Bell’s Winter White Ale
(Comstock, MI)
Todd Zachritz: 4.0
The respected Bell's presents their venerable winter seasonal beer, a Belgian-style wit. This one pours a hazy yellow-orange with plenty of fine, white carbonation and a little retention. The aroma is definitely of spices (a little clove) and citrus (namely orange). The taste is balanced and mild, with sharp wheat notes and orange zest playing leisurely, with a little spice for warmth. Overall, it is pleasant and enjoyable.
Amanda Smith: 2.5
Bell’s rarely disappoints me, but I’m afraid they’ve let me down this month. The body of the beer is smooth and easy drinking, but the clove taste is so overpowering, I simply can’t enjoy the beer. Unless you really enjoy a good spice, pass on this one.
Jabez Martinez: 5.0
This is my favorite beer, and I can only get it this time of year. I will be stocking up. This beer pours a cloudy yellow color with a bunch of carbonation. It has a fruity aroma with hints of spice. It has a light orange flavor and is a very smooth beer. It is a wit beer, but it is on the lighter side. I can’t get enough of it.
Boulevard Nut Cracker Ale
(Kansas City, MO)
Todd Zachritz: 3.5
This hazy amber ale pours with medium carbonation and only a half-finger of lace on the glass. There is nothing spectacular in the presentation. The nose is spiced, malty, and rich—not bad. Upon tasting, I get more spice, and some tones of fruit and nuts, with a slightly bitter finish. Boulevard has captured some appropriate flavors for the holidays, and this ale is solid, if unremarkable.
Amanda Smith: 4.0
Yummy. This is a wonderfully spicy and rich bitter brew. Perfect for holiday parties, the flavors just lend themselves to that sort of occasion. The downside? Because it’s unfiltered, it’s a bit heavy on the wheat, which in turn makes it a bit heavy on the heartburn.
Jabez Martinez: 4.0
This is a dark amber beer with light hops aroma. I could taste the caramel malt with a little fruit flavor. I enjoyed the light nut flavors, but this beer was my last to review and sort of tasted like the Widmer Brothers Brrr Seasonal Ale.
Widmer Brothers – Brrr Seasonal Ale
(Portland, OR)
Todd Zachritz: 4.0
Ah, Widmer rarely disappoints my taste buds, and this clean red/amber ale pours with an impressive head and a luxuriously thick lace on the glass. The nose is caramel malty with some definitely hoppy flair tucked in there. Impressive. The flavor seems malty at first but with a clean hops finish, which places this more in line with a pale ale. Delicious and worthy!
Amanda Smith: 4.5
A wonderfully sweet caramel candy sensation in a beer! I’m beginning to be a fan of the Widmer Brothers. What I like most is that you can taste the hops, but they are subtle to the sweetness of the beer . . . almost in disguise. The finish is clean and pleasing. This one will be on my Christmas list.
Jabez Martinez: 4.0
This is another dark amber-colored beer with a citrus hop aroma. As in the aroma, it has a heavy hop flavor. I could taste a little sweetness (grapefruit and orange flavors), but I also detected some grassy notes. A somewhat complex beer and very enjoyable.
Goose Island – Pere Jacques 2010
(Chicago, IL)
Todd Zachritz: 3.5
This bottle-aged, living beer is a Belgian-style ale, and it pours a rusty amber (with visible sediment) and a minimal head. I get virtually no lace, either. It’s not really impressive. The aroma is boozy, with hints of dried fruit esters and yeast. The flavor is similar, with notes of candied fruits and crusty bread. It's pleasant but heavy on the palate, and with a strong alcohol kick (8%), this one's a sipper. I like Pere Jacques, but I wonder what it would taste like with a few years of aging to smooth it all out.
Amanda Smith: 3.0
What a bizarre beer! It’s exceptionally yeasty to the nose and has a fruit-drenched-in-alcohol taste on the palate. I don’t dislike this, I don’t think, but I don’t think I’m real partial to it either.
Jabez Martinez: 4.0
This is a cloudy, dark-colored amber tinted beer with decent carbonation. I could smell the Belgian yeast and some fruitiness. This was a very sweet beer, and I wasn’t too sure about it at first, but it grew on me. I really enjoyed it, like most Goose Island offerings. I liked the Belgian yeast flavor also.
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Ratings are given from 1-5. “5” is the best rating a reviewer can give, meaning they were very pleased with the beer and would strongly recommend it. “1” is the lowest rating a reviewer can give, meaning they did not enjoy the beer at all.
