Ommegang Rare Vos

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Nearly clear amber, with a towering fluffy white head. After the initial pour the beer inside the bottle begins to produce it’s own head. Steady stream of lively carbonation rising from the bottom of my snifter. This bottle conditioned beer is very much alive. The aroma is of rich Ommegang yeast, kind of saison - like, almost a little funk in the background, and a lot of juicy orange, banana, clove, and cinnamon also. The body is just under medium and highly carbonated. It is slightly sweet, with flavors of belgian yeast, citrus, more banana, and a litlte bit of tartness. The finish dries up, but not from hop bitterness, more like a layer of peppery spice with clove and citrus zest. The lighter body and relatively low alcohol make it very drinkable, even sessional, pretty rare for a Belgian. It is also slightly watery, but I’m not complaining. A very solid beer from Ommegang.

This beer has been extensively reviewed so I won’t bore you with my thoughts, but I thought it was a good balance of richer hoppy notes with a bit of breadiness that can be sessioned.

12 oz bottle from Beers of the World in Rochester, served in a snifter. Pours hazy orange-amber with a tall, dense off-white head. The head slowly fades to a thin cover but leaves lots of loose lace on the glass. The nose has a big Belgian yeast character, with clove, banana and spice, along with caramel and bread. The flavour is moderately sweet with banana and spice, balanced against delicate herbs and pepper. The finish is moderate in length with yeast and spice. On the palate, it is medium in body with a smooth, creamy texture and lively carbonation. Overall, this is a decent Belgian ale with a very delicate spiciness. It shows off the Ommegang yeast and is very subtle and fairly complex. Very nice and well worth a try. 2011-05-15

on tap @ The Common Table. This beer pours a rich amber with a medium off white head that leave some good lacing down the sides. The aromas are bananas, hooves, bread. The mouthfeel us slightly watery and slightly bitter with a medium body. Cheers!

On tap @ Cheeky Monk. Slightly hazy, light burnt yellow orange appearance with an off white head. Orange citrusy, mild hoppy, Belgian yeasty nose. Belgian yeasty, mildly tart, orange citusy, mild hoppy bitter flavor with a mild floral, citrusy finish.

On tap at rattle n hum. Pours an almost clear amber with a nice white head. Good lacing. Aroma is typically belgian yeast with pear and banana. Taste brings out a little more citrus than first anticipated as well as the original senses. Solid beer

Aroma: Caramel malt, with hints of banana, clove, and maybe vanilla. Appearance: Cloudy orange with thick, white head. Taste: Medium sweetness balanced by a slight hint of sourness and very slight hint of saltiness at the end. Palate: Medium body, creamy, slick texture, lively carbonation and a spicy finish. Overall: Really well developed and highly layered beer. Starts out almost like a wheat, but the Belgian influences come on strong--spicy notes and herbal notes intertwine with the malts to create a really strong and exciting beer.

Ommegang only does awesome beers. This is a Belgian ale with a nice white head and leaves some lacing in the glass. Nice hints of spice on the nose and on the tongue. A bit of an acidic finish but otherwise well done.