Bell's Oberon is my beer of choice in the summer. It's different every year (intentionally), but delicious every time. Fantastic beer to drink on a hot day. It's not a heavy too rich of a craft beer like many others, it's definitely a "session beer", meaning it's not to heavy/rich and you can drink a few of them. Had three of these today spanned over a few hours of a lawn mow, some flower potting, and cleaning up debris after a storm we had yesterday. The beer bottle has a sun on the label and is only available in the summer. It's literally made for this. :) Also, Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy. Beer and lemonade mixed together! Sounds gross, but amazingly delicious on a hot day of grilling or yard work. For non alcoholic things, cold water, an Arnold Palmer, or just some Powerade Low Cal... love that stuff.
I have been drinking Bell's long enough, or perhaps this is just another way of saying I am old enough to remember when Oberon was called Solson. Story has it they had to change the name because they were forced by Molson. It is a good beer, but I truly believe it has become less so due to mass production. It had more depth back in the day. Are you familiar with Bell's Two Hearted Ale? That is my favorite beer, or at least one of my favorites.
Molson huh? The story I've heard was that Oberon was Sol Sun, which was too much like the Mexican beer Sol. Either way, I agree it's a good standby. I'm a big Two-hearted fan as well. Have you tried Bell's Hop Slam? Bell's only makes it available in February, so says the guy the nearby liquor store. It's 12% abv and somehow it's so hoppy that it doesn't have a bitter bite to it. A fine wine sort of beer.
I stand corrected, apparently the kid that told me that in 1999 was full of shit, from Wikipedia: In 1998, Bell's changed the name of its flagship summer beer from Solsun to Oberon as a result of legal action by the Mexican brewing company Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, makers of a beer with a similar name: El Sol (The Sun). I have tried the Hop Slam and I recall enjoying it. Sometimes those uber-hoppy beers can be too much for me. Think I'll go poor myself a belgium-ale, all this talk of beer is making me thirsty. Thanks for the correction, I appreciate the info.
Every beer snob has had Bell's Two Hearted, and I love it. It's one of the better go to "session beers" out there. "Session' meaning "Still a craft beer, but not rich or potent enough that you can still drink many in one sitting without getting gut-rot" for those unfamiliar with the term. Bell's makes some brews I can't tolerate, and a few I love. I like Two Hearted, love Oberon, but that's about it from them. I'm a huge stout and porter fan and their stouts and porters are pretty mediocre at best.
I agree, having grown up in Michigan bells is everywhere and the only two I ever drink are the ones you mentioned. Have you ever tried Hitachino Nest? It's a white ale from Japan. It may be my favorite beer ever and is certainly nice in the summertime.
Oh I will, I have a beer list that I added it to for whenever I make it over to one of the better beer stores in the area that have a more robust selection of craft and import beer. I stay away from most Japanese beers because many use a rice mash for the grain, and that's a migraine trigger for me for whatever reason. Not rice itself, but alcohol made from rice. But this is a witbier so it should be wheat, so it should be a non-issue and I'm curious to try it now. I thank you in advance for the recommendation.
I'm intrigued. I'll see if this is available out here. Can you give an example of how Bell's Oberon changes year to year? I have a friend who is a big fan of shandies, though he likes 7 Up or Sprite with his. He uses Heineken too. Personally, ick. But, I have had a nice shandy here and there.
Oberon changes between years are minor, but sometimes it's more hoppy, or less hoppy, more or less malty, or more fruity like orange, some years it's more grapefruit notes. It's always mild differences, but it's never the same. It's good stuff, and I'm not a huge fan of their other beers honestly. Bell's Distribution: