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

MacQ32

South Carolina

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

A - Pours a light lemon/straw golden with lots and lots of sediment, mmm. Decent half inch of near white head, mediocre retention, decent lacing.

S - Sweet caramel and slightly toasty malts, grassy, lemon, a little biscuity, wheaty, and slightly yeasty.

T - Grainy to grassy/lemony, biscuity and then wheaty/spiced (coriender?) at the finish. Citrus flavors linger from begining to finish.

M - Lighter bodied, very very drinkable, medium/appropriate carbonation.

O - Not really my favorite style of beer but definitely a solid/refreshing beach/lawnmower beer. Well balanced, one of the beast light pales/wheats ive had easily

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 03:13:32 | More by MacQ32

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Drank this out of a mini-keg on the fourth o' july.... so on-tap, right?

Pours a great looking unfiltered orange-gold. Smell is spice, wheat, pepper, with uted floral/grassy hops. Taste is much the same: wheat, spice, flowers, grass, pepper. Very easy to drink, moderately carbonated, with a light feel.

Pretty good session beer, especially in the summer time.

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2012 00:45:00 | More by jimmah120

Bitter_Echo

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy yellow-ish cream with incredible invited 'ick'. Yumm. Smells saison-like in a way, fresh, rural, bready; off notes muted and inviting. Taste is malty, grain, slightly bitter, creamy. Hinting notes of banana and lemon citrus. Some sustain. Mouth-fell is creamy, substantive and refreshing with fair to medium carbonation.A good solid, well constructed craft beer. I've looked at this for year never trying, but want to discover other hoppy ales more often than not so haven't reached for this until now. Yet it is a well constructed American ale derived from hefe-weizen style, and I see that shouldn't ignore.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 23:52:22 | More by Bitter_Echo

CHickman

New York

3.53/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours cloudy yellow color with a massive 2 finger frothy snow white head that faded slowly and left good lacing and rings sticking to the sides.

Smells of wheat, toasted grains, hay, grass, lemon, light floral hops, biscuit and yeast; pretty grainy for a summer beer and lacking the typical lemon and fruity essence.

Tastes of wheat, toasted grains, hay, grass, lemon, light floral hops, biscuit, light caramel, tea leaf, yeast, herbs and spices like coriander; it's grainy for the most part, and while the taste is decent, it is just not refreshing for a summer ale.

Mouthfeel is smooth and crisp, with a medium body, average carbonation and a malty finish.

Bland and average come to mind thinking about this beer overall. It was not bad tasting, but not very good tasting either and lacked any real summer beer excitement for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 03:58:17 | More by CHickman

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a hazy orange yellow with a half inch of foamy white head and good retention.
smells fresh and citrusy. scents of lemon, wheat, orange.
slightly bitter up front with a sweet malty/citrus backbone. slightly tart finish from the citrus. very tasty.
light body, high carbonation, very refreshing summer ale.
not bad for a summer beer, and definitely glad i got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 00:36:16 | More by facundoCNB

CloudStrife

New York

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. PKGD 06/29/12.

A: Pours a bright slightly hazy light golden amber with a 1 finger white head. Just a little bit of visible carbonation. Head sticks around for a while.

S: A lot more wheat than I first expected. Its a pleasant aroma, malt backing.

T: Up front with wheat and hop, some malt coming in at the end. Alcohol is very well hidden. I like the balance this ale offers.

M: Light bodied, crisp and very smooth. Great summer beer.

Overall an enjoyable beer that I think anyone would like. Certainly worth a shot, like anything this brewery puts out.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 23:30:30 | More by CloudStrife

flagmantho

Washington

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

Poured from 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Bottled on 6/27/12, so pretty fresh!

Appearance: rich straw-hued body with tons of haze. Head poured a relatively unimpressive thin finger of frothy white foam. The rest is pretty great, though.

Smell: rich, wheaty aroma with a hint of citrus and a hint of graininess. It's good, and I like that it's definitely not a hefeweizen -- this is clearly a well-done American wheat.

Taste: nice flavor of wheat and malt. Not too sweet, and just grainy enough to give it a little character. The hint of citrus gives just a little bite, too. Hops seem pretty subdued, but that's part of the style.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a decent level of carbonation. It's getting close to nicely creamy, but isn't quite there.

Overall: I rather like this beer. I wouldn't usually order this style, but for Oberon I'd make an exception. I just wish Bell's were distributed in my state.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 17:19:16 | More by flagmantho

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

3.58/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dehydrated urine yellow in Bell's tulip.

Smell is nice and refreshing with hints of lemon and fresh cut grass.

Taste is pale malts and straw. Lemon zest come through but not as strongly as with the smell. Just not that much going on here for me.

Mouthfeel is light bodied but nicely carbonated.

Overall this was o.k. Not that complex, but refreshing for a summer day.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 01:01:55 | More by TrappistJohnMD

jaasen64

Massachusetts

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

12oz bottle thanks to Veldrid. Poured into Founder's snifter.

A- Pours a hazy yellowish golden with a thin layer of white head that quickly recedes, slightly below average carbonation.

S- Wheat, pale malts, oranges, a tiny bit of lemons, about average to just over slightly average aroma strength.

T- Light citrus- oranges and lemons mixed with pale malts and a little bit of wheat finishes with hint of tartness followed by a slightly sugary citrus pale malt aftertaste that lingers for a tiny bit.

M- Fairly thin, average carbonation, goes down easily.

O- I liked this beer for a summer beer. Nice light refreshing mouthfeel mixed with a nice lemony taste that balanced with the wheat. Another nice Bell's beer, nothing that stands out, but definitely a beer that I could drink again and is nice on a hot summer's night.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 00:19:16 | More by jaasen64

Alextricity

Michigan

4.01/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at Ciccarelli's at 21 and Hayes.

Appearance: A decent, summer looking beer. Nothing to get excited in the pants about, but it certainly looks summery. Clear and golden in color ... seemingly no lacing, and virtually no head.

Smell: Very interesting ... seemed floral. Wheaty. Somewhat citrusy... but the main smell -- AND taste -- is something I can't quite pinpoint.

Taste: Quite simply one of the best Summer beers I've had. It tastes much like the smell. I can't exactly explain what it's like but it's incredibly tasty and smooth... citrus. Wheat. Flowery.

Mouthfeel: This really makes the whole thing. Oberon is pleasantly unexpectedly SUPER creamy almost. I couldn't believe how smooth it was... maybe this is because it was on tap, but I had to slow myself down from finishing the whole tall glass in just a few moments.

Overall, an incredibly tasty beer ... I figured it'd be good, but I wasn't expecting this. I feel robbed because I paid SEVEN BUCKS for a tall glass at Ciccarelli's, but I'm not faulting Bell's for that, obviously.

RE-REVIEW 4/11/13: I still really enjoy this beer. The smell and taste aren't don't wallop your face, but a summer beer shouldn't -- Oberon has a nice spiciness and citrus taste. The best part about it is the mouthfeel, which is super smooth, and it makes this beer drink easily. I like to liken the feel to that of orange juice. A must-try beer for the summer, or for any time of year -- just get it as fresh as possible.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2012 03:37:01 | More by Alextricity

Ed_Johnson

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Great summer session beer. Got a slight head with carbonation and nice lacing in my glass. Can smell the yeast along with the coriander and the taste demonstrates some hops and slight malts balanced well. Medium mouthfeel. Very smooth finish. A good example of what a wheat beer can be.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 18:08:03 | More by Ed_Johnson

maximum12

Minnesota

2.6/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

On-tap at The Apple Valley Tap House.

Pour is classic wheat: clouded yellow. Smell is the same: clouded yellow.

Oberon has a cult following, but I keep trying, & for the life of me can't figure out why. One sip & there's the nice wheat, but also a ton or orange & grain that bash each over the head & can't agree on anything. This beer always seems disjointed to me. The tastes that come together in other brews don't play nice here.

Walked away from about 11 ounces. I've tried several times, & now I give up. It's a Bell's beer I simply don't like.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2012 02:50:40 | More by maximum12

jnezda

Texas

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

Poured with cloudy orange hint witha great head that stuck around for the duration. Being served in a stemmed bulb glass the hints of citrus and wheat came across nicely. The taste was a great depicition of an American wheat and the mouthfeel was that of a great summer beer light and crisp with good favors and low carbonation.

Overall a beer I would recommend.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 20:35:18 | More by jnezda

rlee1390

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A-Very cloudy orange, some carbonation, two finger head.

S-Wheat, orange, lemon, some spice (clove) notes. With a tad bit of citrus hops.

T-Oranges, wheat, lemon, some grass, good balance, slight bitterness.

M-Light to medium bodied, some carbonation, but slightly watery.

O-A wonderful summer beer, balanced sweet and easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 14:23:12 | More by rlee1390

mcintire78

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Beautifully cloudy, straw to pale gold in color. Good carbonation with little head or lacing.

Smell: Noticeable smell of wheat with a hint of lemon and spice.

Taste: Carbonation up front, fading into wheat, citrus and malt, and ending with a bit of crispy sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Significant carbonation that fades into gentle finish.

Drinkability: High, but dangerous with almost 6% alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 01:10:31 | More by mcintire78

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

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

I poured this into a perfect pint glass, it has a light hazy gold color to it with a nice small sticky white head that is hanging around for a while. The smell light of nice wheat notes and some light lemon also. The taste is nice of wheat and some spice and lemon grass. The mouth feel is nice and smooth and nice carbonation and overall a nice summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 02:30:36 | More by chefhatt

BradtheGreat7

Ohio

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

from notes during my inet down time 2012.

12 oz brown bottle with a great looking orange label that gives me some pleasure of warm summer evenings. Poured into a standard pint glass.

A - Hazy golden with some light orangish hue. Haze provides some real funk going on in the shape of a midwest tornado in the center of my glass. Very light to no head once it settles being snow white in color.

