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

Brian700

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I've been drinking this beer for years. Time for an update on my review. this beer pours and orange color with foamy white head when poured right. The head usually disappears a while after the pour. It smells of fruity esters, citrus, & yeast. The taste pretty much follows the nose. There is a definate fruit presence. Orange and also a yeasty flavor that is rather nice. Maybe my taste buds have changed over the years but this beer taste a little more yeasty than it had in years past. Good mouthfeel and overall a very drinkable beer. I consume more Oberon than any other beer ever. A beer like this can make Michigan winters real long since this is a seasonal summer brew.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2005 07:24:30 | More by Brian700

asabreed

New York

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a pint glass at Bado's in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

A great name for a beer, and I've been excited to try this one for a while. And now that it's summer, let's do it.

Appearance: I expected this to be more yellow than orange for some reason, but it seems to be more orange in color, and that makes for a more beautiful beer in my opinion. Hazy, with a nice head that stays close to the top of the glass with the pour and also stays nicely on top of the beer with each sip.

Smell: Some herbal tones, grassiness, malt, yeast, zest, some sweetness. However, it seemed pretty unbalanced, and the amalgam wasn't as cohesive as I wanted it to be.

Taste: You're damn straight you should be drinking this in summer, and I wouldn't want to consume it at any other time. Here the taste is more balanced than the aromas, as the sweetness of the malt comes through mostly at the beginning, with the zest following closely, finally leaving a slight hop bitterness into a balanced malt sweetness. Though this could be more interesting, it's done well, and it's very refreshing.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied, and though I wish it was creamier, it's still quite nice. Seems to become a bit less palatable as it warms, but only slightly. I wouldn't want it ice cold, but I wouldn't want to drink this from the cellar either of course.

Drinkability: There are other beers I'd rather have than this, though it's still a great treat and surely something to be drinking on a summer day for a refresher for both body and taste buds. With some more care and attention this could be a damn fine beer, but as it stands it's good. Not something I'm going to buy a case of, but something I'll definitely try again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2005 19:11:20 | More by asabreed

jasonpeckins32

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a pint glass with an orange wedge. A cloudy pale gold color with a decent white head that leaves nice lacings around the glass. It smells citrusy, a lot like oranges. Also smells of strong of hops, and some wood-like notes. This beer tastes of mildly bitter hops at first, followed by a lemony-orange flavor that is finished with a warm bread taste. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied. This one makes a wonderful summer beer. Definitly worth a try!

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2005 19:00:30 | More by jasonpeckins32

SupaCelt

Michigan

3.6/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The appearance was of a super cloudy, copper toned, glass full of sludge. A fresh keg spewed forth this less than ready to be served offering. It had a tannish wheat style head and produced no glass garnish. It just was not looking like a proper way to start the Oberon season.

The nose had orange peel scents and yeasty accents. Smells light and wheaty.

The taste was just unimpressive. I hope this glass was just a premature serve, because this was not the stuff I once knew. There was an unpleasant bitterness that didn't fit the picture quite right. It is hard to characterise. Watery and off bittered with no help of a sweet backbone. WTF? Disappointment to be sure.
I remember this particular beer being a heck of alot mo' betta around the turn of the century ( maybe 98, 99, 00 ). I used to look forward to its arrival during those days. Yeah, it was about the only micro I had ever dipped into in those dark ages. Malt liquor and other macros were my bread and butter and Oberon was my only trump card. Still, I think it has depreciated in character and taste since then based on the last few sixers I've drained. Now I had a crummy glass off tap too. I am shocked and hurt. I want my Solsun back! I have hope.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2005 07:59:08 | More by SupaCelt

soper2000

Texas

2.8/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

From scrawled notes:
Arrives at the table with some doubts. The beer is a super light, almost yellow orange but with a decent head, which quickly recedes. Aroma is of malt and wheat. I don't get many bannana or hop notes from the nose. Taste is well balanced but just lacking something for me. Starts grassy, has a little citrus kick in the middle and finishes with wheat accents. Mouthfeel seems a little too thin in my opinion. While it's very drinkable, this just does nothing for me. In a way I was hoping for beer more in the vain of Gumballhead, but what i got was more crossover beer/Berghoff-esque. Will try again, but I'm not too excited about it.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2005 01:49:54 | More by soper2000

lackenhauser

Maryland

3.8/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Saw this in the store but shyed away from it since Im not the biggest wheat beer fan around. Went to dinner that nite and it was the only decent thing on tap. Poured a nice lite hazy orange color. Not a lot of aroma-slightly floral,almost a touch grassy. Nice crisp flavor-touch of citrus. Some fruit notes in there but I cant honestly say what kind. Very well balanced and refreshing. Good summer beer or a great alternative to anything heavier you might have with a meal.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2004 22:20:50 | More by lackenhauser

donnebaby

North Carolina

3.23/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served very cold. Cloudy light gold color with a milky thin froth. Nose was sweet pear.

