Beer Review: Wayfinder Beer – Oath (Premium Kellerbier)
Style: Premium Kellerbier / Zwickelbier
ABV: 5.1%
Malts: Belgian Pilsner, Linc Spelt Malt
Hops: Mt. Hood
Collaboration: Joel / Brasserie de la Mule (Brussels, Belgium)
Brewery Location: Portland, Oregon
When the masters of bottom-fermentation at Wayfinder Beer team up with Belgium’s traditional lager renegades at Brasserie de la Mule, expectations run incredibly high. Oath completely delivers, serving as a flawless testament to their shared pact of honoring old-world lager techniques. Brewed using Belgian pilsner malt combined with rustic rustic Linc spelt malt, and heavily layered with Mt. Hood hops, this unfiltered cellar lager sits at a perfectly balanced 5.1% ABV. It is a stunningly complex, deeply expressive beer that is both technically perfect and wildly crushable.
Appearance
Oath pours a beautiful, luminous pale straw-gold, sporting a soft, elegant haze that immediately speaks to its unfiltered, fresh-from-the-cellar kellerbier identity. An energetic stream of carbonation continuously feeds a dense, billowy, meringue-like cap of snow-white foam. The head retention is spectacular, leaving dense, sticky curtains of lacing as you work your way down the glass.
Aroma
The aromatics are incredibly bright, fresh, and layered. Upfront, the Mt. Hood hops jump out with beautiful waves of sweet honeydew melon, vibrant lemon zest, and an airy, atmospheric quality reminiscent of morning dew on fresh-cut grass. Right beneath this bright canopy sits a deeply comforting, rustic malt profile; the spelt introduces a unique, earthy, nutty depth that plays perfectly against a crisp, bready pilsner malt baseline.
Palate & Mouthfeel
On the palate, Oath is an absolute dream. Thanks to the unfiltered proteins and the use of spelt malt, the mouthfeel is incredibly smooth, soft, and slightly pillowy, while maintaining a remarkably light, energetic frame.
Upfront flavor notes replicate the nose with a juicy burst of melon and bright citrus oils. By the mid-palate, a clean, rustic grain profile anchors the beer, showcasing a beautiful chewiness that keeps the experience entirely authentic to classic continental cellar beers.
Finish
The finish is impeccably clean, refreshing, and snappy. The soft mid-palate swiftly transitions into a firm, drying exit highlighted by a precise herbal snap from the hops. A mild, noble hop bitterness lingers just long enough to clean up any residual grain sweetness, resetting the palate entirely and making the liquid feel completely dangerous in its drinkability.
This collaboration is a triumph. Wayfinder and Brasserie de la Mule have managed to take a historic German style and give it a vibrant, modern lift via smart hop selection and alternative grains without losing an ounce of traditional soul. It is soft yet crisp, bright yet rustic, and stands out as one of the most compelling kellerbiers on the market. Sworn to the sacred oath of good beer, indeed.
Please Note: To ensure absolute freshness and optimal storage temperatures, all craft beer arrivals are sold exclusively in-store and are not available for online ordering.
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