Ommegang Ommegeddon

750mL bottle (June 07 production). Head is initially small, fizzy, white, mostly diminishing. Body is hazy medium yellow, bottle conditioned. Aroma is lightly to moderately malty (toasted grain), lightly to moderately yeasty (mold), lightly hoppy (flowers, herbs), with notes of vinyl, lemon zest, cement, gum, alcohol (somewhat fusely). Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately bitter, slightly unclean. Medium body, watery texture, lively carbonation, lightly to moderately alcoholic. Rather than just write "plastic" as an aroma, the quality of this one is quite notable...it’s not like band-aid, a la Orval. It’s just like an air mattress. Not pleasant (not that band-aids smell *great* either, but there’s a certain weird guilty pleasure in certain plastic odors, and band-aids are one of the likable ones...another is from back in the 80’s when those translucent smoke-tinted cassette tape cases were used for recordings...had a hard time not sniffing those...but I digress). So yeah, the phenols here are both off-putting and a bit overdone, as is the raw yeast aroma itself (quite moldy/mildewy). Not much classic Brett character in the nose, probably the biggest disappointment of all. I hate to say it, but it smells more industrial than rustic. Good flavor balance, quite dry...but it’s marred by a somewhat unhealthy aftertaste (perhaps due to some of the fermentation effects found in the nose). All in all kind of a "sketch" of a beer, like a work in progress. I couldn’t drink more than a few ounces of my bottle, such a shame because I was sooooo looking forward to this one. Maybe I missed better batches, I dunno. My advice to readers is not to let this batch warm/breathe very long, as the aroma just goes downhill the longer it sits in the glass. Better luck next time?

Hazy yellow color with a white head. Aroma of yeast, spices and some hops. Flavor of lemon/citrus, yeast, spices, and some hops.

cloudy orange color topped with a huge fluffy white head, it has a warm and sweet floral aroma of citrus and spice with just a slight note of hops. it enters very smoothly; the yeasty flavor is accented with appropriate bitterness. very nicely done!

This ale has a hazy straw body with a short-lived, creamy head. Very little lacing. It’s got a fruity, spicy nose - young oranges and a drop of lemon with pepper and herbs and old flowers. A funky wildness chimes in adding some musty hay and old wood. It’s got a sharp, acidic mouthfeel. All continue into the flavor with a light earthy/herbal bitterness coming in at the midpoint. It finishes on a bitter, barnyard note. The alcohol? Didn’t begin to notice it until the bottle was fairly empty. Very nicely none, and more bottles are needed to lay down even longer.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp?PlaceID=3984>Sam’s Wine & Spirits, Downers Grove, IL<font size=-1>

750mL Batch #1, June 2007, thanks to beastiefan2k (Eugene). I realize I should follow the instructions and Cellar 6 months for maximum enjoyment of Brett. . . . ., but I have come upon another couple bottles and want to see how this changes. Slightly hazy pale straw yellow with a two finger creamy white head that lasts the duration. The brett is already easy to pick up in the aroma at only 4 months. There is also some ripe orange peel, lemon pulp, and hints of pepper and a lightly bitter herbal character. Flavor is more herbal and spicier than the aroma let on--thought the brett is still there, I can see it taking over much more with longer cellaring. Dry finish with low bitterness (maybe peaking at a 2 out of 10). 8% ABV? I’d be careful with that because I couldn’t pick up on it. Once this got to room temperature I could finally pick up on a small amount of alcohol. Moderate to high carbonation with a medium body. Very good beer--glad I have a couple left!

10/07 22 oz. bottle, recent release I believe. Large, airy head with good durability over a hazy yellow body. Typical Brett aromas of leather, wood, barnyard, etc., but not overpowering or overdone. Some spiciness and citrus aromas as well. Medium body with lively carbonation, almost fizzy, and some astringency. Light honey like sweetness combines with a subtle lemony acidity and sourness and a drying bitterness right at the end. Finishes quite dry.

Bottle (750ml). Perhaps I should let this mature for 6-9 months, but it’s been mocking me from my fridge, so I’m a-drinkin’ it. Very cloudy deep yellow pour, large fluffy white rocky lasting head. Light malt aroma totally overshadowed by lemon tartness and spicy yeast, some funk, some floral hops, not overpowering (7+ and I can see where this could really turn interesting with age). Much more bret sourness in the taste, and the alcohol comes out some, but it’s still a saison, with the light malt, pungent spice and herbal character working with the funky bret. Average body, nice and lively, the pungent spicy yeast makes for a bitter, lightly acidic finish - there’s a soft aftertaste, and this beer is 1) way more refreshing and 2) way less funky/in your face than I expected. I’ve put another bottle down and will revisit in the summer of ’08. (This bottle is from the 2007 release, of course)

750 ml from Sam’s liquors. Pours a cloudy orange yellow. Aroma is funky and spiced. It almost seems infected at first (I guess it is) cheese, orange, and yeast. But any bad connotations with those notes drift away. Grain citrus yeast flavors with that woody barnyard, hay earthy notes on the other side. Slightly tangy and tart. Drying finish. Complex. This will develop well.