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

RTrain12

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz. Bottle poured in to a pint glass.

A: Pours a light straw yellow with a off white head measuring a 1/4". Head faded away immeadiatley. Lots of carbonation inthe glass with alot of yeast floates.

S: Smells of citrus, yeast, and wheat. Nothing really strong coming from this one.

T: Citrus with some wheat. Almost no bitterness. Fisishes clean.

M: Meduim bodied, smooth, and lightly carbonated.

D: I would perfer a 2 Hearted Ale over a Oberon. This is not a bad summer beer. Just personal preference. I had to check this one out, maybe I'll pick it up again next summer.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2010 17:37:24 | More by RTrain12

Hellabeerguzzler

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

Fresh 12oz bottle in pint glass.

a - golden color with white top and a little cloudy with some visible particles.

s - smells wheaty and spiced, maybe some apple going on there. No biggie.

t - funky. I'm not sure what it is but something is just not right with me. I'll try more this coming summer with the hope that last years was just not that good.

m - this is where this beer really makes a bust with me. It leaves something on the tongue - something not good. Maybe a spice that doesn't agree with me - like you need to go brush your tongue and rinse with some mouthwash.

d - the redeeming note is that it's pleasantly carbonated, and light enough to be sessionable. But this would not be my first choice for a summer beer.

Bell's Oberon and Dreamweaver are smash hits yet they are my two least favorite of their popular beers. They can make a killer IPA like Two-hearted (which I would gladly grab over Oberon in a summer swelt) to my beloved Kalamazoo stout which is just delightful. At Troegs in 2010, we attended their saturday tasting and got the trays and filled every growler we could find. When the waitress came and grabbed our trays, none of us had finished the dreamweaver or the oberon. The waitress was surprised enough to say, "Wow, didn't like the dreamweaver or the oberon?!" None of us did. Oh well. The rest were great! And even the scratch beat the Oberon. Hands down.

edit: And NO! I'm not throwing an orange slice in the bottle! If it needs an orange or a lemon, package it with one.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 01:02:29 | More by Hellabeerguzzler

bubseymour

Maryland

3.1/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

a - extremely bright orange color like tang. Lots of floaties and yeast in there which never sits well with me. minimal head.

s - some faint malt but I really don't smell much else

t - not overly impressed. Tasted metallic and crisp with not much else going on. Tastes like a mediocre American Pale Ale but the wheat taste is missing.

M - acceptable

O - I thought this was a very average pale ale. Ok if offerred but is really very run of the mill.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 18:56:48 | More by bubseymour

Shaw

Florida

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

My friend's girlfriend brought a sampler of Bell's brews down to Florida from her home in Indiana. Thanks Anna and Adam for sharing. I haven't seen Bell's in Florida.

I have to confess that I like the name for this beer. Why not name your summer ale after a Shakespeare character? Good choice. The beer doesn't quite live up to the great name, though.

Maybe it's because I'm a big fan of German wheat beers. American wheats seem bland to me. But since I just had Samuel Adams' Hefeweizen, I think Bell's Oberon Ale is just a tad too light. I would hope for a bit more substance. But this beer is still quite drinkable. It is a decent summer choice for drinking on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2004 06:48:21 | More by Shaw

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

mrasskicktastic

New Jersey

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

A - Slight haze on a straw yellow brew. Medium head, mild lacing.

S - A bit of cloves, wheat and a touch of grapefruit.

T - A bit of a dry hop flavor (slightly woodsy) with a bit fo grapefruit. A bitterness with a citrus and a bit of an earthy bitterness. Not great, but not too bad either,

M - A tad harsh, thin, a little refreshing.

D - Okay, not as palatable as I would have hoped. Might have again . . . if in Rome (i.e. Michigan).

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2007 00:04:24 | More by mrasskicktastic

tpd975

Florida

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

This brew is so highly acclaimed in the Midwest with a very loyal following. I have had it before and was not a huge fan. Decided today to grab another one while at the bar on an extra hot Florida summer day to see if I was missing something before.

A: Hazy golden yellow as you would expect from a wheat beer. There is a nice head upon the pour made up of millions of tiny bubbles which quickly die down.

S: There is a nice yeasty malty character to this brew. Very tiny amounts of orange and lemon can be detected.

T: Not a lot of flavor here. There is a malty flavor with a hint of orange. Nothing to write home about.

M: Light and bubbly.

D: It goes down easy.... Too bad it don't taste better.

Overall: I am the first to get on this site and sing praises when it comes to Bell's. I'm sorry to the loyal following but I just don't get this beer. There is some wheat and some orange, but nothing else. It's really pretty blah. Short of being cold on a hot day it doesn’t have a lot going for it. This is a definite deviation from Bell's other wonderful beers. If you love it hey, more of it for you. I will stick to their other tried and true gems.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2007 17:34:13 | More by tpd975

HugoGrim

Pennsylvania

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

Transparent golden body, no head by the time I received it, nice lace however.

Aroma is sweet orange, wheat, and hints of hops.

