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

MbpBugeye

Ohio

3.03/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Having missed this on tap at Bodega a few times Im glad to see this one making it to 6 packs. There has been some debate over the style of this beer, its listing has been changed from Berliner Weisse. Im going into this knowing that it blurs lines.

A- I really like the label and packaging on this one. Poured into a Perfect Pint, the beer is a super super pale straw white color. I added the sediment and got a pretty cloudy beer. Lots of white chunks sank to the bottom. The head is stark white and fizzed out easily.

S- The nose is interesting, but weak. Lemony citrus and snappy wheat, what you would expect from an APWA. There is also a lactic sourness. It has a stinky cheese/ smelly feet aroma. Its quite bizarre.

T- Nice light flavor. Wheat and lemon again with an acidic tartness. Finishes floral, lemony and wheaty.

M- Very dry, very sharp and thirst quenching.

D- Im not so sure about this one. It is very refreshing but I dont think I could drink more than a couple in a row.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2010 20:48:32 | More by MbpBugeye

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.68/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle.

In every regard this beer vaguely resembles a berliner weiss, but the end result is a mellow pale wheat ale with sharp amount of carbonation and mild tart zing. Appearance is relatively clear, and pale grassy lemon yellow colored with a fizzy white head that maintains a consistent thick ring of bubbles and film with no lacing. Aroma is very mild and unremarkable, blend of wheat, grass and are those peanuts?? (wtf). Doesn't really smell much like any berliner or pale wheat. Ignoring the flavor, the body is very crisp, tart and refreshing with extremely sharp carbonation. The flavor is exceptionally wheaty, lemony and grassy with a lingering mild tartness. I ended up really enjoying this even though I was disappointed it wasn't a more traditional berliner. As others have mentioned its like a bizarre Oberon Lite mixed with...something.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2010 03:28:52 | More by yourefragile

zachary80

Indiana

4.35/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Batch 9861 into a pint glass. Bottle says 4.0% abv

L
Pale straw colored hazy brew. Small fizzy white head is short lived. It leaves virtually no lacing on the glass, and there are no yeast floaties
S
Like a great wheat with some tartness...
T
Follows the smell exactly. Not much aftertaste.
M
Good mouthfeel, but maybe too much carbonation. Medium bodied
D
Where'd my glass go?

To me this is somewhere between an American Pale Wheat and Berliner Weiss, probably why it has flipped classification.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2010 02:52:18 | More by zachary80

beer2day

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy yellow gold pour. Virtually no head and very faint lace.

Lemongrass and thin malt are all I can pick up in the nose.

Tart but clean hit. Lemon from the nose translates to the taste.

Body is stronger than expected for the style.

Nothing special here, but excellent thirst quencher.

On tap at the Thirsty Monk in Asheville.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2010 23:52:48 | More by beer2day

kbutler1

Minnesota

2.68/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Draft. 2010 St. Paul Summer Fest. Pours a slight hazy golden yellow with minimal head. Aroma of lemon and other citrus. Does not finish well. Finishes with an off bitter taste. Mouthfeel is light. Not a good representation of a Berliner Weisse. The only real good quality was the mouthfeel, everything else falls short.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2010 16:38:03 | More by kbutler1

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - A pale, macro yellow body but it's saved by the slight haze...a small, white head that settles into a wispy cap...again, it's saved this time by the decent lacing

S - I'm not picking much up on the nose...some faint yeast and malts

T - The taste starts off as nothing special...your typical pale malts...some buttery flavors that give way to the yeast in the middle...but he comes the saving grace...a big blast of oranges with a little bit of lemon...this citrus flavor adds a whole different dimension to the beer

M - Light bodied...crisp and refreshing...a slightly odd aftertaste

D - This was a decent beer...perfect for summer, sitting on the porch, sipping away...as I mentioned the blast of citrus was really nice

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2010 11:48:19 | More by thain709

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served from growler into a COAST imperial pint. Pours a hazy pale yellow with a one finger white head. There was no lacing evident. The aroma was comprised of fruit, and malt with a skunk aroma upon warming up. The flavor was of subtle fruit and malt. It was light on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a nice brew to enjoy outside on a hot summer day. It was refreshing and had very subtle flavors. However in my humble opinion I think the aroma and flavor was lacking a little complexity for me. Still nice and glad I got to try it, but probably won't have it again.

