Bell's Winter White

It seemed appropriate to try the Bell's Winter White Ale the other day, given all the white stuff I had to trudge through to get to a bar to watch the Eagles play. I seriously wanted to post signs around my neighborhood that read "It's called a shovel. Get one and use it".

However, I'm not writing to discuss the laziness of some people. I'd much rather write about the beer, because it was quite good.

According to Bell's, this is "a wheat ale brewed with American wheat and a proprietary blend of Hefe and classic Belgian-style yeasts." This is a nice beer for someone who likes witbiers, but wants something a little more complex in the colder months.

It poured a clear, pale yellow. The smell was fruity and spicy - coriander and clove. The taste was the same - citrusy with spiciness and coriander flavors coming in, too. There was also some bitterness from the hops, which added a nice touch.

For a lot of people, this may not be the winter beer they turn to on the coldest of days. But I guess not everyone faces the same winters we do here in the northeast, and this would be a great beer for a mildly cold day. Speaking of, a friend of mine lives in Florida. She told me that when it gets below 70, people pull out coats and hats. I think she said scarves, too. That's just crazy! I was shoveling in 20 degree weather without a hat on and felt fine. Then again, I was shoveling (which is some good exercise as attested to by the pains in my upper back and arms) and so was probably angry about the shoveling and not really feeling the cold. But still.

It may not seem like it, because what I wrote is pretty cut-and-dry, but I really did enjoy this beer. I was with a girl friend of mine, and she liked it a lot, too. It's extremely easy to drink - only 5% ABV - and is definitely worth trying.