Ommegang Rare Vos

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

Bottle. Sampled most recently at BCTC 07. Poured Orange-amber with a moderate sized white head. Aroma of hops and yeast with some spicy, herbal character. Flavor is mainly sweet malt, with moderate bitterness, and mild herbal, earthy notes. Smooth bodied and drinkable.

I had forgotten that I had not rated this back in the day and now I know why- so completely underwhelming that I now know not to bother when there are other great Ommegangs present. Just very plain to me, with the only real character, to me, being the Ommegang yeast strain, and as much as I love yeast, this one is lacking that and any malty goodness I would want from an amber ale.

The 750ML bottle poured a flat-clear orange-amber colored beverage with an ample white creamy head that was mostly diminishing and left great lacing on the glass. The aroma had that wonderful typical Belgian ale character with lots of Belgian candy sugar mixed with a light fruitiness and a subtle pepper and spice backdrop. It had a medium body with lively, sharp carbonation and a slightly watery texture. The flavor started out with a hint of sourness mixing with the sweet fruit and candy flavors. As it matured on the palate, these gave way to the spiciness hinted at in the aroma. The finish was fairly long and had a nice alcohol warmth at the end.

750 mL bottle. Cloudy golden with a fluffy off white head. Slightly over-ripe fruit and yeast aroma. Creamy palate. Smooth apple taste with a note of sweet spice and finishing sweet and slightly sour. As it warms, it takes on some wonderful vanilla and bourbon-like qualities.

12oz bottle. Pours a nice cloudy dark copper with decent head, but only some lacing. Aroma is spicy and yeasty - kind of like a hefeweizen. First taste is tangy and spicy. Further tastes continue with the spice dominating. It’s a nice flavour, though perhaps not overly complex.

Rated 7/21/07. Pours a cloudy caramel color with a frothy white head that eventually settles to a thin film. Lacing starts off strong, but fades as the head does. Appealing aroma is made up of caramelized sugar, apple juice, pears, and the faintest hint of alcohol. The flavor is fruity, with ample caramel sweetness. Medium body that is not overly sweet. Nice carbonation. Solid brew for sure.

Pours a hazy amber red with a fluffy off white head. Big citrus fruit aromas fill the air wit hthis beer. Apples, plums, berries, candy sugar all make for a pleasant aroma. The taste is heavily carbonated, very fruity, with an effervescent kick to it. The flavors sort of dance on the tongue. Malty, but not syrupy, more of a fruity malt. The yeast they use is very profound in this beer. Sweet finish and aftertaste. Nice and light, easier to drink than the abbey ale.

Rare Vos is a murky, peachy brown ale with a large, fizzy, yellowish off-white head that leaves excellent lacing. The aroma is of apple, pear, and pineapple. There are also notes of flowers, grass, coriander, allspice and leather. Sweetness, sourness and tartness are all in the nose. In the mouth, it’s on the light side of medium-bodied. It is fizzy on the tongue, smooth and dry all the way down. The flavor starts lightly sweet, acidic, bitter and salty. Apples, peaches, pear and pineapple are very present. It becomes a bit sweeter before the short, dry finish. It leaves an echo of black pepper, diacetyl and oak... like I just drank a Chardonnay. This is so drinkable! It is never overbearing nor boring.