WILK Friday BeerBuzz–15 July 2011 (Bell’s Oberon w/Larry Bell)

As much as holiday beer season may be my favorite time of year, I really love the wide selection of great summer beers that hit the market every year.  I especially like the traditional wheat beers that hit the market every May, and today’s beer choice is one of my favorites.

I first sampled Bells Oberon at a party a few summers ago, and I remember not only thinking it was a classic wheat brew, but I also loved the packaging.  The bright  Blue over orange with the bright orange cap really stood out for me, and I always love watching the reaction people have to the bright package and the beer itself. 

Oberon is a 5.8% ABV classic wheat beer with a slightly banana/clove flavor and a citrusy finish.  What also stands out for me is the silky mouthfeel, which I suspect indicates the predominant wheat malt in the grain bill.  It finishes clean like a summer beer should, and it is a very easy drinking beer…and I think what I find most appealing is that it still has a lot of body so I find it to be a very satisfying summer brew.

It was very cool to have Larry Bell join us on the phone to talk about Oberon.  Who knew the original name of the beer was supposed to be Solsun and that copyright issues blocked the name after the label design was complete….and I was really surprised to find that Larry’s choice of Oberon was based on a 6th grade play where Larry starred as Oberon….very cool story to go with a very cool beer.  Try this one for yourself while it’s still around (on 12oz bottles and 5L mini-kegs)…..because when summer’s gone…so is Oberon.

Thanks
to  Larry Bell from Bell’s Brewery, Nancy, John, Joe, and Bosco for yet another fun Friday. 
The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together. 
As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE.