Bell's Oberon Ale variety pack to be released across Michigan by end of May

Brian Manzullo, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read

Bell's Brewery's Oberon Ale variety packs will start shipping across Michigan by the end of the month.

Like Bell's did with the Two Hearted brand this past winter, the Comstock-based brewing giant said in March it would expand the seasonal Oberon brand with a variety pack, featuring original Oberon Ale plus three variants, two of which have been previous releases at the Bell's Eccentric Cafe in Kalamazoo. The variety pack was released exclusively at the Eccentric Cafe earlier this month.

The Oberon Variety Pack, featuring original, citrus, cherry and mango habanero flavors, hits Michigan shelves at the end of May.
The Oberon Variety Pack, featuring original, citrus, cherry and mango habanero flavors, hits Michigan shelves at the end of May.

The 12-can variety pack includes three cans each of:

  • Oberon Ale (5.8% ABV): Bright, citrusy, wheat ale with spicy hop characters

  • Cherry Oberon (5.8% ABV): Oberon fused with subtle cherry notes

  • Citrus Oberon (7.5% ABV): Oberon fused with lemon and orange zest

  • Mango Habanero Oberon (6% ABV): Oberon fused with mild, tropical mango aromas overshadowed by spicy habanero peppers

Only the citrus Oberon is brand new; the other two flavors were previously special batch releases.

"This is the pack the fans demanded," Carrie Yunker, executive vice president of Bell's, told the Free Press in March.

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Though supply of the variety pack will be limited, Bell's will ship them to its full distribution footprint across 49 states, and the brewery expects the pack to be available through the end of July or early August.

This move is part of a nationwide trend of top breweries expanding their most popular beer brands by creating "brand families," releasing new flavor variants of their flagship beers, and distributing variety packs for fans to try. Atwater Brewery in Detroit did the same with its flagship Dirty Blonde ale. Short's Brewing Co. in Bellaire also did it with the Huma Variety Pack, and Founders Brewing Co. with its All Day Variety Pack.

Brian Manzullo covers craft alcohol for the Free Press. Contact him: bmanzullo@freepress.com and on Untappd, bmanzullo and Twitter, @BrianManzullo and @SpiritsofDET.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Bell's Oberon Ale variety pack is coming by end of May