed on the label.

It pours a cloudy yellow colour with about an inch of foam. The lacing is ok for the style.

The smell is...funky and yeasty with good notes of banana and anise with a lemon hop aroma bringing up the rear. It smells inviting to me.

The taste is of wheat, bananas, light lemon zest, and a bit of bread. I like the smell more than the taste for some reason. Maybe the overall flavours come off to me as being bland.

On the low side of medium bodied with low levels of carbonation. At this time, the foam is gone and no more lacing.

Drinkability? It drinks ok but following one bottle with another, if I had one, would not be something I'd do.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2010 18:23:28 | More by Bitterbill

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

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a Bell's imperial pint.
5% ABV, 11509 PKGD 09/27/12

A - Poured, swirled in sediment, and topped off the pint, White Winter Ale is a gorgeous, totally cloudy deep straw yellow color that's crowned by a short-lived white head. The frothy foam sinks to a skim without much of a trace.

S - Crisp as the cold winter air, this beer's aroma has a fresh appeal that's reminiscent of a clean snowfall in the woods. Soft wheat and grainy pale malt support the beer's zesty spice nose which offers faint banana esters, white clay, pepper, coriander, and citrus peel. Aromatic and inviting!

T - Balance is at the forefront of the flavor, reeling the spiciness back and offsetting it with a kiss of sweet pilsner malt alongside the soft wheat and pale base. Banana still seems open in spice though, lightly overshadowing the clay, coriander, and citrus zest.

M - Carbonation cuts through the wheat's smooth, soft feel for a sharp tingle which lasts through the light-bodied beer's body to it's dry and crisp finish.

O - Bell's Winter White might not be a hearty, rich, high alcohol brew loaded with holiday spice, but this classic features just enough heft and yeast profile to provide a witbier unlike it's summer counterparts. When you're looking for an escape from the bold and strong beers of the season, look no further.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 00:17:51 | More by BeerFMAndy

francisweizen

Australia

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy, wheat beer like yellow gold with a nice head of white froth. Aromas of wheat, coriander, lemon, orange, and your typical wit-like aromas. Taste is simple, one-dimensional and totally wheaty wit. Orange peel, wheat, a nice yeastiness, and citrus fruits. Mouthfeel is creamy and nce and the drinkability is good as well. A 4 star wit from bell's brewing.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2005 00:46:52 | More by francisweizen

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

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Server was from a 12oz bottle.

Poured a medium and hazy golden color with a smaller sized white head. Aromas of stronger yeast, bananas and some spices. Tastes of wheat, yeast, lightly fruity and spices. Body was on the lighter body.

Notes from 7/20/05

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2008 01:12:26 | More by hopdog

Brent

Kentucky

3.28/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Very hazy, with an unusual appearance, a cross between orange and grapefruit juice. Something funky in the aroma that was a touch off-putting at first. Very much the classic spiced Belgian witbier, substantial yeast and spice flavors. According to the bottle, this is a wheat with seasonal spices - quite frankly I was a bit let down - not that there is anything wrong with the beer, just that I don't detect anything that particularly distinguishes this beer from the rest of the spiced wit pack. A nice-enough beer, but it seems a poor choice to tout as a winter seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2004 00:31:07 | More by Brent

blackie

Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

tried a couple times, never rated, sixer picked up by the roommate

a: into my allagash wit glass yeast and all, the opaque golden-yellow ale glows under light, capped by a bone white head that recedes to a thin layer

s: yeasty with dried citrus rind upfront on a body of clean wheat malt, crisp and grassy noble hops, mildly spiced, delicate clove, green banana, soft and just a touch doughy

m: medium-high carbonation, body light but not thin

t: clean wheat body carries chalky yeast, dried lemon, underripe banana, and a papery noble hop flavor, not much to it but there is a nice balance here, starts and finishes dry, slightly above average

d: plenty drinkable over a single, but lacking enough character for a repeat

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2009 01:25:16 | More by blackie

alexgash

Connecticut

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

Bright, lemon yellow body with adequate yeast haze visibility. Head is cloud white, and started big, but didn't last long. Husky, yeasty wheat malt aromas dashed with lemony orange, clove, and light coriander. Smells how a witbier should, even if it is a little mild. Milky wheat malt flavors start out, but are quickly joined/overpowered by yeasty citrus. Tart, acidic lemon and orange juice refreshingly take us into the mildly candy-sweet, spice-tinged, yeasty finish. Medium bodied, with a milky, smoothie feel up front, followed by a refreshing, acidic bout of carbonation, and then back to the smoothie. Another good beer from Bell's.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2005 04:27:20 | More by alexgash

