Beer of the Week

Winter has been raging this year in Wisconsin, and I've needed a lot of beer to get through it. Most of them have been of the winter warmer stripe, but I need to mix it up now and again. Variety and beer are, after all, the spices of life.

Kalamazoo Brewing of Michigan is home to the Bell's family of beers. Perhaps best known for their "Two-Hearted" IPA and their "Oberon" summer seasonal, Bell's also makes a winter seasonal, which interestingly enough is a wheat ale called Bell's Winter White.

The Winter White is in the Belgian Witbier style, although in my opinion, it's a little thicker and a little sweeter. If you're going to market a wit as a winter style, those are both good things in my estimation.

Like most Belgian wits, it smells of orange and corriander. It pours a hazy orange color, kind of like a Blue Moon, and has a dense white head that quickly fades away. The mouthfeel is a bit heavier than a normal wit, and the carbonation is nice and noticeable. There is definitely that yeast presence in there (it's a mix of Hefe and Wit yeasts) and a tangy sweetness finishes it out.

I've had better wits, but for an American, and for this "winter-modification" that Bell's has done, it's really quite good. If you need a break from sweet ales and heavy stouts this winter, try out Bell's Winter White.

Links of Interest:

Bell's Beer