Serving type: growler

08-10-2010 14:32:50 | More by thagr81us

ktrillionaire

Florida

2.6/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

On-tap at Brick Store Pub. Erroneously listed as a Berliner, which potentially hurt my ability to enjoy it without being appalled by the misclassification.

A - It looks like a pale hazy straw-colored beer, and a cheap one at that. Maybe they originally tried to float it as a Berliner because it looks flat-ish with no head.

S - I am not getting anything at all here. It may be due to the fact that I had a Devil Dancer just prior to this brew. As I drink a bit more, a powdery graininess is apparent. Again, not impressive.

T - I must admit to being somewhat bewildered by the existence of this brew. It isn't very good; it is like a strange variation of Oberon, as well as evocative of many of the lesser Odd Notion offerings. The flavor is slight, but what there is basically consists of chalky wheat and some ripe sour-sweet flavors. Not anything I am into.

M - It has a decent feel, but considering how little else it has going for it, feel is largely irrelevant.

D - A middling-to-shameful effort by a great brewery. I don't know what else to say.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2010 21:52:17 | More by ktrillionaire

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A 1L swingtop growler filled at Al's of Hampden.

A: The APWA is a hazy, fizzy pale yellow, admittedly not much to look at. The haze adds some body, darkening it a shade or two at best (nothing near say a witbier). The first few pours generate sizeable layers of white foam; unfortunately, none of it lasted much more than a minute. No lacing.

S: The ale has a strong wheat aroma, grainy and tart, running through it. When cold, it has a very powdery aroma. Other than that, there isn't much to talk about.

T: Mild tartness marks the wheat's presence upfront. That same wheat lingers through to the finish, taking on a breadier flavor at the end. The start of each sip strikes me a boring, good but with no frills. The back end though is where things pick up. A sweet yeast strain, not estery weizen sweet, adds a shot of flavor that is sweet but not cloying. That sweetness takes control of the wheat, keeping the initial tartness in check. A nice warm weather beer, perhaps Oberon lite.

M: The wheat, concentrated to the nearly the point of tartness, does a good turn in the ale. The yeast strain really saves the day, adding a twist that the ale desperately needs.

D: After I got past the powdery nose and boring start, I enjoyed the ale. A nice beach beer from Bell's.

Serving type: growler

08-02-2010 14:52:42 | More by akorsak

earthboundagain

Colorado

3.13/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

From Notes

Had this on tap at Jackie O's in Athens, Oh. It was advertised as a new Berliner Weiss from Bell's, glad to get to try something new.

Ok here we go, the beer is a shade under amber, small white head with no lace, but that goes with the style, lots of tiny bubbles in this brew. The scent is light and airy, I detect some bread and a bit of spice, underwhelming at the most. The taste that follows is not much better, some nice spice but no twang or pucker. The bread from the nose is not present in the flavor. The beer is not hard to drink, but nothing makes me want to order another.

I love Bell's but this one was not what I has hoping it would be.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2010 18:00:38 | More by earthboundagain

samie85

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A-Pale, almost glowing yellow with a one finger head. I've never seen a beer this color before.

S-Really mellow wheat nose on it with some lemon zest.

T-Mellow wheat upfront with some lemon and other citrus and a dry finish. Also, some acidic sourness on the finish.

M-Crisp mouthfeel with medium body and medium carbonation.

D-Really easy drinking, and a great summer beer. I wish this would replace Oberon as their summer go-to beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-18-2010 00:18:05 | More by samie85

mynie

Indiana

3.93/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pints on tap at the Black Sparrow in Lafayette.

I didn't know what this was but I knew my friend was always talking about it, cursing the fact that he kept missing out on it. Once we stopped by the Sparrow and it was on the chalkboard but the keg had just blown. And then a week ago they had it at the Bind Pig in Champaign, where he lives, but he missed it. And then he missed it again, because even though he hung out this weekend we didn't go to the Black Sparrow. Sucks for him. But I had to order it, since he'd hyped it up so much.

Then they poured it out and it looked limp and cloudy like a Berliner. I thought "seriously, all this hype about a berliner?" because, really, when was the last time you saw someone caring about a Berliner. Then I smelled it and it super sour. So there's that.

This sour thing, it's a craze. I'm glad about it. Any bandwagon that allows brewers to take silly risks is neat, and this fad is probably way healthier than the XTreme 3X IPA thing every brewer was doing a few years ago.

But this... this is just kinda there. The malt is weak, even for a Berliner, and the sour overrides it, but the sour itself isn't especially complex or interesting. You got some light nodes of raspberries and then in the back a little bit of citrus hops. That's it. It's neat--it really is, kind of like a whole new wave of easy drinking sessions--but it's not neat enough to make a fuss over.