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Decent, interesting beer. Poured with a decent, foamy, frothy, nice sized head and lots of lace. Color is a very cloudy light amber. Aroma is malty, yeasty, wheat, and a little fruity. Flavor's about the same, fruitiness more pronounced. Great body and carbonation. Easy drinking. Can actually pick up on the qualities of the different yeasts. Could be a session.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2009 03:32:45 | More by drpimento

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.18/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I got this beer from landrewg, thanks!

12oz bottle served in a pilsner glass.

L - slightly hazed yellow color with a short white head that thinned to a ring.

S - wheat beer aroma with a little lemon scent.

T - light lemon zest but mostly malted wheat.

F - light bodied with good carbonation.

D - it goes down easy.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2010 01:24:00 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Man bells is pretty awesome. I had their variety pack and didn't hate any of them so when I found an old winter ale I mixed and matched it in my sixer!

A - Hazy golden in color with a decent head. Hefeweizen?
S - Some banana, clove, and citrus sort of like a... Hefeweizen?
T - Sight bitters and citrus with a mild banana taste. decent
M - Light in fact too light for a winter ale.
D - I am not too sure. I like the porter or brown ale better but this one makes my bells top three (of five)

Overall I seem to wonder like everyone else why this is a winter ale? It's not a big beer or doesn't have any decent spice tones to it that makes it seasonal. I am so confused...

BTW it's 5 percent by volume not 4.5 someone should really keep track of the ABV...

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2010 05:59:51 | More by DrDemento456

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle into Selin's Grove Brewing goblet on 1/3/08.

A - Poured a very cloudy light orange body with a bit of carbonation and a whispy white head that vanished almost immediately, giving way to a thin ring of film around the rim of the glass. No lacing whatsoever.

S - Classic wheat beer aroma with plenty of clove, yeast, bubblegum and banana. Bit of a spicy aspect as well, and some breadiness as it warmed up.

T - Standard wheat beer flavors with a bith of spicy, yeasty tang. Clove and bubblegum give way to lots of banana at the end with an almost bready finish with a touch of lemon zest.

M - Medium body with very lively carbonation. Chewy texture that leads to a prickly, somewhat gritty finish.

D - Super easy to drink and well-balanced wheat beer. A bit heavy on the carbonation, but very flavorable nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2008 01:58:36 | More by ffejherb

Vancer

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A pure session brew from Bell’s, this beer made for all ranges of imbibing experience. Not powerful, but still with a gentle flavor pull.

A hazy butterscotch color, and a surprising fast dying white head. Some bubblegum, clove and nutmeg in the aroma, but hard to find. A juicy sweet orange start, with winter spices and a nice hop pop to balance it out, It’s just not as strong with the flavors as I would have liked it to be.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2007 16:52:32 | More by Vancer

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served as a hazy pale light yellow colored beer with massive white puffy head.
Smell is prominent for wheat, and spices.
Taste presents with an excellent interpretation of the style. A nice citrus flavor combines with a firm clove spiciness.
Nice refreshing ending.
An easy drinking beer. More suited for a hot summer afternoon than a cold autumn day.

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2007 23:25:59 | More by tgbljb

mynie

Indiana

4.3/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a pretty gold with a decent head, but not hazy at all for a wit.

Smells like quite the wit, though, with big huge spicy wheatmalt letting through nodes of white pepper and cloves.

Tastes like wonderfully overpowering wheatspice. Big cloves, all spice, ginger, corriander, and white pepper against a sugary background.

Hell yeah. I always like spicy wheat beers more on cold days than on hot ones. This is a great idea and a wonderfully brewed beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2006 04:41:56 | More by mynie

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a cloudy light brown color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is mild, some spices and citrus. Taste is good, light flavors of citrus and spice. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and goes down with ease. Overall this is a quality beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2009 18:25:20 | More by tone77

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I witbier in winter, slightly odd, but ok im in. I always pick up one of these a year and since we just got 2 feet of white stuff in PA, this seems fitting. Nice label.

