Ommegang Biere de Mars

Formerly brewed at Brewery Ommegang (Moortgat)
Style: Bière de Garde
Cooperstown, New York USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

750ml caged&corked bottle. Cloudy orange/amber with a very thick off-white head that leaves small patches of egg-white-like lace on the glass. Unfortunately for those who pour too vigorously, the yeast is not attractive - it consists of very large chunks that like to float in the beer instead of settle to the bottom (but I won’t hold that against the brew). The aroma is an interesting mix of slightly tart fruit (from brett) with some malts, some honey, and slight mandarin orange (could that be from the dry hops?). The flavor starts dry and musty with an earthy character from the brett. Then a pleasant fruity (almost citrusy) sweetness enters along with a very nice, bready malt character. At mid-palate, there is a harmonious blend of earthy hops, musty funky brett character, bready and yeasty malts, and delicate fruity/floral esters. The finish is straight-forward and bready with a light but balancing dose of hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is surprisingly full and surprisingly smooth (I was expecting much livelier carbonation with a lighter mouthfeel based on the pour). Overall, a very well-made brew. I dig it a lot. It has nice qualities of a slightly-over-the-top English Pale Ale but with a very nice Belgian character thanks to the interesting fruity esters and peculiar yet dreamy brett funk.

Aroma is sweet with yeast, bread, and spice. Flavor starts with bready malt, caramel and toffee. Finish has spice and a little funk and is very dry. Pretty different and really good.

750ml bottle - Pours up a huge, hazy, fizzy head. It has a fruity aroma with berries, citrus, and brett funk. It tastes sweet, tart, and funky with a bubbly palate, a medium body, and a funky finish. Very good.

Batch #2 October 2008. Pours hazy red amber with a quick large off white soapy head that dissipates to a soapy film. Aroma has an awesome funky sourness. Taste is funky and musty with subtle tartness and subtle sweetness that brings spice all around and some faint dry hops. Palate has full carbonation and somewhat chalky with a dry finish. Very enjoyable.

Pours a dark orange amber very carbonated aroma is brett yeast, bready malt, and pears. Flavor is spot on the same excellent biere de mars...not too malty and sweet like some can be just right.

Batch #2 from October 2008. Carbonation blew the top off this with a POP! Pours amber with nice white head. Aroma is very earthy, horse blanket, musty. Flavor is musty as well, quite earthy. Not overly tart or acidic. Initial flavor is definitely musty and funky. The hop flavor is reminiscent of old aged hops common with these brews. Flavor lingers as expected for this style. This is an excellent example of the Belgian style made right here in the good ol’ USA. Nice job to the folks at Ommegang

2008 Bottle @ the Cheese Bar... Poured hazy her with a light beige head. Nice retention. Fruity and yeasty. Quite dry from th extended bottle conditioning. Notes of squash, bread-like grains, and bitter lemon peel.

Bottle sample at the 2nd Israeli Sour Tasting. Thanks beerandbeyond. Hazy honey orange with a nice head, aroma of brett, floral notes, barnyard, nice sweetness, flavor of peach, brett, smoked malt, strong carbonation, medium bodied

750 ml bottle into tulip, batch #2, October 2008. Cork popped really loudly on this one. Pours hazy and slightly cloudy orange amber color with a fairly dense 2-3 finger off white head with good retention that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Spotty thick lacing on the glass, with a ton of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of apple, pear, lemon, pepper, tea, grass, funk, herbal spiciness, and a touch of acidity. Nice and well balanced aromas with a good amount of complexity. Taste of apple, lemon, apricot, pear, pepper, biscuit, grass, orange, herbal spiciness, light funk and light fruity tartness. Fairly dry on the finish; with some lingering notes of light fruit, pepper, biscuit, and herbal spices for a bit. Medium body with high carbonation that dies down as you drink. Clean, crisp, and slightly creamy mouthfeel; with some fairly prickly carbonation, but it drinks very smoothly. No alcohol presence noticed at all. Overall this is a damn nice and very enjoyable Biere De Garde style. Very drinkable and smooth; with good complexity and flavor balance.

Bottle, Batch 2 from Oct 2008. A very murky light amber with a huge off white head. Aroma is sour, malty, fruity, acidic. Taste is mild sweet, mild bitter, some malt and spice. Doesn’t live up to the aroma at all, no sourness. Dry finish. Medium bodied, well carbonated.

Bottle sample at the 2nd Israeli Sour Tasting. Thanks beerandbeyond. Hazy dark orange with an off-white head. Aroma of some flowers, fruits, yeast, spicy notes and some brett. Sweetish flavor, slightly sourish, with a bit of malt, fruits, light funky notes and spicy hints. Medium-bodied.