Brewed By: Brewery Ommegang (Moortgat) in Cooperstown, New York
Purchased: Ye Olde Bomber (25.4oz) from an Ommegang sampler bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2011
Style/ABV: Saison, 7.7%
Tonight I'm rounding out and wrapping up the Ommegang sampler I purchased. I already reviewed the Ommegang Gnomegang and the Ommegang Three Philosophers, so tonight we rap things up with the Ommegang Hennepin.
You can learn a lot about a beer's appearance before you even open the bottle. There was quite a bit of sediment cemented to the bottom of this bottle that I was able to loosen up and get in the beer by swirling the bottle around. Of course...that means there is a really good chance the beer is going to explode when I open it. I can also see that this beer is hazy just from looking through the bottle by shining a light on it. This is clearly bottle conditioned, is probably pretty funky, and has a lot of sediment in it.
As with last night's beer: warning. You may want to open this over a sink. Actually, any beer that is Bottle Conditioned, Belgian, has a cork, or has had a while to warm up, is a GOOD candidate to open over the sink.
Wooo! I'm happy to report no violent explosion. The cork popped off with a pretty loud pop, and a ton of smoke was released. This beer pours with 4-fingers of super white, foamy head. This is a soapy foam that is kind of thin and not thick in consistency like a root beer float. In low light this beer takes on a hazy golden/straw color. In bright light this is still a hazy beer, but it is clearly yellow/gold/straw with a TON of small rising bubbles. Effervescent, murky, good lacing, and respectable head sustainability.
The aroma on the Hennepin is earthy, Belgian-funk, slighty spicy, and fruity. I'm pulling out banana, clove, tart and acidic lemon candy and orange candy, grain, pepper, pretty potent alcohol that is kind of spiked with honey, an earthy note, horse blanket, and hints of sugar.
The mouthfeel is actually very full and fruity, with hints of juice. The back end is dry and leave lingering spice and alcohol burn. On the front I'm getting grain, some honey, some lemon and earthy notes take over. There is definitely a medicinal and earthy quality to this beer, and I'm actually pulling out some toffee flavors in the middle. The back is unmitstakebly grainy with some alcohol kick. You also pick up some clove in the back end. I'm getting some flirts with pepper. The back end is really warming, slightly acidic, and dry. I honestly do not know what to make of this beer.
I break my beers down in terms of front, middle, and back palate. I tend to enjoy changes of flavor you get across each range of palate. This beer seems very complex, but it also does not change as much as I was expecting across each palate range. Let's start with some other things first. This is a medium-full beer, but this has a full body for the style and has huge palate depth. This is drinkable, crisp, and refreshing, and the 7.7% ABV is only noticeable on the back palate. As I said before, this has high complexity. On the front of my palate I'm pulling out some bananas, Belgian funk, horse blanket, and honey; this rolls into a middle that has some clove, toffee(wtf?), earthy notes, and hints of pepper; the back is fading toffee, emerging grain, clove, and then dryness. You get warming alcohol bite in your belly. I'm also pulling some pineapple and bubble gum from this, which comes and goes.
Tonight I'm rounding out and wrapping up the Ommegang sampler I purchased. I already reviewed the Ommegang Gnomegang and the Ommegang Three Philosophers, so tonight we rap things up with the Ommegang Hennepin.
If you check out the Hennepin page on the brewery's website, you can find some cool info on this beer. Hennepin is an American-made, year-round Saison. It is described as a "rich golden ale" with spicy gingersnap and citrus hops. Clocking in at 7.7% ABV, I'm not entirely sure what to expect. So far all of Ommegang's beers have deviated from the style norms a little bit. I'm sure good things await. The Saison style is a French-Belgian style of beer that historically was brewed at the end of winter to last through summer. The beer is known for its refreshing and effervescent qualities, with lots of fruit, peppery spices, hops, and dryness. The style can be tart, sour and acidic. Let's dive in.Ommegang was founded in October of 1997, in Cooperstown, New York. The Ommegang Brewery is set up on a traditional, Belgian-style farmhouse, and brews a number of acclaimed beers. The brewery is known for its unique takes on traditional Belgian-Style beers. Brewery Ommegang was sold to Duvel Moortgat in 2003. Ommegang Ales are made both in Belgium and in Cooperstown, New York.
You can learn a lot about a beer's appearance before you even open the bottle. There was quite a bit of sediment cemented to the bottom of this bottle that I was able to loosen up and get in the beer by swirling the bottle around. Of course...that means there is a really good chance the beer is going to explode when I open it. I can also see that this beer is hazy just from looking through the bottle by shining a light on it. This is clearly bottle conditioned, is probably pretty funky, and has a lot of sediment in it.
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| Ommegang Hennepin |
Wooo! I'm happy to report no violent explosion. The cork popped off with a pretty loud pop, and a ton of smoke was released. This beer pours with 4-fingers of super white, foamy head. This is a soapy foam that is kind of thin and not thick in consistency like a root beer float. In low light this beer takes on a hazy golden/straw color. In bright light this is still a hazy beer, but it is clearly yellow/gold/straw with a TON of small rising bubbles. Effervescent, murky, good lacing, and respectable head sustainability.
The aroma on the Hennepin is earthy, Belgian-funk, slighty spicy, and fruity. I'm pulling out banana, clove, tart and acidic lemon candy and orange candy, grain, pepper, pretty potent alcohol that is kind of spiked with honey, an earthy note, horse blanket, and hints of sugar.
The mouthfeel is actually very full and fruity, with hints of juice. The back end is dry and leave lingering spice and alcohol burn. On the front I'm getting grain, some honey, some lemon and earthy notes take over. There is definitely a medicinal and earthy quality to this beer, and I'm actually pulling out some toffee flavors in the middle. The back is unmitstakebly grainy with some alcohol kick. You also pick up some clove in the back end. I'm getting some flirts with pepper. The back end is really warming, slightly acidic, and dry. I honestly do not know what to make of this beer.
I break my beers down in terms of front, middle, and back palate. I tend to enjoy changes of flavor you get across each range of palate. This beer seems very complex, but it also does not change as much as I was expecting across each palate range. Let's start with some other things first. This is a medium-full beer, but this has a full body for the style and has huge palate depth. This is drinkable, crisp, and refreshing, and the 7.7% ABV is only noticeable on the back palate. As I said before, this has high complexity. On the front of my palate I'm pulling out some bananas, Belgian funk, horse blanket, and honey; this rolls into a middle that has some clove, toffee(wtf?), earthy notes, and hints of pepper; the back is fading toffee, emerging grain, clove, and then dryness. You get warming alcohol bite in your belly. I'm also pulling some pineapple and bubble gum from this, which comes and goes.
Rating: Above-Average
Score: 79%
I don't know where to go with this beer. I like it a lot, and I'm digging the subtle complexity...but the grain reminds me a lot of a Tripel. The Belgian yeast in this beer reminds me of a Strong Ale. There isn't nearly as much pepper as I was expecting....and the palate changes are very, very subtle.
Maybe this is a sleeper beer that I need to camp on and revisit. Right now, it is probably my least favorite offering from the Ommegang sampler. However, the Ommegang sampler is some world class shit. So when I say this is my least favorite beer from the sampler, I mean it is a good beer surrounded by amazing beers. I do love the funk and the dryness. And the complexity this beer has is intriguing. I will revisit this down the road for sure, and maybe even try aging a bottle. Is this worth checking out? Yes.
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