Bells Oberon Ale

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

Serve in Shaker, Weizen

(Bottle) Sampled at the RBSG 2005 in Montreal. Pours a thin, clouded, golden body with a thin, white, lightly-carbonation fed head. Nose of orange juice, milk and morning after campfire wood on a rainy night. Mardly halty, harely boppy. What is this boring lactic grain beer? Its like cream of wheat with less flavour.

Cloudy yellow. Smells of banana and spices - cinnimon, maybe? I couldn't really tell. Dry, red pepper flavor to start. Mellow hop, too, just a touch. Full bodied finish. Very few traditional wheat beer characteristics, for better or worse.

Appearance: Pours a yellow-orange body with a full, foamy head that evaporated rather quickly. Smell: An aroma that’s discreetly wheaty, with only a very, very minor amount of clove and banana. Taste: A brief malt sweetness with hints of orange juice and lemon before a burst of yeasty sourdough kicks in. The taste of freshly grated nutmeg synches up with the light, spicy hop finish. Mouthfeel: Light-bodied. High carbonation. Slightly oily mouthfeel. Drinkability: Lively, smooth, and refreshing. Oh, and I really do appreciate the restrained wheatiness, Bells!

Pours thick for a summer ale, with no head and a murky blonde appearance with lots of large floaties. The bottom of the bottle is coated with a thick layer of white sediment. Smells very citrusy and mildly sweet. Mouthfeel is unusually thick and slightly creamy - flavor is slightly tangy, with a big citrus flavor and a nice malt presence for a summer beer - the finish is slightly bitter and hoppy, but mellows to a mild sweetness in the long term - aside from the appearance, this is probably the best wheat beer I've had yet.

Draft at Cole’s in Buffalo. Pours gold with a thin white head. Light aroma with wheat and trace hops. Medium body. Flavor has a light malt profile with caramel and wheat accompanied by a solid grassy/floral note. Very refreshing and drinkable.

Baby keg. Pours a semi-clear yellow-gold with a mild, white head. Bready aroma with wheat, yeast and fruit. Flavor is fairly sweet with nice malt character and modest hops to balance it out. Light to medium in body with average carbonation. Finishes smooth and somewhat refreshing. Decent.

UPDATED: OCT 8, 2007 In the bottle. This is a pretty honey cloudy golden beer with a thick fluffy white head. The strange thing is that the head has these darker tan splotches on top which I have never observed before in any other beer. Aroma is straw-like with honeysuckle scent. Has a wheaty tangy zesty flavor. Citrus is faint only. The finish is of a grainy wheat with a slight hop bitterness. Pretty good.

UPDATED: OCT 27, 2004 2002 bottle I’ve enjoyed the bottles since before it was called Oberon. Mmmm, Peachy! Gotta love this beer. a wonderful blend of fruit and hops gives the wheat beer an elegant body that sets it apart from just your average wheat. great in the summer and full in body. Has a ton of yeast/wheat presence and the hops produce a fruity flavor. RERATE. I cellared this beer for about 5 months, not long, but I was impressed. A much more mature ale, with a warm alcohol flavor came out. Round and hoppy, yet a short, biting aftertaste arose. Nice straw color. Very desirable. I recommend cellaring this beer for a while and trying it. 2004 draught. Wow, the effects of Winter white can definitely be seen on this year’s version. I think it’s the best yet. Tons of sediment, a lot more agressive yeastiness and plenty more sweet malt. The warm fruit flavors are there in abundance, but the coarseness of texture, the big yeast flavor and slightly sour tinges that remind me of the Winter white, make this more enjoyable for me.