Bell's Oberon Ale

Review Date 7/9/2014  Last Updated  5/5/2022  By John Staradumsky

  Style: American Wheat Ale   Brewery: Bell's   Country: USA   State: Michigan   $ Per OZ: $.38 (D), $.30 (G)   ABV: 5.7%

I really love going to Taco Mac as you probably know by now, and maybe you’re sick of hearing me tell you about that. That’s OK, I’m going to tell you more anyway. The Brewniversity program is a really great, and allows you to try lots and lots of new beers. Each new beer, whether in the bottle or on tap (they have 100 taps at each location, and some have more) gets you a credit. There are various rewards at different credit levels, but the biggie is the Brewniversity Bachelors at 125. That gets you a 20 ounce mug for most beers at the same price everbody else pays for a pint. I’m at 533 credits right now, and still working to that loftiest of goals, the Brewniversity Chancellor at 1000.

Anyway, this is not without drawbacks. Because you are always drinking new beers to get new credits, you don’t get to drink old favorites as often as you might like. Sometimes, though you can, and I did just that with a frosty mug of Bell’s Oberon Ale. That’s because this was one of a select number of beers that you could repeat and still get a credit for, but (there’s always a catch) only during the World Cup.

As I love Bell’s Oberon Ale (once know as Solsun Ale), especially during the hot weather such as we’ve been having these days, I pounced on the opportunity to have another. This is a summer seasonal for Bell’s, and they say about it on their website:

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.

Bell’s Oberon is, to be precise, an American Wheat Ale of strength 5.7% by volume. I paid $6 for a mug, about average I would say.

That mug of Bell’s Oberon Ale arrived a hazy yellow in color with a light head formation and a tart wheat nose laced with the gentle aroma of fresh hops. Taking a sip, I get crisp tart crackery wheat in the body and a smooth, creamy maltiness. A mild, sharp hop bite emerges in the finish. That is what makes this one different, the hops. Wheat beers are not known for their hoppiness, and while this one doesn’t have them in abundance, it has more of them than you’ll usually get for the style.

Bell’s Oberon Ale is not overly complicated, but it is very refreshing. I enjoyed it as the first beer of the night, and it was the perfect quencher to wash down an order of veggie quesadillas. It’s a beer I would (and do) buy again and again.

Update 5/5/2022: Bell’s Oberon 2022 in a crowler from Stout’s pours to a pale yellow color with a thick fluffy white head and a nose of crackery wheat and clove. Taking a sip, the beer is crisp and refreshing with crackery wheat up front, then hints at clove. Finishes spicy dry and tart wheaty and WAY too east to drink. A perfect refresher on an 85 degree Georgia spring day, and won't break the bank at $9.75 for a crowler.

Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??