Ommegang Abbey Ale

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

Serve in Trappist glass

What a great glass of beer. 750 ml. to Trappist glass. Pours a very dark brown, almost black, with a nice thick cream colored head that stayed for a good while, and when finally thin was consistently lacing as it moved down the glass with every sip. Great smells initially, toasty malt with all kinds of fruit smells, apple, banana, pear all dipped in caramel. Decadent as Godiva chocolate. Alcohol is present, but does not over power the good smells. Tastes are with that fruit, sweet, but with a touch of sour that is really so well balanced it is almost like eating something really good. Palate supports that feeling, it is slightly chewy, with a full body and medium carbonation. Finish is like you just had a crisp mackintosh apple and a bite of Sees Toffee. Mildly bitter sweet but oh so nice. Boys, this is a good beer.

I broke this beer out at a barbecue the other day to show one of my neighbors what real beer is, needless to say he put down his Miller Lite and wanted to drink my entire bottle. Brewery Ommegang was started in 1997 in a traditional Belgium style farmhouse located four miles south of Cooperstown, New York. Demand became so overwhelming that in 2003 Brewery Ommegang was sold to the Belgium brewery responsible for Duvel Golden Ale and now Ommegang brews are made both in Belgium and Cooperstown. This particular brew is made in Belgium is the first beer produced by Ommegang and was inspired by the ales produced by the Belgium Trappist monks. This beer pours nicely into a dark red brown color with a nice fat foamy head. The aromas are full of Belgium yeast as well as some fruity and nutty notes. The palate is full and robust with breadiness that dissipates to fruitiness as you reach the exquisite finish.

I had this for the first time today. Very rich without being overly heavy. It has a slight bitterness that tapers off just right at the end. Highly recommended.

perfect texture, great malty balance, and wine flavors make this a luxurious beer

UPDATED: MAR 12, 2010 Aroma is mild citrus and huge molasses. warm nose with a massive malty body. Very sweet malt with carmelized sugar and holiday candy. finishes sweet and pleasant. Great Beer!

Good dark amber color liquid. Medium sized head which dissipates rapidly to a light film. Minimal lacing. Big, sweet, malty nose. Nice caramel notes. Sweet, dark fruits. Brown sugar caramalized bananas. Very slight alcohol smell. Complex flavors, as well. Booze soaked dark cherries. Toasted malts. Pineapple, pear, and bananas. Slight fig and clove flavors. Very nice and creamy in the mouth, as it should be, for the style. Very tasty and highly drinkable brew.

Serving glass: Poured from bottle in Snifter. Appearance: Cloudy orangish-brown with sustained thin tan head. Aroma: Pungent combination of plums, figs and a strong mustiness. Some light banana and clove. Taste: Very malty and musty with plum, figs, raisins and a good earthy undercurrent. Ends more spicy and clove-like. Palate: Moderate carbonation, medium to full body that simply feels Belgian (not sure how to describe that), semi-dry finish. Overall: This is the best Dubbel I have had, with a strong complex aroma and taste. However, I have never found this to be the easiest to drink style; even Quads are more drinkable for me.

A beautiful deep dark burgundy beer. The head is enormous and long lasting. The aroma is spice, licorice, maybe some cloves and vanilla. The first thing that struck me was the mouthfeel, velvetty and smooth. The flavor is layered it starts with a dark malt then some fruit plum-like notes. But it keeps going, there is more to explore below that. Caramel and toffee notes come out along with a touch of chocolate. I wish I had saved this to share with friends, this beer is an experience. On the other hand, having the whole bottle to myself seems like the only way to properly discover the wonderful properties of this beer.