Bell's Oberon Ale

I really look forward to the changing of the seasons. In Minnesota, we're lucky enough to have all 4 seasons be very distinct and unique. I personally believe that helps to enhance my appreciation for each change in climate. You know what else adds to my own enjoyment of the rotating weather cycle? That's right, seasonal beers.

Summer beers are brewed with the purpose of being light, flavorful and refreshing. They are not typically high in alcohol, so that you can drink more of it on a hot day. Today's beer session will be with Oberon, Bell's own summer seasonal. It's an American style wheat ale brewed with Saaz hops that comes in at 5.8% ABV.

I had been wondering why Bell's chose to name this beer Oberon, so I did a little research. Larry Bell was having some copyright issues with the name he originally chose for the beer, which was Solsun. He could not use the name, but the logo and labels they had designed were OK to move forward with. Because they wanted to use the same logo, it would be more convenient to find a new name with the same number of letters. Oberon was the fairy king character in Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and Mr. Bell actually played that part in 6th grade. He liked the literary reference and thought it was a fun name. The bonus was that it had 6 letters. So in 1996, this seasonal was dubbed Oberon.

I pour the 12 ounce bottle into my weizen glass. The transfer easily generates a huge, 4 finger white head, which takes time to fall back into a nice 1/4 inch blanket sitting on top of the beer. The body is yellow-gold and cloudy from yeast. It's easy to see many sparkling bubbles rising through the liquid to the top.

As usual, I swirl the brew before I take a sniff. I smell sweet wheat bread and a bit of citrus fruit. There is also a wonderful spice aroma from the Saaz hops. The interesting thing to me is that when the beer settles, I detect a faint scent that I can only liken to cotton candy. It's not too strong, but that's what it reminds me of.

This beer's taste of sweet malt brings to mind banana bread. I'm not saying this brew has a strong banana quality like so many German hefeweizens, but it definitely is like a sweet bread with a touch of banana undertones. A citrus lemon flavor comes on just before the sweetness is balanced out by a nice earthy spice and perfect level of bitterness at the end.

This brew has a medium mouthfeel that is creamy, almost velvety, and each swallow goes smoothly down my throat. It has a pleasant crisp finish and leaves some nice lacing on the glass as the liquid level decreases.

Oberon is an awesome warm-weather beer from Bell's. It is refreshing and very easy to drink, while still maintaining wonderful flavors. It might be just a bit on the strong side for a session beer, but I'd still be tempted to drink a 6-pack myself on a nice summer afternoon. You definitely need to try this beer if you've never had it.