Faded yellow haystack before the dregs, tangerine/orange with yellow after the cargo plunges into the sea. I prefer the latter. A medium build of loose cream colored foam reaches more than a inch but leaves no lacing.

Smells leap out in true wit form with a shot of coriander, some strong yeast, a orange slice and some outside harvest scents. I like the minimal clove action. Simple and deep.

Tangerine and oranges with a nice yeast component giving off a bready aftertaste. Before that is the predictable coriander and other spices. Get some banana with warming and some lemon drops. I like how this is citrus forward rather than relying on the spices which are there but kind of under utilized.

The feel is there and light with low but nicely leveled carb. Goes down smooth and all to easy. A bit of a grainy and hayish aftertaste. Im not a big wit guy but I would not mind having a few anytime of year. I like how this comes out in winter keeping away from the onslaught of wit's in summertime, I just wish they made another batch for the summer with a nice summer themed label.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2009 00:02:51 | More by onix1agr

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

The beer poured into the glass hazy pale golden with a white frothy low head which lasted well enough to lace the glass.

The aroma was wheat with a light bit of citrus thrown in for good measure. Some light clove character was also present. Finally some DMS (corn) character was notable.

The flavor was light and enjoyable with a nice wheat flavor and a light bit of citrus coupled with a light clove spice. The beer started on the palate slightly sweet but had enough citrus and spice to balance toward the finish.

The finish was dry with lasting wheat character, very slight citrus and fleeting spice. The body was medium with a moderate level of carbonation which led to a creamy mouthfeel. The light character which would not cause this to be a standout, made it ultimately extremely drinkable and thirst quenching.

12 ounce bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2006 22:12:54 | More by GCBrewingCo

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a cloudy to hazy light to medium golden yellow in color with some light amounts of orange highlights and moderate amount of gentle visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall white head that slowly reduces to a small patch of medium sized bubbles, a very thin film covering almost the entire surface of the beer, and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of wheat with light to moderate notes of citrus and spices (mostly coriander). Very subtle notes of banana/clove.

T: Light to moderate flavors of wheat with just a touch of bready malts. Lightly sweet with notes of coriander and citrus (specifically orange peel). Almost a touch of lemon pepper in the finish and banana/clove.

M: Light bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: Easy to drink and enjoyable - light in mouthfeel and with pleasant flavors and aromas. Definitely able to be a session beer. Some aspects of a hefeweizen in addition to the traditional witbier flavors/smells.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 00:13:05 | More by dbrauneis

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Here’s a hazy, pale yellow-colored liquid. The head is unfortunately flat. Minimal to non-existent lace. The aroma is a refreshing mix of pepper, lemon, sweet spices, baking bread, melons, and bananna. The taste has a lot of citrus and yeast, along with a little spice. It’s a moderately sweet, but very spritzy and carbonated beer. With a fairly medium body, this is actually a little more full than necessary for the style. The finish is a little tart and palate-cleansing. All in all, this isn’t my choice for a winter beer, but it’s decent despite a few flaws.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2007 10:48:46 | More by Suds

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

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - milky yellowish gold with a very short-lived head, no lace. Not much happening here.

Aroma - plain and grainy at first, then some banana and yeast emerge, picking up the nose significantly. Settles to a light banana smell.

Taste - standard grainy flavor followed by banana and yeastiness. There is a little hop balance on the tail end, too. Aftertaste develops clove and allspice notes at times, pretty tasty.

Mouthfeel - above average carbonation, helps to highlight some of the spiciness in the flavor. Slightly full feeling in the mouth.

Drinkability - a tasty wheat beer from Bell's, I could recommend it as above average.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2005 16:39:45 | More by brewdlyhooked13

billab914

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a perfect pint glass.

Pours a hazy bright yellow with a fluffy white head that disappeared quickly.

Aroma is wheat and citrus, perhaps orange and lemon. Some spiciness as well, coriander mostly.

Taste is zesty and citrusy at first followed by the spiciness and coriander. Moderate bitterness as well.

Mouthfeel is light with above average carbonation.

Drinkability is good, drinks more like a warm weather beer to me but that isn't a bad thing.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2009 19:47:10 | More by billab914