Ommegang Hennepin

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

Serve in Tulip

Bottle, mybrewerytap.com. Very pale yellow sparkling ale. The Duvel influence is clear, yeasty and herby with a slightly tart finish. Very fresh and clean tasting, a hint of antiseptic at the end

I poured a 12oz bottle into an oversize wine glass.

Appearance: Bright yellow hue like a ripe banana. Fairly hazy, but translucent enough to see plenty of fine Belgian-style carbonation. Forms a large, bright white, foamy head which retains well but doesn’t leave much lacing.

Smell: Sweet and sour aromas of lemon, "farmhouse funk" of wild yeast, wet hay, and some freshly-milled grain.

Taste: The first thing I notice about Hennepin is not the flavor as the drinking sensation. The foam from the head literally swells up in the mouth like taking a bit of cotton candy. It’s dry with a subtle lemonpeel sweetness and black pepper spice. Once the beer coats the tongue it’s very classic Belgian farmhouse ale style with a light palate of tart lemonade followed by a dry combination of ground black pepper and rubbing alcohol. It’s a very dynamic, almost confusing palate for my senses to comprehend. I enjoy the subtle citrusy flavors (although they’re nothing like what you’d find in an American IPA), but the sheer aridness of the classic saison style is a little annoying.

Mouthfeel: Although the liquid itself is thin, the mouthfeel is certainly not flat. The carbonation is very intense and it’s difficult not to burp after every swig. The aftertaste is mostly clean but there is a slight pastiness to it.

Drinkability: Weighing in a 7.7% ABV, Ommegang Hennepin is actually bigger and bolder than most saisons, but you’d never know that from drinking it. The alcohol is not prominent in the nose or the constitution of the beer. Although it does suffer, in my opinion, from being too carbonated and too dry to enjoy in and of itself. I think paired with grilled fish or chicken and even salad this would really work as a functioning beverage since it’s really not that refreshing on its own.

Overall, I just don’t get why Hennepin is rated so highly but I don’t think it’s a bad beer at all. While it’s not to my tastes, I can fine plenty of redeeming qualities about it and do give it a thumbs up (but that’s it).

Served on-tap into a standard pint at Shady’s downtown. A - Pours pale straw yellow with a small film of head leaving thin sheets of lacing down the glass. I think it was a bit too cold, and it suffered a bit because of it. S - Lots of strong bready belgian yeast up front. Plenty of barn yard funk with some faint earthy hops. I really think the colder pour hurt the appearance and smell of this one greatly. T - Plenty of funk up front mixes well with a bit of sweetness. Some muted earthy hops add a nice hop bite. Hops seem to come out a bit more once it has had a chance to warm up a bit. A touch of black pepper adds some spice to help break up all bready sweetness. Finish is funky but not overpowering. I love how this one is light and refreshing and yet still filled with bold, rustic, flavors that make it one of the best saisons. M - Light body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Not as barn yard funky as some of the other drafts of Hennepin that I have had in the past but still funky none the less. D - Very high. I absolutely love this one. It is funky yet still very re-freshing. One of, if not the, best american saison on the market today.

Bottle from Regional Wine and Spirits. Pours a pale yellow with a very dense, white fluffy head. Aroma of banana, yeast, loads of spices - coriander mainly. Hint of lemon there. Lots of spices and slight citrus zest in the taste. Slight farmhouse flavours as well. Nice

Aroma: Dusty straw, hint of lemon, banana, light cedar spice. Flavor: Like the aroma and in the same order. Long, lingering finish. Comment: Medium-full body. Aromas and flavors are not over-the-top and both are well-balanced with some complexity. Uncompromisingly dry finish. Again, well-made. May be the antithesis to the typical American palate which values power and intensity over subtlety and nuance.

Bottle from Stirchley Wines. Pale dusted yellow with a strong bloom of head. Seductive aroma of Westy Blond-type yeast, farmyard and flowers, limey citrus,dab of peanut butter. Full, characterful taste with bright zesty lime, orange peel and parsley-type citrus, Cointreau, rustic yeast, pollen, pale nuttiness. Hums softly with silky Tripel-like body and warm. Really top stuff- the kind that makes me want to book a ferry.

12oz bottle. Pours cloudy light straw with well laced and tight white head. Aroma of sweet nectar, floral, citrus, spice and caramel. Citrus, peel, cloves, spice in the medium-light bodied sweetness of yeast and malts. No doubt the beer is part of the duvel family, the character is there. Finish is semi-sweet, yeast and malts lingering with a touch of bitterness making it quite satisfying. Very tasty.

This bewitching elixir was quite obviously brewed with the assistance of the faerie folk from beyond the veil of this frail reality. Its enchanting aroma calls to mind ancient grassy fields yet untrod by human foot, with notes of citrus fruit and some exotic spices. Flavor is sweet and yeasty, with some malt and caramel. Truly heavenly. The faerie folk tip their hand, though, with their playful spell: not long after drinking, I am given to fits of beer farts sufficiently rancid to cause my faithful dog Bronte to leave the room.