Serving type: on-tap

07-01-2010 06:11:38 | More by mynie

pmccallum86

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Bells Fermented Eclipse at Stub and Herbs. Reviewed from notes.

Pours a light pale golden color with a light white bubbly head that dissipates quickly leaving little lacing on the glass.

Smell is very fruity with preach and pear aromas up front.

Taste is not what I was expecting, more of a lager than berliner weissbier in taste. Dry finish with citrus and pear notes. Light bready malts, very refreshing.

Crisp highly carbonated mouthfeel.

Very drinkable, with the low ABV this is quite a session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2010 22:58:58 | More by pmccallum86

jpmclaug

South Carolina

3.7/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a growler into a pint glass. Growler from Piney Grove Green's.

A - Pale yellow with a small white head. Lots of bubbles running up the side of the glass.

S - Mild wheat aroma with hints of lactic acid.

T - Crisp and refreshing. Light malt flavors with a nice wheaty body. Not tart as I was expecting.

M - light body with a good amount of carbonation

D - Light, easy drinking and crisp. It's great for a hot day but is not as tart as I was hoping. Enjoyable brew but not worth going crazy over. I would drink this again especially in this brutal SC summer.

Serving type: growler

06-27-2010 18:38:45 | More by jpmclaug

drabmuh

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I poured this beer for Bell's at the Leesburg, VA summer beer and worked my way through 1.5 kegs of it 4 ounces at a time. I personally had about 10 samples though. The Bell's representative told me that it will be bottled in August.

Beer is light yellow with a distinct haze to it. Aggressively carbonated and it forms a thin white head of small bubbles. No lacing left on the glass but it looks good.

Aroma is mildly lactic but overall its weak.

Beer is also thin bodied and mildly lactic. I got scolded by the rep for telling people it was a berleinerweiss. He told me some incorrect facts about how this beer was made and how berleiners were made and then instructed me to tell them that it was a lemony wheat beer. I got some lemons in the taste but not a lot. It is about the most drinkable beer I've ever come across.

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2010 15:21:28 | More by drabmuh

cdizinno

South Carolina

4.78/5  rDev +35.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: Poured into a pint glass from a growler purchased at Green's-Piney Grove in Columbia. Green's also supplied with Himbeere (raspberry-red) and Waldmeister (woodruff-green) as the traditional additive shots. Excellent !!!

A: Ever so slightly hazy, pale golden straw color with a rapidly vanishing white head and minimal lacing.

S: Grain, mild malty sweetness.

T&M: Crisp, refreshing, tartness. Citrus fruit undertones with almost no hop bitterness and a mild sour taste. Light bodied.

This is definitely not my first choice in a style of beer, however, the Oarsmen is an incredibly drinkable. They are spot-on for the style by this sites description. The syrups are excellent if you don't mind a flavorable sweet fruit taste. Himbeere is raspberry and awesome. The Waldmeister is woodruff and tastes like marshmallows, Lucky Charms to be more specific(Thanks Joseph). This was definitely a worthwhile growler and experience! I could drink one of these a day(with the flavoring). Nice and mild, great dessert or break between different styles of beers to clean the palette.

Serving type: growler

06-19-2010 01:20:13 | More by cdizinno

zoso1967

Michigan

3.43/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served up a hazy, murky yellow with absolutely no head. The aroma was tart and wheaty with some fruity notes of lemon zest and some pear. The flavor was not as sour as the other examples of this style that I have had, but it definitely has some pucker power. Wheaty, lemony, grassy and slightly astringent. Not a whole lot of depth here, but the flavors seem well proportioned and are enjoyable. The body is on the lighter side of medium, and had a clean light finish that made it very refreshing. Pretty drinkable, but overall I was a bit disappointed. Still a nice beer and a decent take on a hard to find style.

Serving type: on-tap

06-07-2010 16:16:48 | More by zoso1967

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Had a pint with brunch at the Sidecar in Philly. This turned out to be a tasty replacement for a mimosa and made a nice compliment to my huevos rancheros. The beer appeared an opaque yellow with a slice of lemon. The beer, while not very tasty, had a wonderful mix of creamy bread with toast and wheat cracker flavors. There were mild hints of citrus, but on the whole it was a bit clean for the style. Still, a very tasty beer and worth checking out.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2010 22:29:43 | More by tempest

PittBeerGirl

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap this afternoon at Mad Mex North Hills

A-Looks good-in check for a Berliner. Nice very uniformly hazy straw yellow body that is served with a 1/2 finger foamy white head. Head has really good retention and lacing is left most of the way down the glass.

