Oberon Ale | Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store

4.76/5  rDev +24.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Appearance:
Deep gold, murky, lots of particles floating. Lots of carbation rising up. Thick creamy head.

Aroma:
Bright citrus, sherbert, bready.

Taste/Finish/Body:
Bright yeasty, slight tartness, sherbert, ripe orange, spicy. Sweet bread, biscuit, hint of honey. Finish is semi-dry, very crisp. Medium bodied, crisp, refreshing, super drinkable.

Overall:
Outstanding American Wheat Ale!!

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4.1/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: A hazy Orange, likely caused by the Polyphenoles in the Saaz Hops used to brew this fine summer beer. Nice off white head. Loaded with yeast.

Smell: Fruit, Sweet oranges, lemon grass, coriander, a regular potpourri of dried flowers

Taste: hard candies and sweet breads, hazelnuts soaked in orange juice and laced with edible flowers, Christmas dried oranges, maybe cloves too.

Almost no wheat in either the smell or taste. This beer is all fruit and flowers.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth with just enough carbonation to make your tongue tingle without having a bite.

Drinkability: High, very high. Easy on the stomach, mind, and palate.

Notes: Oberon is significantly more creamy and more aromatic on tap than in the bottle. Also, it is better in the spring/early summer than in the fall/late summer. In spring it is crisper and the aromas are more flowery whereas the beer begins to smell more of rotten oranges by September and loses something in its body. The mouthfeel, smell, and drinkability all suffer.

Or… I just get sick of it by fall.

---Update---

It's now October 12th and last night I had what will be my last pint of Oberon for the season. It tasted, looked, and felt like Miller Lite with a few drops of Blue Moon in it. This is definitely not a beer that ages well. Drink it young and early!

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4.18/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Everyone says it gets worse every year, I think Bells responded for 2015.

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4.09/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Look: Pours a pale orange/amber with tons of sediment with a thin one finger head, minimal lacing.
Smell: Smells tart like a sour ale, slightly sweet malt, and strong yeast.
Taste: Tastes only slightly sour and very light. Strong yeast notes and middle bodied malt, very drinkable but flavorful. Wheat in the malt is prominent.
Feel: Very light and drinkable, moderately heavy carbonation.
Overall: This beer is perfect for summer. Tart but not sour, light but flavorful, wheaty but drinkable. Overall a very solid brew.

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5/5  rDev +30.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is my favorite beer and I always look forward to its release every summer. This is the perfect beer to drink while sitting around a campfire or after a long day of work while you bar b que some steaks or burgers.

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3.99/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Looks a slightly hazy orange with a great looking head and lacing. Tastes immediately of wheat with a malt undertone. Hints of fruit/citrus near the after taste. Great flavor, moderate body, and perfect for a summer day.

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4.72/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

I love this beer! One of the more delicious wheat beers out there. Some say it is overrated, but I say HOGWASH! This beer is frikkin delicious! Just try this beer....you will not be disappointed!

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4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Three things signify the beginning of Michigan's summer: the end of hockey playoffs, 80 degree weather and the release of Bells Oberon. I know people that go crazy for it but I'm not one of them. I think it was perhaps the first craft beer to really emerge on the Michigan beer scene 10+ years ago and therefore has a historical significance to Michigan beer drinkers. It told us that it was ok to put the Bud Light down and try something new.

With respect for what it is and to its success, it's not my favorite but it's decent. You get a blend of citrus notes and some rich wheat malt on its own but gets a boost when the bartender adds a slice of fruit to it.

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3.99/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bell's Oberon pours delicious with the density of orange juice and a blush of a peach martini. Towering head of 3 fingers, leaving spotty lace amongst a couple broken webs.

Aroma is weak in volume but the characteristics are there - honey-tinged wheat, salted pretzel, peeled orange.

Flavor is rich and wheaty, touches of orange peel, with wheat thins and pretzel. It's incredibly refreshing, undoubtedly creamy, and has a great semi-dryness on the finish.

Bell's Oberon is a great adventure. I imagine I'll be picking more up this summer when we cross the border to camp in Iowa. Nice work again, so glad I could try this.

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5/5  rDev +30.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Oberon is a seasonal beer and I had this for the first time. It tastes so good and is on my top list of my favorite beers. I added an orange to the beer after I poured it into a glass. It was delicious! I recommend this beer to anyone who likes a lighter beer and a beer that is not super dark. I am a fan of lighter beer.

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1.96/5  rDev -48.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

A: Gold, extremely cloudy and full of ... stuff. The stuff seems to be suspended like dirt in a lemon jello. Actually looks kinda gross, but whatever. No head to speak of. Meh.

S: Smells sour, overbitter, too grainy. Reminds me of cheap beer. This doesn't look good so far.

T: Tastes rather awful. I think this one might have gone bad. But Bell's Brew Finder says it should be good until November, so I can't be blamed. Reminds me of the bland German beers I've tried, with extra bitterness and less sweetness. Pretty awful - was expecting a lot more. Aftertaste of dirt. Maybe I've lost all taste for wheat beer.

