Oberon Ale

Brewer: Bell's Brewery, Galesburg, Michigan
Alcohol Content: 5.8%

Official Description from Brewer:
"Bell's Oberon is a wheat ale fermented with Bell's signature house ale yeast, mixing a spicy hop character with mildly fruity aromas.  The addition of wheat malt lends a smooth mouthfeel, making it a classic summer beer."

Wilk's Take:
Bell's Brewery is one of the better known microbreweries in my neck of the woods.  I have had pints of Bell's Oberon before and already knew it to be a summer seasonal brew.  My encounters in the past in no way prepared me for this experience as my pints came straight from the bar.  Pouring Oberon out of a bottle was new to me.

There was nothing overly dramatic about pouring the beer into the glass.  Oberon is a darker shade of yellow than a pale ale or lager but equally transparent in appearance.  The worrisome thing in the glass to me were little flakes that were dancing precariously amongst the little bubbles of carbonation.  I have never seen anything like it before.  I'm wondering again if I've encountered a bad beer.  Maybe it's bottle conditioned and this is the result.  Not quite sure.

Oberon smells a little like a wheat beer.  The graininess that most wheats throw at you is very low-key with this brew.  There is no hop aroma either.  I was missing everything Bell's was telling me was there.  Then again, I hadn't tasted the beer yet either.  When I did I enjoyed it.  The bubbly liquid played beautifully on the tongue and the taste was crisp and refreshing.

Bell's certainly does not "wow" you with anything flashy in Oberon but it delivers what it promises: "a classic summer beer."  This can easily be in the cooler on the deck or on the table behind the grill and yield a clean, crisp "ahhhh" after consumption.

Suggestion: Bell's Oberon has always been a hit with the crowds I run with and I can't say I blame any of them.  If you just finished mowing your lawn in 90 degree heat, grab a Bell's Oberon and you won't be disappointed.

Value: This was still part of my variety pack so the bottle went for $2.  That's a great deal as the micro brew price tag would follow you into the bar.  Grab a six pack and I'm sure the per bottle price drops even more.  There is value to it because you don't want to stop at just one.

Michelle Factor:  I asked Michelle to take a drink and she politely declined.  If the past is any indication she would not have favored this beer.