Bells Oberon Ale

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Wheat Ale
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Bottle at chris_o’s pre beerexposed tasting. Alround rating: Fruity, tropical fruit, tangerine, theres a decent amount of wheat which is a bit thin and very much american wheat like, but still quite good. Take out the wheat and iv no doubt this would be awsome.

A malty, acrid, citric nose with notes of lemon and grapefruit. Slightly hazy light yellow hue with a small, fizzy white head. Mostly lasting with decent lacing. The flavor is lightly malty with huge lemon notes up front. Acetic with just a whisper of hop bitterness and clover on the backside. Very well-balanced. Medium-bodied with fizzy carbonation and a watery mouthfeel. Short, crisp, clean finish. Very refreshing wheat beer!

This wheat beer has a fullest body of an American wheat I have had. Semi-sweet flavor is well balanced with a medium hop bitterness. Higher gravity, for wheat beers at least, is undectable in the palate. Somewhat cloudy golden body conceals a myriad of flavor and mouthfeel. The best American wheat I have found.

Colour changes from clear gold to fully hazy orange, depending on the level of the bottle; whitish irregular head, fast gone. American hops, good ones, even when not at I²PA levels, some dry cookie sweetness, but in perfect balance. Lytchee aroma, but not only sweet, with a whisky touch. Taste : dry hops sacks, filled with Christmas-dried oranges, green sultanas and some steamed and cloved onions. Medium bodied, yeast-filled MF. Even once KNOWING it, I just can’t get ANY wheat out of this, unless it would be the looks. Blind it would be a pure guess. How much wheat is malted in Belgium, BTW?

Bottled. Cloudy yellow coloured. Weak aroma with notes of yeast and fruits. Very weak and slightly sweetish fruits flavour. Very watery mouthfeel. High carbonation level. Useless.

The Lure:
Citrusy foam and wheat cushions create a relaxing attraction. Soft and spicy, with a touch of yeast. I would not dive in irrationally, but it is obvious that this is extremely well-made.

The Festivities:
Banana sweetness resides comfortably under the fresh, crunchy wheat. A small citrus filet and a quick and dry finish ease the quenching, as a delicate, luxurious feel emulates that of a wheat pils reverie.

Transcendence:
Flying over puffy clouds.

Bottle courtesy of Acknud. Pours copper with a white head. Smells of lemons, grass, sweet malt, some bubblegum. Tastes of citrus, some wheat, sweet and sugary. Ok for what it is.

Tap. Hazy golden beer, thin white head. Very faint wheaty aroma with some light citrus and a bit of breadiness. Flavour is very wheaty with lemony citrus and some earthy/spicy yeastiness. Very soft phenolics and some peachy/fruity notes. Lingering spicy hop finish.