S-Nose is pretty mild and quite grainy. A grainy wheat presence is the main character with a hint of sour overtones.

T-Flavor is only mild to moderate in strength and offers a big dose of wheat flavor and a hint of bready yeast upfront. The wheat flavor is quite grainy and the main character. A hint of sour overtones come through for the finish but nothing big.

M- Medium to high carbonation and light, drinkable, slightly grainy body.

D- This is a decent beer overall. Not as sour as most Berliners and a lot more wheat beer forward. Was happy to see this on the menu at Mad Mex today- you don't see this style around too often. I think there should be more examples!

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2010 04:07:49 | More by PittBeerGirl

Tone

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy, golden color. 2/3 inch head of a white color. Good retention and decent lacing. Smells of yeast, sweet malt, slight pale malt, slight wheat, slight citrus, and slight earthy malt. Fits the style of an American Pale Wheat Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of wheat, slight pale malt, sweet malt, slight yeast, slight hop, and hint of butter. Overall, decent aroma and body.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2010 23:48:17 | More by Tone

Verecund

North Carolina

3.15/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

When I saw this was being tapped soon at a local establishment, I was quite excited, given that Berliner-Weisses (along with other beers in the German sour category) have been some of my favorites recently.

Light haze, pale yellow with a half-finger head. Lacing was lackluster, but the carbonation looked good in the glass.

Muted aroma consisting in bread and light citrus fruit. Not much here, but it opens slightly as I get through the glass. Taste is a little better. Light breadiness and graininess, some lemon, and a nice dry finish. But this really lacks the crispness and sourness I expect from a BW. Not enough lacto. Not enough puck.

A little bit heavy in body for the style, but with medium-high carbonation.

Quite drinkable, but not for the style. Hopefully Bell's tries this one again, albeit with more tartness.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2010 19:10:26 | More by Verecund

glid02

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Closed for Business in Charleston, SC.

Pours a hazy yellow color with a half-finger white head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of grainy wheat with a bit of a twang to it. Also present are very light and tart citrus notes.

Tastes alright. Muted grainy light malt flavors kick things off with hints of wheat twang lurking in the background. Midway through the sip very mild lemon rind enters into things and carries through to a mildly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a decent thickness with moderate carbonation.

Drinkability is also good. I finished my glass without a problem and could have another.

Overall I was a bit let down by this beer - the base is there but it needs more complexity to round everything out. Not one to avoid but not one to seek out.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2010 03:31:30 | More by glid02

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.18/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Barleys, I was thrilled to death to be able to try this one. Having been soo hot lately I really was in the mood to start the day with a little something lighter. Served in a pint glass, this one was consumed on 04/17/2010.

The pour was alright. Lightly clouded golden amber with a small head of white that quickly faded out of the scene. Lots of carbonation coming up from the bottom of the glass. Very light aroma here, hints of bready notes, a touch of light fruit, pears perhaps and a light notes of spice. Not the tartness and richness I would have liked to see in the style. Flavor followed suit the same. Just lacked the pop I would have like to have seen. Really nice grainy notes, touches of light fruit, but nothing drawing me back in. Light on the palate and nicely sessionable, it just lacked that dryness and depth of profile to put me over the top.

Overall a rather average offering from Bell's. I was hoping for a little more I have to admit.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2010 02:41:57 | More by mikesgroove

KI9A

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Light, macro lager yellow, nice head.

S: Tart, slightly grassy.

T: A nice lightly sour/tart lemon taste. Crackers, grass, light malts.

M: Light, leaves a decent sour taste.

D: Nicely done Berliner. I could see myself drinking a few of these, if they were available in bottles! Love seeing a lighter, sort of a rare style done this nice.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2010 18:43:30 | More by KI9A

tpd975

Florida

3.68/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the eccentric cafe.

A: Pours a hazy shade of straw yellow with an above average head. Little retention and no lace.

S: Simple light aromas of light tart citrus, and hints of crackery grains.

T: Light citrus, very light tartness. A bit lactic with notes of crackers and light bread.

M: Light in body, nice carbonation.

D: Lite in taste wish there was a bit more tartness. Solid, but not great.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2010 17:23:30 | More by tpd975