Basic taste, with some light toastiness in the aftertaste.
Shallow carbonation. Smoothed out as it warmed.

Not too impressed with this beer, which seemed to be a basic wheat summer brew. Good looks and nose, but not even very drinkable. Would've liked a little more of a thick mouthfeel.

Will have to try this beer again.

Serving type: on-tap

09-07-2004 18:36:08 | More by donnebaby

99bottles

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at KClinger's.

Apperance: Body is a very hazy yellow-peach color and has a foamy, rocky head of about an inch with below average retention.

Smell: Interesting. A dry and hoppy breath of Saaz and some citrus flavors of lemon and orange.

Taste: This is a unique beer. It's like a witbier but not quite. The taste has light spicy nutmeg, some clove, and loads of citrusy orange and lemon and a really odd sweet aftertaste. It's like cake-mix. It's um, different. Yeah. Different.

Mouthfeel: Nice and light, like a witbier ought to have. The taste gets in the way though.

Drinkability: I could see these going fast if it's your style. But it's just a little too strange for me. But, I did finish my pint unusally fast, trying to figure this one out. So, drinkability is good.

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2004 17:34:25 | More by 99bottles

Southernbrew

Georgia

3.13/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at the Hopleaf in Chicago.

Nice looking light orange color, average head.

Big yeast and light citrus aromas, so far on target for a wheat beer.

Very creamy, little carbonation. Very light flavors in every department. Yeast and orange flavors are most noticable but not particularly strong.

Not too impressive, I was excited to try a Bell's product, but I probably should have picked something else, pretty boring.

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2004 16:49:17 | More by Southernbrew

alexgash

Connecticut

4.2/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I must say that I like this beer much more on tap than in bottle--and I'm not generally one to make a huge deal out of the serving. With that said, out of the tap comes a lightly hazy golden lemonade body with a wispy white head. Smells of snappy wheat malt, with refreshing citrus hoppiness and yeasty character throughout. Taste is solid, crisp, wheaty malt up front with a light biscuit element. Mones into a refreshing, almost sour citric hoppiness. Some yeasty taste. Finish is citrus bitter tang. Medium bodied, yet thirst-quenching and a great summer beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2004 02:31:56 | More by alexgash

assurbanipaul

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a hazy, cloudy pale yellow with a medium head. Aroma of sweet cream butter and caramel.

Taste is the same as the aroma: Fluffy, buttery, light biscuity taste with caramel, vanilla and honey. Light wheaty flavors but, surprisingly, no yeast. Also surprising is how not-cloying this beer is, as it could very easily have fallen over the sweetness edge.

Velvety smooth, silky texture -- it's like a carnival in my mouth! Very drinkable, could stay with this one all night. Classified as a weizen but impresses me more as a hybrid cream ale. Best of the Bell's products I've tried, and that's pretty impressive.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2004 21:52:53 | More by assurbanipaul

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From the tap pours a hazy golden color liquid with a white foamy head. The head did not stay very long, and there was minimal lace on the glass. Smell was a wonderful combination of oranges and spices. Tastes grainy, slightly sour with some zestyness to it. Seems like corriander or another spice is in this, almost like a Belgian Wit, but not quite. The finish was very yeasty, and seemed a bit off to me. It almost seemed sandy at the end. Light body, and probably could have used more carbonation. Overall, this is not bad, but something about the finish just didn't seem right to me. Could be refreshing, I may try this one again in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2004 13:34:00 | More by Bierguy5

beergeek279

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Served at Kelly's in a pint glass. The color was golden, with a wispy white head. The smell was a very slight wheat and yeast. The taste was a nice citrus, with a slight clove taste, and a strong yeastiness to it. Mouthfeel seemed a bit undercarbonated for a wheat beer. As for drinkability, this would be a very nice session beer and could have quite a few of these.

A fine beer for this upcoming summer. A nice, refreshing treat that I probably will have quite a few of. Thank you Larry Bell!!!

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2004 01:05:07 | More by beergeek279

JackTheRipper

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Hazy yellow in color with a somewhat thin, sticky head.
S: Slightly yeasty~wheaty at first. Hop aromas are a fairly pronounced floral smell.
T: Lemon zest over the whole palate, which I'm thinking it tied in with getting a big noseful of the hoppy aromas. Hops are crisp and sharp, with a sweet, malty finish.
M: Medium in body with a nice dry finish. No real lingering aftertaste noted.
D&N: Just a flat out awesome summer beer. Refreshing as hell, with really nice aromas and flavors. Well done, Larry!

