Bell's Oarsman - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

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BA SCORE
80
good
-
1,019 Ratings

rAvg: 3.52
pDev: 17.05%
Reviews: 475
Hads: 544

Ratings Help

Brewed by:
Bell's Brewery, Inc.

Michigan, United States

Style | ABV
Berliner Weissbier | 4.00% ABV

Availability: Year-round. bottle (401), on-tap (69), growler (5).

Notes:
Sour mash wheat ale.

"Designed as a flavorful session beer, Oarsman Ale uses a classic German brewing technique to impart a light, refreshing tartness. Oarsman Ale grew out of a desire to explore the tradition of session beers, trading intensity for finesse while still creating a worthwhile experience for the taster. The grain bill includes a healthy portion of wheat, while light hopping lend citrus & herbal notes to the aroma. Fermented with Bell's house ale yeast, Oarsman comes in at 4.0% alcohol by volume. Rather than being the dominant flavor note, the tartness in Oarsman takes on more of a palate-cleansing role, making it perfect with meals or purely on its own."

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Reviews

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Reviews by tectactoe:

tectactoe

Michigan

3.71/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Had this many times from the bottle and a few times on tap at random bars and even at a Detroit Tigers game. It pours a cloudy and murky color somewhere between straw and yellow, bright and very light looking. The fizzy white head doesn't last for very long as it airs away and leaves only a ring behind.

The aroma is pretty light, but that's kind of what the style is all about. Some mild grains, faint apple tartness, subtle lemon zest, some wet hay, and a touch of must that might just be from the hops. It smells clean and refreshing, with a nice mashup of fruit and zest that's topped off with just a touch of seeming tartness. Nothing mind-blowing, but it does what it's supposed to do.

Oarsman tastes pretty close to the way it smells - a nice helping of apple and grape skins hit first with a mild touch of tartness that hits quick and fades quickly, too. There's a solid light grain and pale malt backdrop upon which the mild tartness plays. Lemon zest and some more very faint must and yeast follows up in the finish. Very quenching and refreshing with a thin and wet body and a crisp, snappy mouth feel.

This isn't some big-time, heavy barrel aged, super rare and expensive beer. It's a mild Berliner Weisse that delivers what you'd expect it to deliver. Very refreshing to drink one of these after mowing the lawn on a hot summer day. More quenching than a cup of iced tea or lemonade. A good beer to keep stocked for the hot season, no doubt.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 02:49:30 | More by tectactoe

More User Reviews:

Gotti311

Wisconsin

2.5/5 rDev -29%

05-21-2013 14:50:03 | More by Gotti311

InspectorBob

New Jersey

3.5/5 rDev -0.6%

05-20-2013 14:13:28 | More by InspectorBob

cb8282

Michigan

3.75/5 rDev +6.5%

05-20-2013 00:52:54 | More by cb8282

touchmeimsac

Pennsylvania

3.75/5 rDev +6.5%

05-19-2013 19:14:25 | More by touchmeimsac

LambicPentameter

Kansas

3.46/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at The Foundry in Kansas City, MO. Served in a standard pint glass.

Appearance - Rather disappointing, based on comparing it to my only other frame of reference for a Berliner Weisse (1809). The color is lemon yellow with carbonation bubbles drifting up through the beer as it sits. Head is white and about a half finger at best, and doesn't hang around long, leaving spotty bubbles on top. Looks very flat.

Smell - CItrus, grassy, some twinge of sourness, as well as the wheat characteristics. Promising, especially after the lackluster appearance.

Taste - Actually pretty good. I like the tartness and notes of lemon and lemongrass. Almost reminds me of a shandy with how lemony it is. I could totally drink this on a hot summer day, but I would like it to be more carbonated.

Mouthfeel - Like the appearance, I feel like it was negatively impacted by the carbonation situation. I get some hints of carbonation in my mouth, but it fades quickly, and just feel like a beer that is a little flat. It reminded me in a very small way of the mouthfeel of some of the popular macro lagers.

Overall, an up and down beer. Some elements are really nice, but others are quite uninspiring. I can't help but wonder if the tap was calibrated, because the others at my table seemed to have beers that lost carbonation quickly.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2013 02:55:56 | More by LambicPentameter

NJB145

Michigan

3/5 rDev -14.8%

05-19-2013 01:00:30 | More by NJB145

Photekut

Azerbaijan

3.5/5 rDev -0.6%

05-18-2013 22:24:28 | More by Photekut

warmbier804

Minnesota

3.25/5 rDev -7.7%

05-18-2013 20:09:41 | More by warmbier804

Corey17

New York

3.5/5 rDev -0.6%

05-17-2013 22:52:00 | More by Corey17

Demarais20

North Dakota

2.75/5 rDev -21.9%

05-16-2013 07:59:54 | More by Demarais20

twenty5

Pennsylvania

3.25/5 rDev -7.7%

05-15-2013 18:14:24 | More by twenty5

MSandahl23

Indiana

4/5 rDev +13.6%

05-15-2013 03:51:42 | More by MSandahl23

Eaglefan344

Missouri

4/5 rDev +13.6%

05-15-2013 03:19:38 | More by Eaglefan344

oglmcdgl

Pennsylvania

3.25/5 rDev -7.7%

05-15-2013 03:01:34 | More by oglmcdgl

Dcunicelli

Pennsylvania

3/5 rDev -14.8%

05-14-2013 00:55:46 | More by Dcunicelli

stewarbd

Ohio

4.5/5 rDev +27.8%

05-14-2013 00:45:49 | More by stewarbd

Bitter_Echo

Michigan

3.76/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Travelers 14oz mug. An American Wild Ale. Pours hazy lemony yellow, opaque, low head, blotchy lacing. Nose vague, hidden, wet, etoh. Citrus notes, wetness, then light bitter sour notes effervesce. Goes well with salt. Afternotes linger, lactic isn't too biley, clean flavors. Would like to have a more bitter hop bite on this to elevate. Carbonation is finer, moving to lambic, but fatter at the end. Somewhat champagne-like in mouth feel. Low EtOH allows for an easy another.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 00:41:57 | More by Bitter_Echo