Bells Oberon Ale

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

Serve in Shaker, Weizen

Bottle. Pours very cloudy yellow with thin white head. The aroma is of wheat and lemon zest with some bready notes. The flavor is crisp and zesty with a yeasty foundation. Some grapefruity hops are even evident in the finish, but fade into a clean, slightly sweet aftertaste. Refreshing.

Pours with a deep golden body topped by a thin to medium thick, white head with some lacing. It’s slightly sweet and floral with a hint of bitterness and a touch of fruit. Light to medium bodied, smooth and a touch watery.

UPDATED: MAY 8, 2003 Update - I just had this on draft - have to give it another point on Flavor - the spicey/tangyness is more present. Interesting wheat - thick and lot's of "bread-dough" qualities, along with some citrus. I'm not sure if I cared for the hop flavor though.

UPDATED: APR 6, 2007 8/05/2006: I’ve had this in bottles, but most recently I had it on draught. Darker orange in color, very cloudy, moderatly carbonated. Tastes and smells like wheat, a little sweet, good orange/apricot flavor. The draught version seems more mellow or something since it doesn’t seem to have a hop bite to it. Another great Bell’s beer! 22 oz draught, $4.95 at the Winking Lizard Tavern (Crosswoods). Rating 7 3 8 3 15 = 3.6.

4/02/2007: I had a couple pints of this on draught at Fries Cafe (Cincinnati, Ohio) during the Bell’s Oberon Release Party... Bell’s Oberaon has a cloudy orange color with a foamy off-white head. The aroma and flavor contain wheat malt, orange, and a hint of corriander. This beer has a medium body and the mouthfeel is nearly creamy. Bell’s Oberon is a pretty good American Wheat, but it seems to be getting more and more like Blue Moon Belgian Wit everytime I have it. Actually, I used to hate this beer the first time I had it (it used to be quite sour and loaded with spices), but now it’s drinkable... Rating: 7 3 7 4 14 = 3.5.

UPDATED: AUG 18, 2008 Draft, at KBC, Oct. 20, ’03. Cloudy, good color but no real head. Lemony flavor, certainly spritzy and refreshing. KBC’s taproom, the "Eccentric Cafe," though, leaves a little to be desired. Exposed brick just makes it seem cold, not much crowd (of course it was football Sunday and they had no TV). Seemed to be run by artsy college students.
Re-rate: Draft, 2006. I found this on tap at Wishbone, a Cajun restaurant in Chicago’s West Loop, right across from Oprah’s studios, as it turns out. Was able to enjoy it much better here. Nice orange body again, very hoppy and spicy nose. The first taste hits both Saaz and lemony flavor of a wheat beer. My impression is revised upward.
Bottled. Aug. 18, 08. Batch #8613 My first "official" Bell’s purchased since they came back to Illinois: Pours amber-yellow with a fizzy white head. Smell of lemon with a touch of cider, some yeast. Hazy. Toasty malt and wheat flavor, a little citrus taste. Lacks the spiciness I find with other American wheat beers. Orange character arises later on. No distinct hop impressions. Actually a little heavy for summer swilling, but I just bought this sixpack in mid-August; it’ll settle in nicely for fall.

Probably my favorite american wheat. Just the perfect amount of spices to be present, but not overpowering, great with a nice slice of orange and a cool summers night

The first American Wheat I’ve had in a long time and I’m glad it was Bell’s (who in my eyes rarely do wrong). Pours a hazy gold with a frothy short lived head. Aroma of wheat and a little citrus. Tastes like a good pale lager drunk out of a glass that used to have orange juice in it. Doesn’t sound appealing, but it works.

Va BF 07 Draft: Barely detecatable hop aroma. Cloudy golden pour, medium head, but good lacing. Marigold flavor, lightly sweet. Grain and yeast finish.