Glassware: Wheat beers have wonderful light aromatics with touches of spice that tend to bring about thoughts of summer. The type of glassware that should be used helps the beer to remain chilled while trapping the wonderful aromatics. Spiegelau collaborated with Bell’s on a wheat beer glass perfect for this beer. While out at a bar these glasses are hard to find so a snifter or tulip glass will suffice.

Description: Bell’s Oberon Ale pours a golden copper color with pure white head that dissipates quickly, but leaves a thick lacing on the glass. The aroma is strong in the fruit category, notes of oranges, lemons, pears, and apples dominate, backed with a sweet wheat aroma and a hint of breadiness and spice. The taste follows the nose exactly with strong flavors of citrus, wheat, and hints of bread cascading over the tongue initially and is trailed quickly by the spices and a slight hint of apricot before finishing up nice and dry, mainly due to the high carbonation. The body leans more toward the mid-range with a bit more heft than many wheat beers, but not over bearing. If this was porridge Goldilocks would have chosen it, but thankfully it’s beer and it’s great. Oberon is a lively summer beer that refreshes the body and palate after a hot summer day.

Food pairing: Oberon Ale is a summer ale so it’s perfect for your favorite summer dishes. Try Oberon Ale with your favorite salad, especially those topped with fruit, think berries or peaches and with light vinaigrette drizzled on top for a truly inspiring summer afternoon lunch. Also try grilled chicken topped with rosemary, thyme and a squeeze of lemon with a side of corn on the cob. The sweetness of the corn is brought forth when paired with the great wheat ale. This is a phenomenal beer for Friday night pizza dinner, with the right touches of sweetness to cut through the cheese and enhance the naturally sweet sauce. Other great pairings include: salmon, Camembert cheese and sushi.

The Final Word: Bell’s Brewery is a brewery you can always rely on to create fantastic beers. Summer ales come in a wide variety of styles and flavors with many stocked on shelves in bars and stores. Bell’s has unquestionably made a very enjoyable wheat ale perfect for the summer. This summer ale is great to have on hand while relaxing on the back porch. So drink up and enjoy the start of the summer. It goes by so fast, before you know it, you will be drinking pumpkin beers looking back longingly on Oberon Ale while dreaming of the summer months.

Brewer: Bell’s Brewery, Inc.

Beer: Oberon Ale

Style: American Pale Wheat Ale

ABV: 5.8 %

Rating: WWWW

Derek Warren is a beer fanatic, avid homebrewer and beer historian. Derek can be heard weekly on the Beer Geeks Radio Hour at noon on Sundays on WILK 103.1 FM with past episodes available on iTunes.

By Derek Warren

For Weekender

Oberon Ale is a good beer to enjoy on hot, summer days.
https://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_oberlans-1.jpgOberon Ale is a good beer to enjoy on hot, summer days.