02 April 2007

A Midsummer (or early...or late...or spring...or fall) Night's (or day's) beer

In Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Oberon is the king of the fairies. At Bell's Brewery, Oberon is the king of beers. It is reportedly Bell's best seller and one of the most anticipated beers every spring. Don't believe me? There were at least a half dozen Oberon tapping parties last week around Indy, all well attended.

Oberon is an American Pale Wheat Ale, a beer type that combines the best of Hefe Weizens and IPA's, combining the full yeasty flavors of wheat beers with the bit and smoothness of pale ales. A deliciously light combination that is easy to drink and easy to love. Perfect for barbecues, baseball games, yard work, and front porch sitting.

It looks like a summer evening before a storm: cloudy with lots of yellow-orange color. The head pours like cumulus clouds: big, white, and foamy. The smell is like driving by an orchard with the car windows down: light, fruity fragrance. The drinkability is like playing in the yard and having a sweat bee sting you: incredibly enjoyable with a itty bitty bite that doesn't distract you. And the feel in your mouth, like a beer after a day of working in the yard should be: clean and crisp with no annoying aftertaste. The taste is like a summer garden: a delightful melding of flavors that are hard to individually identify. And like a bakery, with light yeasty flavors. And like a brewery, with it tasting like beer and all.

Okay, so I'm not Shakespeare. Big deal, you wanna fight about it? But trust me on this, it is an enjoyable beer. And the best part is that it will likely be enjoyed by all levels of beer drinkers, both novices and snobs. Jim said it best that this is a great starting point for those first trying craft beers. And you will most likely find Oberon's sitting next to my stash of Hopslams in my beer fridge.

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