Flavors of orange zest, lemons, floral hops, and grainy wheat. Spice profile is way too strong in my opinion, as it overshadows the citrus and wheat.

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2008 13:39:36 | More by HugoGrim

gopens44

Virginia

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

A - Pours as a very hazy straw color with a very muted head. The floating stuff is in suspended animation in the beer. It's like those lucite paperweights only more hazy and yellow

S - I know that several have gotten citrus in the nose, but all I'm getting is malty. It's not very cold, so I would imagine that if there was anything else to be sniffed, I'd get it. I don't.

T - Just like the nose. Malty. I get a little of the citrus in the taste but it's not overwhelming. A little bitter, but it's not the most demanding calling card of the taste.

M - Significant carbonation with a light yet silky mouthfeel. Not too much aftertaste.

I'm not incredibly impressed by this. Maybe an orange wedge could tune it up, but I'm not into all that.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2010 00:03:43 | More by gopens44

danronian

Virginia

3.13/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a golden yellow with a small, wispy head.

Hard to ascertain a smell. Doesn't smell bad but the minimal smell of honey and clover is hard to get but pleasant.

Taste is of a light honey wheat-beer but nothing outlandish going on. I was expecting something more complex than this.

Overall not a summer beer I'll try again though I wouldn't say it's below average either.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 22:47:33 | More by danronian

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

guinness9880

Ohio

3.15/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours a hazy orange with a nice 2 finger head

S-Smells of a malty lemongrass

T-A very malty beer with hints of citrus, not exactly what I would expect from a summer ale. Doesn't have quite the crisp refreshing taste you would expect from a seasonal of this type. This seems just very ordinary nothing jumps out tast wise. Mild carbonation with a thin mouthfeel nothing to great.

This isn't a bad beer just not what I would be looking for in a summer seasonal, there are better examples (Gumballhead!)

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2006 00:56:42 | More by guinness9880

lpayette

Vermont

3.15/5  rDev -18%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

12 oz bottle, purchased in Rockford, Illinois on business.

Appearance- The yeast makes this one extremely cloudy. Almost carrot juice color. Surprisingly little head. Bright orange.

Smell- Over-ripe fruits - banana and strawberry. Vague wheat.

Taste- Bold for a wheat beer. Strong wheat flavors followed by some tangerine-like notes and a slice of banana. Sweet and juicy flavors.

Mouthfeel- Similar to both a fruit juice and a soda. Rather thick for the style.

Drinkability- An odd beer- not at all what I was expecting, but perhaps worth another try.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2007 01:55:37 | More by lpayette

mjc410

Virginia

3.15/5  rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I bought a case of this, and I'm almost halfway in now, so I think it's high time for a review.

The pour into my Penn Weizen glass raises a very short head that's quite literally gone with the wind (I find that if I don't pour very lightly, the beer loses what little carbonation that it has, and tastes dead). The lacing is very spotty and slick. Below, the body is a bright golden yellow that lets color but not images pass through.

The nose is very light and bready, with a tiny bit of acidity and yeast. Otherwise, that's it. Really lacking here.

Taste:it's light and refreshing, with just a bit of wheat flavor and light banana undertones. It's a bit tangy at the end, and sweet.

The mouth is fairly light, with carbonation that seems only tenuously involved with the liquid. There's just enough as long you pour lightly.

If anything, buying a case of this due to its reputation will hopefully, finally teach me to not make whole case purchases without sampling first. It's not a bad beer, and it certainly is refreshing, but it leaves a lot to be desired.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2007 20:43:49 | More by mjc410

AndoBrew

Georgia

3.15/5  rDev -18%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

*i did not like and would not buy*

app: looks like a fish tank, strange big bubbles and lots of floating fish food.not much head. looks like what comes out after you have a lot of vitamins.

smell: smells like a car air freshiner i use to have, of course mixed with some mellow malts.

taste: mellow smooth round easy going. lil uneasy after taste, this is a nice but odd beer. zingy hop citrus, but thick and coating wheat.. strange blend for me..

mf: way to coating and gooey.

drinkable?: not for me. to thick to odd. but i guess you could chug it??

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2007 23:02:44 | More by AndoBrew

jeonseh

Indiana

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

Got this from a bottle of this year's batch of Oberon and poured into a GI Tulip.

A - A hazy, cloudy deep orange with hints of golden and amber as well. Can see a good amount of carbonation running up through this one and also a nice haze that seems to float through the glass. Poured with a quickly dissipating one thumb head that comes to sit at about a half sitting on top.

S - Tangerine and honey seem to be the biggest hits to me. A sweet orange is what I'd call it. Also, there seems to be a hint of banana that one often finds in the Hefes.

T - Hmm can definitely taste the wheat aspect and a hint of banana and clove. That sweet orange is there but not as much as I would like it to be. Also seems to have a bit of a hop bitterness that comes out of nowhere. Hmm, on the whole, this really doesn't even compare to when I had it on tap. Its good but there is not that big orange taste. Here, I just feel so dominated by the wheat, banana, and the bitterness which seems a bit unbalanced to me.

