Bell's Oberon Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

BierStein711

Illinois

4.68/5  rDev +21.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into weizen

Three and a half finger head

Burnt orange and yeast turbid

T: Citrus, orange, apricots: from the whole cone hops
Refreshingly bitter finish!

S: Oranges, yeast, and booze

M: perfectly balanced

Overall, have this beer!!! Buy it and try it on draught as well!!

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 00:51:10 | More by BierStein711

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.65/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Brewed and kegged one week ago (3-25). keg tapped 5 minutes ago.
It's a hotly anticipated sign of spring in the Midwest, the arrival of the Bell's Oberon, and I'm ready for my first, fresh sip of the season.
Color: a thick, opaque yellow/orange body. Tap Oberon is thick and cloudy at the top and the bottom of the keg, but it pours clear after a few a few pints are pulled. Head is nice and white, thick and lasting.
Aroma is delicate, but brimming with zesty citrusy notes, spices, sea-foam. In a nutshell, the tingly orange flavor dominates Oberon's taste profile. Carbonation is low, yeasty component of this unfiltered brew is tasty, tasty, tasty and adds significantly to the supremely delicious and downable mouthfeel.
As with many other Bell's products, the style is not presented clearly in the name or on the label. This used to be called Solsun, until a Mexican Brewery took umbrage. I believe they steal the name from Shakespeare's Fairy King in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." It is described as "an American wheat ale with European ingedients", which still doesn't answer all the questions. Czech saaz hops are used, and imported (from where?)wheat malt, but no curacao zest or coriander are mentioned. That aside, it tastes more like a Belgian witbier than anything else, but, like many Kalamazoo offerings, it belongs in a class by itself.
This beer plays very lightly on the palate, delivering zingy, spicy, and very fruity hops, with an utterly delicate, and thirst-quenching texture. Wheat isn't tasted as strongly as in other wheat beers, goes down very smooth, but still adds considerably to the texture. This is a beer that makes itself at home in the mouth, and makes one quite comfortable during it's stay. Long, delicious finish. Light body. So easy to drink! Everlasting finish!
There are many tasty, thirst-quenching wheats out there, but only one Oberon. The fruitiness really pushes it forward! Supreme acheivement, and a beer I'll be enjoying all summer long!

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2003 17:22:58 | More by feloniousmonk

Loki

North Carolina

4.65/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sampled in a 12 oz bottle.

Poured a cloudy honey color witha a faint head that remained throughout and provided good lacing.

The aromas from Oberon where honey, orange peel, banana bread, cinamon, wheat, and floral hints.

Tastes of honey, citrus, butterscotch, and orange cream. Medium body, smooth, with a faint bitter finishes that goes down very smoothly.

A slightly unique wheat beer, but fantastic and one of my new overall favorite beers.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2003 20:57:47 | More by Loki

ManekiNeko

Virginia

4.65/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

2003 version served chilled in a pint glass.

Appearance: Cloudy, golden yellow with a modest white head. Only retains a small ring of bubbles after a minute or so. No lacing to speak of.

Smell: Buttery, yeasty, and vanilla aromas, with faint orange and honeysuckle if you look for it. Wow!

Taste: A yeasty, bready taste with lemon and orange flavors in the background. Nummy.

Mouthfeel: Slightly buttery mouthfeel, but very light on body.

Drinkability: Oh great beergods, why doth thou taunt me so? Such heavenly ambrosia is only available to me via the kindness of other BA's. There's a certain Joni Mitchell song from the Blue album that pretty much says how much of this stuff I'd love to have.

Again, a hearty thanks to feloniousmonk for opportunity to try this.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2003 06:02:56 | More by ManekiNeko

becktone

Ohio

4.65/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

For starters this beer has a great head, fairly good lacing and somewhat notable head retention. I was expecting more in the way of "the head" with this beer, however it could be my glass. The color of this beer is lemon yellow. It reminds me of the lemon squares that my grandmother used to always make. What really surprises me about this beer's appearance is the clarity of it. I was expecting something much cloudier due to the high wheat content and bottle conditioning of this beer. I was expecting something cloudy, and more opaque, this beer is better described as hazy.

edit: now that the entire bottle is in my glass the appearance is much more appropriate for a wheat beer. Cloudy and Opaque.

