Bell's Week: Bell's Oarsman Ale

The first stop on our week-long journey through Bell's Brewery begins with Oarsman Ale, a new-to-me beer that surprised me with its deliciousness. Bell's touts this as their session beer, meaning it's a low-alcohol brew meant to quench your thirst. The kind of beer you can throw back all afternoon without ending up in the emergency room. Sounds fine to me, though it's not the sort of description that left me expecting big flavor.

How wrong I was.

First, a quick pour and a sniff. You don't expect much aroma from a session beer, but what a great smell from the glass! It's slightly tart with a bit of fruitiness. Very pleasant. The taste follows suit. This beer SCREAMS crisp spring days. There is a tart snap at the start and a hint of early summer fruit mixed nicely with the easy drinkability of a light ale. Frickin' delicious. Coming in at a dainty little 4% ABV, you don't expect much, but this is an outstanding session beer. I wish it was available in New Jersey. If it were, I'd drink it all summer. This beer is a winner that proves a beer doesn't have to be a monster to taste great. One of the best I've had from Bell's.