Beer of the Weekend #175: Winter White Ale
Another day, another brown bottle lunch. (I make it seem like it’s a bad thing. Really, I should be ecstatic I can have a beer for lunch.)
On the menu this midday is Winter White Ale, brewed by Bell’s Brewery, Inc. of Comstock, Michigan.
Yes, another Bell’s brew. At the time, I did not fully realize I was buying two winter/holiday beers from Bell’s. Had I been aware of it, I may have opted not to buy Winter White Ale. The cold of December and January is not ideal white ale season, for me at least; plus, I am looking for a more traditional winter warmer for my LV recommendation. However, now that I’m stuck with it I will gladly give Winter White a try.
Serving type: One 12-ounce bottle. The batch code on the back label corresponds to an October 6, 2010 bottling date.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is a cloudy straw/gold. Two fingers of white head developed and dissipated quickly to leave a thin, bubbly lacing and ring around the edge. There was a little bit of sedimentation at the bottom, which I coaxed out and poured into the pint.
Smell: Reminds me of summer. Major clove and lemon/orange zest. There are hints of coriander and just a little bit of honey. There is also the customary, and heavenly, yeast aroma.
Taste: Very balanced and smooth, but no flavors jump out or dominate. However, there is a detectable hierarchy of tastes: the yeast, coriander, and clove spice are most prominent, and underneath those are the citrus elements from the smell.
Drinkability: This beer is very drinkable. Tasty and easy drinking, this is a decent witbier despite the fact it is totally out of season. Bell’s did not do enough to justify offering a witbier for the winter months. I appreciate the effort, but I expect something more unique than something true to style.
Fun facts about Winter White Ale:
-Style: Witbier.
-Price: $1.79/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: The back label and Bell’s website peg the ABV at 5 percent, but it is listed at 4.5 percent on BA.
-Food pairings: BA recommends peppery cheeses (Monterey, Pepper Jack), tangy cheeses (Brick, Edam, Feta), salad, poultry, fish, and shellfish.
-Instead of using the normal age-verification intro page for their website, Bell’s uses a pop-up featuring a somewhat freaky and demonic-looking avatar. It scares me.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
On the menu this midday is Winter White Ale, brewed by Bell’s Brewery, Inc. of Comstock, Michigan.
Yes, another Bell’s brew. At the time, I did not fully realize I was buying two winter/holiday beers from Bell’s. Had I been aware of it, I may have opted not to buy Winter White Ale. The cold of December and January is not ideal white ale season, for me at least; plus, I am looking for a more traditional winter warmer for my LV recommendation. However, now that I’m stuck with it I will gladly give Winter White a try.
Serving type: One 12-ounce bottle. The batch code on the back label corresponds to an October 6, 2010 bottling date.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is a cloudy straw/gold. Two fingers of white head developed and dissipated quickly to leave a thin, bubbly lacing and ring around the edge. There was a little bit of sedimentation at the bottom, which I coaxed out and poured into the pint.
Smell: Reminds me of summer. Major clove and lemon/orange zest. There are hints of coriander and just a little bit of honey. There is also the customary, and heavenly, yeast aroma.
Taste: Very balanced and smooth, but no flavors jump out or dominate. However, there is a detectable hierarchy of tastes: the yeast, coriander, and clove spice are most prominent, and underneath those are the citrus elements from the smell.
Drinkability: This beer is very drinkable. Tasty and easy drinking, this is a decent witbier despite the fact it is totally out of season. Bell’s did not do enough to justify offering a witbier for the winter months. I appreciate the effort, but I expect something more unique than something true to style.
Fun facts about Winter White Ale:
-Style: Witbier.
-Price: $1.79/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: The back label and Bell’s website peg the ABV at 5 percent, but it is listed at 4.5 percent on BA.
-Food pairings: BA recommends peppery cheeses (Monterey, Pepper Jack), tangy cheeses (Brick, Edam, Feta), salad, poultry, fish, and shellfish.
-Instead of using the normal age-verification intro page for their website, Bell’s uses a pop-up featuring a somewhat freaky and demonic-looking avatar. It scares me.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
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