Bell’s Brewery does it again with another fantastic beer. While they are most well known for their summer seasonal, Oberon, this winter seasonal is almost as good in my book. As a Michigander, I appreciate a brewery that knows how to lessen the pain of a 6 month winter. The beautiful, golden color sets the tone for this wonderful beer. I found myself staring at it for a few moments as I poured it into the glass because I was surprised how quickly the white head disappeared.
This refreshing wheat ale is perfect for a cold, winter day. Its light, crisp taste makes it more of a refreshing beer that you would drink after shoveling the driveway. It’s not a thick wheat beer, but similar to a Belgian style ale. It reminds me more of a summer beer that tastes like drinking a spicy orange. You may be thinking “Another wheat beer?” It’s not one of those plain tasting wheat beers where they dump some orange in to class it up. While it is a simple winter wheat beer, it has great flavor.
Enjoy this beer as you sit indoors and avoid the winter chill. The smooth finish goes down easy and will help you forget the blizzard that ensues. I decided to drink another one rather than scrape the snow and ice off my car. I think I made the right choice.
ABV: 4.5%
Grade: A-
I was a little surprised by your rating. While I wouldn’t pour it out, with all the great winter beers and great Belgians this just came up a little short of both for me. The head went away to fast eroding a lot of the aromatic that I want in the winter, and the yeasty zing seemed a bit unbalanced with the rest of the flavors.
I would give it a high C at best.
If you want a great winter Bells, grab their Porter.