Wheat malt is apparant in the nose of this beer. Floral and citrus tones are also apparent in the aroma of this beer. Smells much like one would expect from an American Pale Ale, with the exception of the wheat influence. Hops could be a bit more pronounced in my opinion.

This is a great brew. The distict wheat character is the first and foremost flavor tasted on the palate. After that a floral/citrus hop influence is easily recognized. This beer really hits the spot on a hot summer day. (Kinda going off memmory here, I'm sitting drinking on right now, but I think my tongue got burnt the other day. I remember the taste being very reminiscent of an APA, that was a few days ago when I cracked my first bottle open.)

Medium bodied on the palate, medium carbonation. What else can I say, I don't think that there is anything that could be possibly better on a hot summer day, too bad today isn't a scorcher. This beer is easy to drink, one that I will definitely get more of. Said it enough already, but I can't help but stress how good this beer is on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2006 20:02:31 | More by becktone

DarbyOGill

Wisconsin

4.65/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured into a Duvel tulip glass.

A: Pours a pale gold color with about a finger of white creamy head and it is very cloudy. (Note: I pour the floaties in so this is part of the cloudiness. Another Note: I am not downgrading the score due to cloudiness/floaties because it does tell you to decant, but I like them!)

S: Smells very fruity and bready, not much else to say, has a good nose to it.

T: Strong flavors of wheat hit the palette. Following this is a nice perfectly crisp citrus hops to balance the flavor. I also get a nice yeasty taste from the floaties.

Overall: This is one of my favorite beers. It is immediately replaced whenever I run out. I love the balance and flavors in this beer on a summer day. I squealed in enjoyment when I saw the sticker at the liquor store saying it was back, and I don't squeal often. Perfect outdoor beer (which is why I almost always pick up a pitcher when at the UW Terrace). If you haven't had this beer yet, GET IT!

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2009 06:37:14 | More by DarbyOGill

GossageBrewery

Missouri

4.65/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. This American Pale Wheat Ale poured a hazy lemon color and it produced a very nice white head that has great retention. The lace is average. The aroma is full of soft wheat and pear. The taste of this wheat ale is very nice. It is very drinkable, and it is light in body. The flavor consists of wheat, green apple and pears. There is also a nice hint of floral hops thrown in. Overall it is nice and sweet at the start and finishes crisp and somewhat sour on the backend. This is an awesome summer beer. This might be one of my favorite wheat beers that I have ever tried. I will be stocking up the fridge with this summer treat!

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 23:26:06 | More by GossageBrewery

noahallington

Michigan

4.65/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

One of my favorite beers! A scent of oranges greets you as you pour it out of the bottle. It is a brilliantly clear deep golden color. It has a distinctively wheaty, yeasty flavor, with a bit of hop on the end, rounded with a citrus flavor. The tartness of the citrus notes make it a crisp, refreshing beer, perfect for a summer day.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 22:57:23 | More by noahallington

sharlie

Michigan

4.64/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I love this beer for the summertime. It has a bright dark golden hue along with a lively mouthfeel. It is great for the summertime because it has a very crisp and citrusy flavor. It has a slight finish of yeast and hops. I think that a Oberon is similar to my favorite beer, Blue Moon. Finish the beer off with a slice of orange makes it a perfect beer for a summer day.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2013 11:45:02 | More by sharlie

downeyj4

Michigan

4.64/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

There's a reason why this is the leader of Bell's Brewery. It's a great beer. It's great to drink on a warm day. Your friends drink it too. It's on tap just about everywhere (In Michigan at least...). It comes with an orange, sometimes. There is a great amount of citrus and the Saaz hops really bring it all together. Overall, one of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 03:52:53 | More by downeyj4

irishmoss

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

To me this beer smells, tastes, is summer. Served on the patio of nice little bar in Dublin, OH. The waitress brought the draft served with a orange slice on the rim of the glass. I was apprehensive about the orange at first, so I ordered another one without the orange slice in order to do a side-by-side comparison. I was shocked, the orange sliced beer was actually pretty damn good.
It pours a nice bronze-orange color with a thin white head. The body is a little cloudy, but hey it should be. The taste was fruity, citrus, and breadlike. A remarkably smooth drinking beer that you won't even realize that you drank ten or twelve of them till you get your tab. I recommend this be consumed on a patio in the sun, then well into the night.....

