Day 9 of the 3rd Annual Advent-ure Calendar
Day 9: Bell’s Brewery Winter White Ale
This is one we always like to see on our list because it’s from one of our favorite breweries, and it’s not a traditional dark, spiced ale. From their website: “An alternative to dark and heavy winter warmers and stouts, Winter White is a stylish and refreshing Wheat Ale. Fermented with a Belgian ale yeast, this blend of barley and wheat malts yields a mixture of clove and fruity aromas, all without the use of any spices.”
REFLECTIONS
Beard & Broad
Beard: You could slap a summer label on this beer and I wouldn’t know the difference, but I’m completely ok with that. I love winter beers that push the envelope a little bit. Since this beer is super crisp and has that subtle Belgian spice character, it completely works as a cold weather refreshment. Bell’s has some great stuff and this is always up there for me.
Broad: I always look forward to this beer when it comes out but then I’m always disappointed it’s not offered year round. It’s light, delicious and almost citrusy. It tastes like a refreshing wheat beer or even a hefeweizen. It definitely does not taste like a Christmas ale or winter beer. I could easily drink a lot of these.
Adam & Alex
Adam: Like most Bell’s, I’m a fan of Winter White. It’s a hefe/Belgian I’d drink not just in winter but all through the year if it was around.
Alex: I enjoyed Bell’s Winter White. It has a citrusy flavor that is common in a lot of Hefeweizen’s I’ve had in the past. It’s not particularly Christmasy tasting but is something I’d drink outside of the holiday season as well.
Scott & Christa
Scott: A Bell’s wheat ale? Of course I loved this. Their Oberon is one of my favorite wheat beers and I get a very familiar taste from the Winter Ale. It’s not overly spiced, and if I didn’t know this was a winter ale, I would have assumed it’s just a really good, typical wheat beer. After the disaster that was beer #8, I’ve welcomed this beer with open arms.
Christa: I knew I was going to love this beer because it was a Bell’s and a wheat beer. And, I was right. I loved it. But, this is doesn’t taste much like a winter beer to me. I think I know what cloves taste like (to be honest, not a lot of cloves in my food repertoire) and I am not getting any here. It’s just a really good wheat beer. I’d drink it all year long.
Tony & Megan
Tony: The bottle says, “The Winter White Ale is a bright alternative to dark and heavy winter seasonal beers” and that really says it best. I like Belgian wheat ales but never had a “winterized” version before. I enjoyed the winter seasonal twist with slight hints of clove. Even though it’s from that place up north (Lets Go Bucks!) I liked it. It was light, crisp, and refreshing.
Megan: This is the first wheat ale we’ve had and it’s refreshing. It’s light and smooth. I’m getting a hint of cloves but it’s very subtle and doesn’t last. Nothing really popped to me on this but I still thought it was good and it’s one I could drink all night.