Bell's Wheat Love Ale

Beer:  Wheat Love Ale (WLA)

Brewery:  Bell's

Date:  November 15th, 2013

Style: Wheatwine

ABV: 8%

Similar To:  Strong hefeweizen, Hoegaarden Grand Cru.

Description:
It's no secret to anyone who's spent any time drinking with me that I'm a fan of pretty much everything put out by the Bell's Brewery headquartered in Galesburg, MI.  Since I discovered their beers about a decade ago, I've been consistently impressed by the quality and variety of their offerings, even the more widely available ones such as their Third Coast Ale, Oberon, and my wife's favorite Two Hearted Ale.  I recall with great chagrin when Bell's was temporarily unavailable in Illinois starting in late 2006 due a long-standing feud with their distributor.  Thankfully, this drought only lasted for about a year and in 2007, Bells was back with a vengeance and a much wider distribution than it had previously within the Chicago area (at least to the best of my recollection).  The best way I've found to experience the best of what Bell's has to offer is by visiting their Eccentric Cafe in Kalamazoo, MI, for an evening of enjoyment and brews which you won't find anywhere else.  What their food menu lacks in glamor, it more than makes up for in affordability and heartiness.  Mrs. Beer and I have even spent a couple of her birthdays there, making a night of it with good friends from the Chicago area.

It was with this considerable personal pedigree that I obtained a bottle of Bell's Wheat Love Ale from West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, and enjoyed it at home this evening, served chilled in my favorite style-agnostic vessel, the New Glarus tasting glass. 

Taste:
My first impression was how smooth it was for an 8% beer of a style which invites comparison to barley wine.  Surprisingly light and drinkable, I suspect that a pint or two of this could easily sneak up on me unawares.  Nice, light effervescence, with no noticeable fruity taste or smell.  Overall a very pleasant experience, and one that I'd recommend if you like either wheat beers or strong ales, or both.  The closest similarity I could recall was to Hoegaarden Grand Cru, though without any of that beer's floral or fruity qualities.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (out of 5)