MF - A big, almost chewy beer that sits in the mouth. Kinda heavy and has a nice bready aspect which goes well with the wheat part. Light carbonation in there despite the amount you see in the glass.

D- Overall, an okay american pale wheat ale. I don't know what it was but really was disappointed especially after having this on tap. Has a bit of a bitter taste that just seems out of place to me. I would maybe get and try this in the mini keg when it comes out but I'd much rather reach for a Gumballhead for a nice, tasty summer ale especially given the common distribution area.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2008 17:48:18 | More by jeonseh

bunnyhustle

Illinois

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

Pours a nice hazy light gold color with frothy white head with good retention and lacing. Smell is a bit earthy, some grass that is, and bit of citrus, some malt as well. Taste is good but somewhat bland. I went to school in Kalamazoo and never understood the Oberon hype and now that I'm out, and a BA, I still dont. Some malt, some grassy hops, a kiss of citrus, but otherwise pretty bland. Mouthfeel is light and crisp which does seem about perfect. Overall not bad, just a little over-hyped IMO.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2008 03:33:41 | More by bunnyhustle

sholland119

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a fluffy white head. The head dissipated quickly and leaves no real lacing.

Smell has a bit of grainy malt but otherwise nothing really going on.

Taste has a bit of sweet fruit and a bit of spice but, as with the nose, the taste is disappointingly subdued.

Mouthfeel is crisp and clean. This is drinkable but bland. I was fond of last year's batch but this year something is missing...like flavor.

HV

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2008 15:24:55 | More by sholland119

gabeerfan

Georgia

3.15/5  rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a hazy orange-gold. Fairly thin head that falls to a thin ring. Some floaties in the glass. No evidence of carbonation in the glass, but it is there.
Somewhat light aromas. Mostly wheat with some lemon, orange, spice notes.
Wheaty flavors with orange juice, honey, and hints of lemon. Spice is very faint, almost undetectable.
Medium-light mouthfeel. The hidden carbonation come out in the mouthfeel. Gets a little watery near the back of the palate.
Farily drinkable. Decent flavors.
This would be a good lawnmower beer. Hopefully we will start getting Bell's in GA soon so I can try some other offerings.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2008 00:29:01 | More by gabeerfan

pschul4

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sippin on this sizzurp with mah boi areich6

A- Pours a hazy light yellow with a whispy 1 inch white head

S- Can obviously pick up the wheat in the nose with a few hints of pale malts. Not a lot of hops but a trace I would say

T- Very light taste. Just some wheat and citrus notes that are too orangy for my liking.

M- Thicker than I would expct for a PWA

O- Not on the same level of gumball head or sumpin sumpin, not even close. Not awful though

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 03:14:17 | More by pschul4

BierReise

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Looks like a Belgian Wit, deep honey colored with thin white head., wnd little retention. Aroma is a bit yeasty with heavy wheat malt presence. Very crisp on the palate which reminds me of a belgian style. Flavor is mediocre. A somewhat generic bland flavor to it that reminds me of Blue Moon's white. No great flavors really jumping out at you. Finishes slightly bitter, and a little stale.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2003 13:06:07 | More by BierReise

oggg

California

3.18/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to my brother for bringing me this one.

Pale yellow but not BMC pale. Weak head, surprisingly. No sediment and not hazy. Mild floral hop aroma. On the tongue this beer is a bit flat; tries to show some wheatiness. Minimal hop bitterness. Not sure if this brew has any life. Quite bland. Maybe an odd estery note towards the end. Not very crisp. So very thin.

Cool label, boring beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2005 23:33:07 | More by oggg

greenbeaner

Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a weizen glass, this beer pours a pale, slightly cloudy yellow, with a one and a half fingered head supported by some carbonation rising from the bottom. The bubbles also swirl up quite a bit upon drinking.

Smell is wheaty with hints of mild citrus...lemon and orange, but also has some sour notes up front. Not a strong smell of hops either.

Taste is pretty carbonated up front which quickly dissipates into sourness and lemon citrus. Orange is strongly present too, with some just a hint of banana undertones to the smooth wheat finish.

Mouthfeel is carbonated up front with a smooth medium bodied finish. Leaves a clean crisp feeling in the mouth.

Overall I'm a bit dissapointed with this one...I was expecting just a little bit more complexity from it. Also the small hints of sourness that it had were a pretty big turn off as well...I will say that it's a crisp refreshing beer, and is fitting as a summertime release, but all in all I probably won't go out of my way to purchase it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2007 03:04:12 | More by greenbeaner

emmasdad

Colorado

3.18/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Schmittymack for sharing this one at a recent tasting. Poured a hazy golden color with a small lingering white head. Aromas of wheat, light straw and honey. On the palate, this one was light bodied and smooth, with flavors of wheat, honey and light citrus.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 02:26:06 | More by emmasdad

TheDM

Indiana

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

This brew poured a very large invigorated head of finely sized white bubbles and a cloudy orange unfiltered yeasty body. It had a decent hop aroma and was slightly fizzy in its initial mouthfeel while coming to a smooth finish with its mild hop flavor.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2003 22:25:46 | More by TheDM