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2003 05:50:24 | More by irishmoss

righthereisay

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

What a great seasonal beer. When I say seasonal, I mean late spring and summer.

The best of the summer beers. I am a stout / dark beer enthusiast, but during the summer, this is as good as it gets. I love the flavor, not light, not too much citrus, it is great for a really hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2009 19:27:14 | More by righthereisay

Beerstorian

District of Columbia

4.59/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Served in a glass, beer purchased a week or so after it came out. This is a great all-around beer. Nice citrusy taste on the front end, with good flavor on the back. A good go-to beer for people who want to have a beer but don't know what they want. Good head retention, nice color.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 13:16:05 | More by Beerstorian

Catherine8189

Michigan

4.59/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Great beer for a good mood with a bright dark golden hue and full, lively mouthfeel. Crisp, citrus flavor is very relaxing with a slight finish of yeast and hops. I love this beer. Wish it was available all year long, but then the opening day would not be aas fun. I equate Oberon to the McRib, in as its scarcity makes it even more desirable. Great Michigan Beer from a great brewery!

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 21:36:29 | More by Catherine8189

aracauna

Georgia

4.58/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Not as much head as a lot of a head as I was expecting, but it does have a nice dark apricot color. The first aroma and flavor that you pick up is apricot. A good bit of it. That's followed by the expected wheaty and malty flavors that start to dominate towards the middle of the glass. Some citric crispness is present througout. Very little bitterness or hop characteristics are present. This is an awesome wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2002 13:19:16 | More by aracauna

Murph

Arizona

4.58/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a super hazy golden with a nice fluffy head that sinks just a little too quickly. Some large yeasties are suspended in this brew. Smell is of floral, slightly spicy hops and some lemony citrus. Sharp lemony/orangey citrus flavor on tongue as well as some nice spicy hoppiness. Some light, bready yeastiness is detectable as well. Crisp and refreshing, this is one of the best summer brews I have had. Very refreshing and extremely drinkable. My only regret is that this beer isn't in circulation down here in VA. Thanks to Deuce for the sample.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2002 09:20:52 | More by Murph

sullysbeer

Michigan

4.58/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Aroma: Fruity Esters, Slightly Sweet with a Pleasantly Clean Hop Aroma.
Appearance: Cloudy, Golden Appearance with a Dense White Head.
Flavor: Malty up front with Huge Fruity Esters Balanced with a Fruity/spicey Hop Bitterness, Probably Saaz Hops. Hint of Biscuit or Bready Flavor From the Wheat Malt. Slight Alcohol Warmth. A lot Fruitier if you Swirl the Yeast at the Bottom of the Bottle and add it to your Glass.
Mouthfeel: Medium-Full Bodied Ale
Overall Impression: Oberon is the First Sign of Michigan Summertime-Thick Humid Air and Mosquitoes. Bell's Launches their Summer American Wheat Beer. Perfect beer for those "Up North" Michigan Nights. This is the Beer that turned me onto Homebrewing. This is probably one of the Best Beers I Have Ever Had.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2006 00:08:57 | More by sullysbeer

gatornation

Minnesota

4.58/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

oberon is so smooth you can easily drink a sixer in a session but at 5.8 ABV you will feel it. it is a superb summer wheat with a saaz hops bite that lingers with floral/ citrus overtones i love this beer from april till october every year. i am fortunate to have bells beers available and reccommend it if your in the midwest to try any or all of the beers from this great brewer.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2007 23:24:12 | More by gatornation

mogul37

New York

4.58/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Have had this one on tap at several bars and restaurants, always served in a pint glass and usually with an orange slice (though I usually separate it from the beer). Sweet smell and taste that goes down very smooth. My favorite beer in this style, since it has more flavor than comparable beers.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2007 04:11:13 | More by mogul37

pb9613

Michigan

4.58/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is the best summer beer brewed in Michigan.

The light golden oarnge color looks like a sunset over Lake Michigan.

The smell has a slight citrus undertone which matches well with a slice of orange. This is the way it is normally served in West Michigan.

The taste is sightly hoppy with a slight citrus undertone.

The beer has a nice thick feel on the palate.

There is just the right amount of flavor so that you can drink several on a summer night and not have beer overload.