S - Wheat grain aroma with a sweet malt character. A bit of spice and light hop presence in the nose.

T - Very summer like. Fruity and sweet of lemon, grass, and wheat malt. Some good spice going on here with a simple and light hoppy bitterness with the finish. Very refreshing brew.

M - Smooth and fairly light in body. Has a thickness to the mouthfeel or makes you think it with all the cloudiness in the look of this ale. Easy to drink and one of the better summer wheat ales you can drink.

O - I've always been a big fan of Bell's Brewery, and I need to do more reviews on their offerings as they really are top notch. This is one of the best American Pale Wheat ales in the world. It's more less a style that's kind of half assed if you ask me, but there are a few brewers who have taken the time to do it right and offer a solid warm weather seasonal and Bell's is one of those brewers who took time with the Oberon Ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 21:03:43 | More by BradtheGreat7

SometimesIfart

Michigan

3.4/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a keg into a lager glass by my buddy Drake. He poured a bit of a monster head, With tons of lacing. The beer is a murky gold color. The smell is of wheat and lots of it, With some very light malt and perhaps of lemon grass?. The taste follows the smell largely. With some squeezed orange coming through and some slight grape in the mix. The mouthfeel adds some tartness, though a bit too tart for what it is. Overall, A good wheat ale, Would I buy it? Sure, I I needed something that was easy to drink for a medium price that is a nice change from the usual.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2012 00:17:14 | More by SometimesIfart

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

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

A-slightly cloudy golden color with a nice white head and decent lacing

S-wheat, lemon zest, hints of spice

T-slightly sweet wheat malt, lemon, hints of tropical fruit, moderately bitter hoppy finish

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, crisp

O- a nice wheat ale, crisp summer seeion beer

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 22:10:10 | More by MDDMD

woosterbill

Connecticut

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

Mini-keg into a 25cl Duvel tulip, enjoyed as a palate cleanser (of sorts) at Knifestyle's birthday tasting. Thanks, Chris!

A: Hazy pale gold body with a thin, fine white head that settles into a ring and leaves spotty lace. Nice.

S: Delicate, pure wheat graininess. A little spicy a little citrus. Really soft and nice.

T: A bit fuller than the nose, with solid malt sweetness, mildly tart wheat, and a crisp, clean, mildly bitter finish. Tasty.

M: Light, lively, creamy. Perfect.

O: Very good APWA. Refreshing, tasty, and simple.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2012 22:05:40 | More by woosterbill

socon67

New York

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

Had at US Cellular Field

A - Pour is golden\orange with a haze. Nice lacing and a quickly shrinking foam.

S - Good smell of citrus and hops. Has a scent of fresh fruit and some floral notes too.

T - Very enjoyable ale that has a base of fresh grain. Flavors or lemon are tasted, and some tropical fruit. Finish is a mild hoppy bite.

M - Very sessionable, and feels so smooth. Perfect to sit back and enjoy a summer night. Minimal carbonation. Very flavorful wheat ale.

O - First taste of something from Bell's. Now I want more.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 03:52:37 | More by socon67

bmwats

Louisiana

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Growler pour into a plastic cup...in my hotel room.

A: Light golden hue. Pours about a half finger, foamy white head. Settles slowly, leaving a blanket, a beer ring, and substantial sticky residue. Lots o' beer ring lacing.

S: Wheat, paper, and just a touch of lemon and an indistinct subtle spice....maybe parsley or basil.

T: Wheaty, with just a bit of bite, and some subtle floral and fruity components.

M: Light body. Kind of a stale feel with a brassy finish.

D: Goes down really soft and easy.

Atmosphere is really good. Nice hue, decent head, and a lot of persistent lacing. Nose is subtle combination of wheat, citrus, sweet notes, and Italian spice. Very well done. Flavor is very wheaty with soft, but distinct flora and fruit. Overall, this is a great quaff.

Serving type: growler

07-17-2012 03:50:04 | More by bmwats

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a cloudy dark golden color with a 1/2 inch head and some debris floating around. Smell is of lemons, some wheat. Taste is wheat, lemons, tangy up front but then a bit mild. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is an average beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 15:56:14 | More by tone77

davey101

Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap, had a few ten ounce pours into a tulip glass. Pours a golden yellow body with a small white head. Decent lacing. Aroma is of wheat, grass, light spice, and some citric hops. Flavor follows the nose. Somewhat boring, but quite refreshing on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 02:13:34 | More by davey101

JWU

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle poured into a curved pint glass.

A- a hazy goldenrod with orange hints. Two fingers of fairly white head dissipates quickly

S- I get wheat malt, toasted bread, minerals, and a hint of spice and floral hops.

T- Smooth wheat malts have a toasted quality, and lead way into a bit of a citric taste (wheat beer citrus, not hoppy citrus), some minerals, and a hint of floral hops. Quite refreshing.

M- A smooth light to medium body. Dries on the back end from the wheat malt.

O- A very good, refreshing summer ale that's not over the top with spice, citrus, or sweetness. Nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 00:21:49 | More by JWU