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2004 13:10:32 | More by JackTheRipper

cerevisiaephilus

Michigan

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Well this is a strange wheat beer indeed. Tastes more like a trippel to me, but a little on the weaker side. I got some very heavy fruit notes in the nose, but more reminiscent of a belgian than a wheat beer, heavy ester notes that seem lighter in a wheat beer. Very sweet heavy fruity taste, not very good for the style, but I don't care, I think this is more of a wheat tripppel or something like that than a wheat beer proper. I drank four of them in a row after a couple Optimators on draft, so I'm fairly drunk, but I would say this is a drinkable beer that I will return to. Again, not very good for the style, too sweet and not 'wheaty' enough, but very interesting beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2004 06:42:32 | More by cerevisiaephilus

Redrover

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this on tap at the twisted spoke in Chicago. The beer was a nice hazy rusty yellow. Nice nose with some spicy notes and a clear malt/grain aroma.

Very good summer beer. I liked the subtle hopping and the fresh taste of malts/wheat. Beer did not have much of the banana/clove taste, but did have a hint of lemon in the background.

Very easy drinking beer with a fresh bracing mouthfeel. I’m glad this beer is becoming more available as it is always a welcome sight.

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2004 15:38:51 | More by Redrover

ngandhi

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Light and not very grainy on-tap with a distinct noble hop character that makes this the ultimate summer beer. Somewhat floral, but moreso soothing than anything else. While the bottles have varied from ambrosia to wet bread, the draught has been consistent. Oberon is somewhat spritzy, but has enough malt character to prevent this from washing out. While Three Floyd's Gumballhead challenges, defies, and excels beyond the style of a pale American wheat, Bell's Oberon is the benchmark and few can rival its subtle craft.

Relax, relax.
ng

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2004 19:58:25 | More by ngandhi

DrunkMcDermott

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Served on-premise at KBC. Cloudy, good color but no real head. Lemony flaver, certainly sptrizy and refreshing. KBC's taproom, the "Eccentric Cafe," though, leaves a little to be desired. Exposed brick just makes it seem cold, not much of crowd (of course it was a football Sunday and they had no TV). Seemed to be run by artsy college students.

Serving type: on-tap

12-08-2003 14:40:16 | More by DrunkMcDermott

goindownsouth

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very intriguing. I am generally not a Weissbier type, but this one just drew me in. The color, foggy and clouded, was yellow as yellow could be. There was a head...for a little while...but then it was gone. Often with brews of this style, one tends to be overwhelmed by the earthiness or complexity and depth, but I was not in this case. It goes down smooth and is quite refreshing and palate clensing. This could go well with a myriad of foods. Seek and ye shall find.

Zum wohl!

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2003 16:29:31 | More by goindownsouth

beerguy101

California

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Light gold color. Medium head. Aroma is fruity and sweet. A medium bodied American Wheat ale. Malts are fruity and slightly sweet. Hops are fairly floral. Well balanced. Very nice wheat beer. Light and refreshing. Flavorful wheat beer. Very nice. Mild tasting yet, so well constructed wheat beer. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2003 02:31:01 | More by beerguy101

Elemental

Oregon

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The color is wonderful, nice and pale but hazy with a slight orange hue to it. There is a nice medium amount of head, with a wonderful aroma. Nice and wheaty with a grassy earthy smell. As I kept drinking I noticed more and more fruity (orange) smells coming out. The taste is slightly tart with a nice body. Good mild hop flavor and bitterness which is what you expect from the aroma Overall a pretty good beer (and I am not a Hefe drinker, but of all the hefes I have tried this is on of the better ones out there)

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2003 01:01:47 | More by Elemental

freed

Oregon

4.33/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A light, dry, transparent straw color, quick head. Smells of the yeast, and an unleavened bread feeling takes over. The taste is very pleasing, much like the bread. Somewhat dry feel with a nice bitter taste and a fresh citrus quench. One of the best Wheat's I've had.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2003 16:24:53 | More by freed

jaz

Indiana

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear bright golden color with moderate lace and head. Aroma was malty with somewhat pungent yeast smell. No aroma of hops at all. Taste was smooth and malty, with a bread doe flavor, and a dry mouthfeel. No apparent esters were noticeable that are typically found in wheat beers, which was disappointing. Nice beer, but a little dry and plain.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2003 09:40:27 | More by jaz

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

clvand0

Kentucky

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a very orange color with a medium white head and moderate lacing on the glass. The aroma is filled with hints of citrus and other fruit along with wheaty characteristics. The taste was surprisingly low in wheat and very smooth. This is one of the first Bell's beers that I've really enjoyed drinking and I would recommend this to most people.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2003 22:40:24 | More by clvand0