A must try summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2008 18:44:21 | More by pb9613

ibashmuck

Wisconsin

4.58/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Purchased a six pack solely on the basis of it's grade here at BA. Medium foam head on a beautiful cloudy gold body. Smells of citrus and banana, with a little floral hint. Taste is near perfection, with the citrus accentuating but not overpowering. Wheat could be just a tad stronger. Very thick on the mouth, like I need a fork to eat it. This is a very, very good brew, among the best American Wheat Ale's I've had.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2008 16:37:23 | More by ibashmuck

Bejogle

Florida

4.58/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I don't understand some of the tepid reviews of this beer, seems people are forgeting to review within the style and are instead reviewing against big beers. That being said, here goes.

A: Pours a hazy orange with a solid finger of head. Great lacing, best I've seen in a wheat.

S: Smells yeasty and citrusy. This is what blue moon wants to be when it grows up.

T: Taste is just like the aroma. Crisp, with great amounts of citrus and some nice flavors from the yeast. Incredibly refreshing, just what you look for in the style.

M: Much thicker body than you'd expect. Carbonation level is relatively low, all leads to a nice smooth feel.

D: Very sessionable, could drink this all night.

Overall a great beer from a great brewery. Luckily it's available year round here in Florida!

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2009 12:04:08 | More by Bejogle

andrewjraab

Michigan

4.56/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A - pours a pale orange with good head at first, that quickly disappears. Decent lacing, not much head retention.

S - orange peels, grains, wheat, bread. A light nose, but smells wonderful.

T - The most amazing blend for a wheat ale. I don't usually prefer wheat ales, but this brew is the most unique and drinkable beer I have ever had in this category. Crisp and refreshing, citrus notes, faint bitterness to close to bite just a bit for some lip smacking goodness.

O - This beer defies the odds for me. I can't place my finger on it. I don't really enjoy any other beers in this category, nor would I choose to drink any in this category. This beer needs its own genre and that would be ass kicking, highly (and dangerously) drinkable summer ale. It is the quintessential american summer ale and is an absolute must try. Note - although it goes against the grain for the beer purist, you must try it with an orange peel. This beer paves the way for the right of spring in Michigan. Amen Bells. Amen Oberon.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 03:40:31 | More by andrewjraab

cretemixer

Indiana

4.55/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I love the cloudy golden color though some may get turned off by it. Not a whole lot of head to speak of. The aroma of fruity undertones hits me immediately. Very smooth taste that is extremely drinkable. A great summer quencher and excellent beer to introduce premium beer to friends. Most wheat beers are served with a lemon wedge, but this one doesn't need it.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2002 07:31:14 | More by cretemixer

Mitchster

Michigan

4.55/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

OG=1.057, 6.0% ABV.

Brewed with wheat malt and Saaz hops.

One of my favorite things to look forward to in the summer, Bell's Oberon is my quintessential summer beer. Poured with the yeast, the lovely brew is milky peach with occasional flocculant clumps of white yeast floating down the side of my goblet. The head is decent sized, but quickly thinning, white in color atop fine bubbles. The retention and lacing are "just" good, which prevents it from getting an exceptional rating for appearance. Carbonation is less than most wits, in the mild to moderate range. Aroma is tantalizing: husky, sweet pale malts, a very fruity ferment with notes of peach, red apples and pears, filling it out is wet, yeasty bread dough and barely detectable alcohol. Hops are barely discernable, if at all. Mouthfeel is unbelievably smooth and creamy for a bottled beer..it covers the tongue and leaves a pleasant lingering sweetness with a wet finish akin to an authentic English Mild. Taste begins with bready malts, has just a smidge of hops balancing out the fruitiness, doughy yeast fills the mouth, ending in a silky smooth, very mild bitterness.

Addenum: I have been drinking this beer for at least 10 years (back when it was called Solsun) and my only beef is that it is the most inconsistent of Bell's brews, even varying between bottles of the same 6-pack. I have tried this about 10 tens this year (2005) and all 10 times it has sucked. If I were to go by this years experience, I would be hard pressed to give it a 2.5. Since the move to Comstock, this is now a yeasty pungent swill. Somebody has fucked up big time. The rating above is based upon my prior tastings, and I can't recommend it any further.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2003 15:06:07 | More by Mitchster