Ommegang Abbey Ale

Brewed by Brewery Ommegang (Moortgat)
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Cooperstown, New York USA

Serve in Trappist glass

In my oppinion this is the best brew from ommegang. Very complex and strong with lots of malt and fruity yeasty notes going on yet it isnt overbearing. QUite drinkable for such a strong beer. Goes down pretty easy.

Bottle@Home. Malty aroma with prune, toffee and figs. Chestnut brown, beige head, good lace. Very sweet, fruity, nutty, prune, soft bitterness. Full, sparkling, more alcoholic than expected. Quite flavourful, nice complexity.

Vanilla, dark chocolate, prunes, orange peel, and anise with a dry warming finish. It’s in there.

WTF? Yet another brew I have never rated yet have drank more than a few even before Ratebeer was around. Yo to PhillyBeer2112 who is the 2nd person to have rated it way back in August of 2000!

From an two year old + bottle: Pours a deep rich multihued brown and copper with a small fading frothy head but good lace was noted. The aroma has notes licorice, currant, prune, hints of caramel and mocha, earthy yeast esters, and a light oxidition notes that works well. The taste starts quite fruity and scores an undertones of belgian sugar and sweet malts. The big part of the palate however is the strong earthy and woody notes that dominate midesection. It is a characteristics that has not changed since the first time I ever had it. The finish has that licorice twang and a bit of honey too. The feel is sharp and biting with the expected warming of the alcohol, always has tasted stronger than the 8.5% to me. While no longer a classic IMO since other American breweries has since brewed better Belgian Strongs, it is still a must try for all ratebeerians.

UPDATED: JUN 14, 2008 First rating
(75 cl bottle from Systembolaget)
On May 24, 2008
Dark red color, tan head. Sweet licorice scent, also toffee and phenoles. Phenolci sweet taste. Spritzy mouthfeel, low bitterness.
7/4/7/3/13=3.4

Second rating
(Bottle at Café 3 Små Rum)
On June 13, 2008
Clear copper color, tan head. Sweet, spicy, lactic and alcohol scent. Sweet, spicy, phenolic and yeasty taste. Sweet licorice aftertaste. Moussy mouthfeel, low bitterness.
6/4/6/3/12=3.1

Medium brown color, medium head. Rich smooth malts almost fruity. Nice hop signature. Finish is very clean, good mouth feel. Aftertaste is malty. The maltyness shines through on the finish. Smooth taste despite 8.5 % alcohol.

UPDATED: AUG 24, 2005 Bottle (750ml) (possibly 5 years old) shared with blankboy and GregClow at Le Select Bistro Poured a fairly dark, murky (almost muddy) peach-ruby with a quick-diminishing off-white head and spare lacing. Quite a few small white floaties in the glass. Aroma was intruguing - strong wine (sour), ferment raisins an other fruits dominated on first sniff, then fairly heavy malts, not much hop, heavy yeast - cheese? - and a tang of lime. Flavour was attention-grabbing - very tart and musty, with strong off-sweet, almost sour malt, some hop and strong yeast bitterness, and evergreen sap in the background. Very complex mouthfeel, hard to describe - slightly lively, oily and alcoholic, but not really. The finish was very much of sour wine, but it worked - definitely a senior citizen, but carried its age well, despite the yeast and dregs. I concur with Greg - I want to try this again with a bottle nearer its prime.

750 mL bottle from Whole Foods Charlottesville. Reddish brown with a medium frothy head. Very fruity aroma... dates, banana, brown sugar. Anise comes through strongly in the taste, with some malty sweetness and fruitiness. Interesting, but this anise is a bit too strong for my taste.