Bells Oarsman Ale

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Wheat Ale
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Serve in Shaker, Weizen

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Not my cuppa,’ but I do really like the label art. Nose was wheat with a dirty ass pour...penny from tha lane. Taste is tart and bitter, dry, and sickenly heavy with wheat-ness. More of a cross of a Berliner Weiss and I guess it’s well done. I think for fans of this type of brew, it’s above medium range but nothing to Divinci Code to.

12oz bottle. rating off of giving this one a 2nd chance.. hay bale yellow in color. barnyard aroma, biscuit and grain. picked up on the wheat on the palate. watery, bland grainy flavor. stop it.

Sorry, but this is easily the worst Berliner Weisse I’ve ever had. On tap at RFD DC. Comes a hazy, straw yellow with a thin, cloudy white head. The aroma is, well, non existent, lightly soapy, light vegetables. Flavor is thin, light grains, light grass. Mostly watery and watery on the end. Where are the citrus rind flavors and aromas? Where’s the tart, puckering nature of a Berliner Weisse? I’m surprised this was as bad as it was coming from Bells. This was a Hoegaarten rip off, plain and simple. I’m going to go chug a Kalamazoo stout to remind myself that Bells is good.

UPDATED: SEP 10, 2010 On tap at Bells Fest. I really had high hopes for this one because I love the style so much. Overall, its a bad wheat beer. It has no BW characteristics and does not even have a good wheat base. It seems way off to me. Anyways, keep kicking ass Bells!! This is one of few that are par/sub-par!!! Keep up the good work!!!

Dan’s Bachelor Party Extended Weekend Rating #36 of 90. On tap at the Eccentric Cafe in Kalamazoo. Pours light pale yellow with a light malt and very low hop taste. Tasters are good for something, but this one isn’t it.

Poured with a light fizzy head that disappears quickly, looks pale later yellow, sweet, wheat aroma, taste is bitter, sweet, not that great. Disappointing coming from Bells.

12oz bottle, purchased from Dutch’s for $1.67. very pale yellow color, totally clear. Minimal white head. This has to be drunk two big gulps at a time to get any aroma out of it. This is how it’s designed - as a session beer, it should be drunk quickly. At 4%, it’s safe to do so. But at $1.67, it’s still premium on the wallet, and I’m not so sure if it’s worth it. $1.33 would be more the sweet spot, but I still wouldn’t buy it, honestly. *Maybe* if it was $7 a 6-pack and I was buying it for macrobrew-accustomed guests. When drunk quickly, it has a citrus-lemon aroma with a skunky back-bone. The carbonation is a bit too strong to do this efficiently, though. Some sweetness. I’ve been trying to rate this one for awhile just for completion’s sake (I am a Bell’s fan), and have accidently purchased the "Lager of the Lakes" at least twice instead of this one. I’ve heard enough mediocre reviews of this one to not be too disappointed, however.

Had this at the Eccentric Cafe recently. Poured a light golden color with a minimal white head. Not much in the aroma... maybe some wheat, and a little citrus. Flavor was fairly bland, and somewhat sour. I didn’t like this at all. I think most of Bell’s beers are phenomenal, but I won’t buy this one again. Bleh.

On tap at Maduro’s in Madison pre-GTMW 2009:

Clean light golden hue with a small fizzy head and minimal lace. The aroma has notes of wet grains, DMS, light fruity hops, and a touch of pepper. The taste is quite faint and short, while you are there you discover a brew with sweet malts and wheat, a touch of citric hops, and a noticeable twangy character, The issue is that you also notice corny DMS tones which ruins the drinkability of this session beer. The mouth feel is ever so slightly lively but much too much thin bodied and does little to make you want more. It is what is is I guess, what ever that is.

Pour is a dull yellow with a large white head. Aroma is not much some wheat i guess. Flavor is a little citrus to start out then comes a wierd sour soapyness. This is a poor beer from a good brewer.