M: Overcarbonated, medium-light body, astringent, dry. Doesn't help the flavor.

D: I can't drink any more. I'm going to pour it out. Maybe I have a bad sample, maybe I just don't like this style, but I can't stand this one. It's not worth the pain to me.

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4.48/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Look:
Massive amounts of foam after pouring from a 12oz bottle. It is a deep gold / orange color that is a bit hazy.

Smell:
Smells of various citrus fruits and aroma hops. There is a strong bready / yeasty scent as well.

Taste:
There is a hop bitterness at first, but it quickly fades into a very wheaty / malty flavor. The tastes then turn towards tart fruit and sweetness. There are spice notes throughout that keep the flavor very interesting.

Feel:
Medium mouth feel. Feels fairly thick and syrupy with a lot of tongue tingling goodness.

Overall:
I really enjoyed this as it is different than all of the other "orangey wheat summer beers". This is a bit more interesting than many I have had lately and I would definitely buy this again. I grew up in Michigan, but never had one of these when I lived there. Definitely recommend.

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3.83/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Finally getting Bell's products in Texas. Bought a six of this and Two Hearted Ale. Both good beers! This one was poured into a tulip glass. Cloudy yellow color with decent head and good lacing. Nice citrus sweet smell. The taste is bready with cinnamon and fruit. Nice beer overall.

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3.61/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

This poured a nice gold with a 2 inch head in a wheat beer glass. Nice lacing. As inviting as it appeared, I was somewhat underwhelmed with the taste. It was a nice, lightly sweet, lightly spiced flavor. Very mild hops on the front. The smell was almost nonexistent for me. I probably wouldn't go this way again. It was, however, certainly refreshing with a zest that could squelch the summer heat.

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4.81/5  rDev +25.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

This beer means summer is here in MI. Very not certain slightly citrus flavor of paired with an orange wedge. Very refreshing. Cloudy appearance. Sediment in bottles. Excellent wheat.

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3.14/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.75

L: Cloudy orange and tan with yeasty remnents

S: Brown sugar and orange with clove spice

T: malty light brown sugar and wheat with malts.

F: Full mouthfeel that drinks so well but causes some trouble in my stomach. Avoid drinking this with fried food as there is some volitile reaction that happens.

Overall: It's a very well rounded beer. The unpasterized side of things doesn't agree with my stomach, so I am biased in that regard.

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3.84/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can into nonic pint
canned on 3/9/17 3 months plus
L- a hazy burnt orange, with 2 fingers-thick head, that slowly dissipates
S- noticeable wheat aroma, as in cloves,
T- again noticeably wheat, as there is extremely light breadiness, followed by some grapefruity citrus, and a spicy finish
F- light & creamy with above average carbonation
O- Bell's has done it again, this is as advertised the perfect summer beer, with easy drinkability and great flavor

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4.1/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

It is very much a Michigan summertime staple,although my friends stock up to drink it year a round.Good cloudygold'orange color,taste of orange in the palate along with a little buttery tinge.The butteriness comes through for me on tap,have drank way to many of these I think,and boy I do miss it so!

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4.23/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

3.46/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance – Very hazy and inviting yellow with a strong, white head that rose up nicely and left little pools of foam on top of the liquid.

Smell – Well, it smells like an American grain-based Pale Ale with a hint of wheat and a light, almost-soury lemon note.

Taste – The wheat is second to the grain, but there’s just enough of it to smooth things out. Again, there’s a light hint of lemon, not enough even to turn things sour, but just enough to be noticed. The grain is a higher-than-normal grade, making the all-around taste relatively good.

Mouthfeel – Very smooth, almost creamy, with a light carbonation that avoids the usual fizziness of American efforts.

Drinkability – This is not my style of choice, but for what it is trying to do I think it’s a solid effort by Bell’s.

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3.25/5  rDev -14.9%

4/5  rDev +4.7%

3/5  rDev -21.5%

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

3.67/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had both in bottle and on tap. Oberon pours a cloudy, pale golden-orange color. Slight amounts of sediment in the beer actually look inviting rather than scary (like pulp in your orange juice). Thin, wispy white head that leaves decent lacing on the glass. It's hard to get a powerful nose from this stuff, but what you do get is full of orange zest, mild clove, mild cooking spices, a tad of grain, and a bit of wheat. The taste is very closely tied to the smell - nice and robust for a wheat-style beer, backed with a citrusy-orange peel flavor and a nice kick of spice that hits about halfway through and lasts til the end. Hops are present, but faint and come out near the latter half of the taste. Some graininess is also present, but not overpowering or notably predominant. A hint of clove can also be detected from nearly start to finish. Medium-thin bodied with a soft amount of carbonation make this beer easy to drink.

Oberon is a great summer time wheat beer with a somewhat unique flavor profile for this style. A solid choice all around.

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