Tasting Notes: Michigan Summer Ale vs Bell's Oberon vs Short's Nicie Spicie

In order: Oberon, Nicie Spicie, Michigan Summer Ale

Beer info and tasting notes:

Homebrewed Michigan Summer Ale: 5.5% ABV, 22 IBUs,  50% Michigan Malt 2-row, 50% Michigan Malt Wheat Malt, with a bit of Caravienne. Coriander and Saaz in the boil, and Saaz as a dry hop. Cultured yeast from Bell's Oberon.

• Tasting Notes: Slightly hazy, straw colored with a white fluffy head. Piney, earthy, and yeasty aroma. Nice balance between malt, hops, and coriander with a smooth texture from the wheat malt. Flavor is dominated by the Saaz hops and coriander, but the Oberon yeast creates a nutty, citrusy, final beer. The  beer finishes dry and is very drinkable.

Bell's Oberon: 5.8% ABV, 23 IBUs, From Bell's website - Bell's Oberon is a wheat ale fermented with Bell's signature house ale yeast, mixing a spicy hop character with mildly fruity aromas. The addition of wheat malt lends a smooth mouth feel, making it a classic summer beer.

• Tasting Notes: Yeasty aroma with a thick white head. Hazy straw colored appearance. Extremely smooth mouth feel, with a low bitterness, and very little hop presence. Bell's house yeast dominates the flavor with lots of nutty, citrus, fruity aromas. Finishes dry.  

Short's Nicie Spicie: 5.0% ABV, 25 IBUs, From Short's website -  Nicie Spicie is a Northern Michigan spiced wheat ale made with a 50/50 blend of malted barley and malted white wheat. Packed with fresh citrus zest and spiced with coriander and a three peppercorn blend, this light-bodied ale is complex, yet scrumptious. Nicie Spicie also has a gorgeous golden color and is crisp and refreshing.

• Tasting Notes: Crystal clear, golden color with a thin head. Mild citrus, spicy aroma. Really nice balance between hops, citrus, and peppercorns. Citrus is upfront, but the hops and peppercorns are subtle, but still noticeable. Clean yeast, dry finish.

Overall:

I found it very interesting how much yeast played a part in the final taste. This was my first beer using my cultured Oberon Yeast. Both Michigan Wheat Ale and Oberon had very similar qualities and overall impressions. I think the coriander and dry hops in Michigan Wheat Ale helped it stand apart from Oberon. Otherwise I think the beers would have ended up very similar. On the the other side, the spices in Nicie Spice were balanced to perfection. A lot of citrus and pepper to make this beer a lot more interesting than the standard wheat ale. 

Both Oberon and Nicie Spicie were the main influences when I brewed Michigan Summer Ale. All three have a large percentage of wheat malt, are sessionable, and midly hopped. The yeast from Oberon has a huge influence on the final beer but, the coriander gives the beer a unique final character. All three beers are great, sessionable summer ales.