67. Bell’s Oberon

Our third beer (first and second) from Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo, MI. We had this on tap at the Dublin Pub while watching the USA Soccer qualifier against El Salvador. Damn. That game was far too close for my liking. But at this point we’re looking forward to South Africa and this summer—we need to buy a new television and a cable package that will serve our soccer needs, since watching every game out and about would tax both our pocketbooks and our livers.

Oberon (which is an AWESOME name for a beer) has a light wheat malt nose with a hazy gold color and a light white head. Oberon starts soft and clean before moving into a sweeter malt middle with some tart, almost lemony flavors, and then finishing crisp with some light lingering hop bitterness and sourness. Light to medium bodied, it has a rounded and refreshing mouthfeel. While Oberon is an enjoyable beer, I swear that something has changed in this beer this year—it is not as enjoyable for smooth summer drinking, and not as crisp and refreshing. The current version has something of a musky or less refreshing characteristic to it, along with the light sourness as the end. Previously, I recall this beer being brighter and cleaner across my palate, and better balanced overall. Maybe I’m just getting old and cantankerous, but over the last couple of years, Oberon has had some slight shifts to what it is currently—it’s not the balanced, drinkable beer of yesteryear.

From the Bell’s Brewery website: “An American wheat ale brewed with Saaz hops. Spicy and fruity, Oberon is the color and scent of a sunny afternoon.”

ABV: 5.8%

OG: 1.057

(9/5/2009)