Bells Oarsman Ale

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

Serve in Shaker, Weizen

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UPDATED: JAN 27, 2011
++++ RE-RATE 26-January-2011 ++++
12 oz bottle given to me by beastiefan2k, who gave me the bottle with the understanding I would re-rate, so here goes. Batch 9934 which means it was packaged on September 20th, 2010 - making it around 4 months past packaging at time of tasting. Pour is an ever so lightly hazed yellow golden with a fluffy one inch white head that falls slowly with nice lacing. Aroma is soft tasrt lemon, along with a soft wheat earthiness. The aroma is clean and bright. Taste is the softly tart lemon citrus of the nose, blended nicely with the the wheat - this time showing more mineral than earthy. Clean, bright, I really enjoy the subtle citrus bite - really bright and thirst quenching beer. The palate is light to medium bodied, nice active carbonation, and a dry clean brightly tart finish. As it warms, a bit of butter shows up. First time around, I thought this was a pretty run of the mill wheat beer - this time, a really nice quaff-able slightly tart beer. Nice one, thanks Eugene for having me retry this. (8,4,7,4,15 - 3.8)

++++ ORIGINAL RATING 12-September-2010 ++++
4 oz pour at the Flying Saucer beer festival in Kansas City. Pour is a cloudy yellow lighter golden with a loose white head. Aroma is faint, what is there is grainy wheat and only a whisper of lemon peel. Taste is the nose, fairly straight forward grain wheat and very mild sourness. Palate is lighter bodied, nice carbonation, crisp clean finish. Nice enough. (6,3,7,3,13 - 3.2)

From 12-oz bottle, picked up from Heritage Liquors in Maplewood, MN. Pours a clear golden pale colored brew with a creamy white head that has some nice retention and excellent lacing. Aroma of golden grain malt, floral hops, a hint of cotton candy, and some pear. Taste has a Belgian Wit character without the coriander. Slightly tart, golden grain malt with wheat, a hint of clove and some yeast. Finish has a slight tart aftertaste with some wheat, lemon zest and tart pear flavors. Nice for the summer months.

The beer pours avery hazy yellow color with a big head that fades slowly to a small, tight, and well retained head.

The aroma is fresh yeasty bread more than anything, but it’s got some raw bread dough, some mild (very mild) spice, and some citrus fruit.

The flavor is pleasantly but mildly tart with plenty o’ lemon, but not really lemon sourness.... more like lemon zest. Right up front there is a pleasant bitterness that fades fairly quickly. The beer has a general fruitiness that between that lemon zest and that apple rind flavor really takes fruity in a different direction. Yeasty and bready flavors are light but compliment the aroma and flavors of the beer well.
This is not the first, nor the last of these I’ll have. I must say though that I’m enjoying this beer more and more every time I have one.

Very refreshing and tasty.

Very hazy and pale yellow pour with a fluffy white head. Lots of carbonation. Yeasty, barnyard aroma with amount of cereal. Funky flavor with a good amount of cereal. Tart with lots of lemon. Very bitter finish. Really light and easy to drink. Excellent beer and 4.5% one you can drink all day.

12 ounce bottle, Batch #9861, bottled on 8/16/2010. Served in a pint glass, the beer pours a slightly hazy straw gold color with about an inch white head. Head retention is decent, but not much lacing at all. Aroma is wheat and some light citrus (lemon). The brew tastes like tart lemon, wheat, and a little bit of pepper. Mouthfeel/body is light, it’s a bit dry and crisp with low/moderate carbonation. Drinkability is very good, it’s really smooth and refreshing. I think it’s a great choice as a session beer, and it’s also a good brew to drink at the end of a night when I’m looking for something that’s still tasty, but has a pretty low ABV as well.

UPDATED: APR 2, 2012 Tasted at the 2012 St. Louis Centennial Beer Festival from bottle into sampler glass. Poured a hazy, very light golden color with persistent small white head, some lace. Sharp, crisp, somewhat sour, tangy hops flavor, spritzy like champagne. Overall impression is much like Berliner Weiss. Tasty, well-crafted and refreshing. This would be an excellent "gateway drug" for drinkers curious about more substantial sour beers.

The tartness of this beer is good, but makes it hard to drink. I like the color and aroma. This is a good beer for hot weather. I will drink this again.

Bottle, really enjoyed this one, very easy drinking, if I was closer to bells this would be one to drink often for me, very tasty beer. recommend a taste

UPDATED: NOV 18, 2011 Not sure why this is categorised as a wheat ale. It is a Berliner weiss. AROMA: meaty, yeasty, fruity - not an aromatic style, old pubs offer fruit syrups for this style; APPEARANCE: pale yellow, minimal head, minimal lacing, fine bubbles; TASTE: sour; slight malty sweetness - meets expectations for this style; PALATE: slightly spritzy, thin, light - meets expectations; OVERALL: summer beer, nice label, exceeds expectations for the style.

On tap at the Eccentric Cafe 1/29/09. On the tap board " Oarsman Ale- A light ale" I asked the Bartender what this was and his explanation was a light wheat ale. Strong nose of grain, pouring a medium dark yellow with a thin head. A light breadiness in the flavor, though it increases to the end. Light citrus notes as well, and a little dry with a good crisp finish. Good wheat ale.