Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison) - Brewery Ommegang

Chaz

Minnesota

3.43/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Koningshoeven chalice. Pours a golden straw in color, with a slight amount of chill-haze. Solid, densely-packed white head of good duration and with fine lacing, a full finger easily. The nose here is worth the price of admission, with the rare spiciness of the yeast verily prickling at the nasal passages, inviting wet horseblankets and dull fruity malt components up for drinks in the wee hours. Better than I remember in this regard. Equal parts tangy and sweet on the first sip, coating the tongue and promoting a sense of degustation; where's that sampler platter at? Pale malts sing the high notes in the background as the middle is cajoled through the wheaty-meaty bits, and the zest of the yeast parying a bit in the foreground, but not quite asI remembered from my last go-round some years back. Dry around the finish and with enough hop aromatics to make you notice them, but even for the stylistic interpretation that is Hennepin this is a rather tame component. Not a small beer by any means, it drinks so easily you'll forget where you left your car keys if you're not lucky. Some lemon rind peaking through here and there, but nothing to be overly offended by, and in the end this feels a bit tame overall. Still, this is the first time I've had it on draught, and seeing as how it's back it won't be the last. I look forward to another go . . .

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2007 03:29:06 | More by Chaz

StarSAELS

Georgia

4.13/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It's pint night at Taco Mac! That means if you get a pint o' their beer o' the month, you get a piece of authentic glassware to add to your collection. What a wonderful idea!

Appearance: golden, cloudy, perfectly conditioned. A thin off-white lacing up the inside of the glass and over the rim tells me it had a good head on it when it was poured. The head reduced to a fine layer of thin bubbles which didn't go away until the beer got warmer and I had consumed most of it.

Smell: lightly spicy, a little citrusy... it was hard to tell with the smell of food in the air. Very enticing, though. I just had to take a sip...

Taste: flippin awesome. Citrusy hops, spicy goodness and yummy yeastiness (is that a word?). I had to go to Ommegang's site to see what they had put in there: gingersnap! Unbelievable.

Mouthfeel: crispy, sweet, a little lingering resin from the hops and an interesting "je ne se qua" from the yeast.

Drinkability: definitely drinkable. I want another, but next time I'm going for the bottle. Another magnificent brew from Cooperstown.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2007 01:46:51 | More by StarSAELS

bonbright7

New York

3.73/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at Waterzooi tonight and it felt different from the bottle version I was used to. It alternated between a little watery and having the coriander zing to it above the chunky grains. It looked great in its glass, but I was a little taken aback as I seem to like the bottle version better overall.

Strangely, the after taste came to me 5 minutes after I left the bar with the previously mentioned banana esters and the bitterness of the hops. I thought maybe the keg was on the way out, so I'll hold back on any further thoughts.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2007 01:15:38 | More by bonbright7

GbVDave

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Hennepin glass at Hopleaf 3/25/07. Assist by HeatherAnn!!!

A: Served a pale gold color with almost no head. Faint skim and ring.

S: Faint sweet aromas of fruit. Apples and pears. Hops in the nose also.

T: White wine grapiness, very lite barnyard funk, pretty tame for the style for me. Herbal hoppiness.

M: Very dry, hoppy, and bitter.

D: Pretty good. Too hoppy and too mild in all the other flavors, to me, for the style. I'll take a Saison Dupont or De Glazen Toren Saison any day of the week.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2007 19:31:46 | More by GbVDave

2LBrew

California

4.78/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On Tap at a favorite beer bar.


Appearance: Pours somewhat whitish yellow color. Head adheres to the glass.

Smell: A very spicy beer. It has a different type of smell that is remarkably good.

Taste: I was expecting a strong, overpowering taste, but it was very drinkable and satisfying to the taste buds.

Mouthfeel: Smooth all the way. Very light and soft, providing a bit of tingly sensation with every sip.

Drinkability: Alcohol is hardly noticable with exceptional flavor.

This beer was a great find. After attending the Strong Ale fest in San Francisco this year, I really have taken to Strong Ales. I would recommend if you are looking to broaden your beer drinking scope. If you are not comfortable with drinking beer out of a something other than a pint glass, avoid this one.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2007 06:13:33 | More by 2LBrew

khiasmus

South Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

A-Slightly murky golden yellow with fluffy white head that dissipates to a thin layer quickly.

S-Fairly sweet with fruity esters, but overall far more reminiscent of a simple pilsner. A little piney hops.

T-Somewhat sweet with little hop balance- very slight bitterness, almost an orange peel bitter, or maybe grapefruit. Very strong flavor that I picked up and tried to place, I think it's honeydew. Surprisingly, alcohol is barely in there.

M-Highly carbonated with a relatively light body and dry finish.

D-The beer is good, but not as complex as I was expecting, and far more drinkable-dangerously so for a 7.7.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2007 16:52:17 | More by khiasmus

BeerBelcher

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I had this on-tap at Cafe Hollander in Milwaukee. I thought it was a fairly pleasant saison-style beer, particularly compared very old bottles of imported saison that are found in my area liquor stores. Recommended, but not outstanding.

It arrived as a fairly bright and hazy yellow, with fairly good head structure that left little lacing.

Aroma was of sweet yeastiness and some subtle spiciness.

Flavor was also of sweet and complex yeast flavors with some spiciness, but without a lot of fruitiness.

Mouthfeel was a bit harsher than I expected for the style, but was still decent.

All-in-all, a good saison choice.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2007 20:58:36 | More by BeerBelcher

cabsandking

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A shade darker than golden and the beginning of a nice head but fizzles to a fine bubbled pool but some sticky lace remnants of its former height. Grassy, tart sour fruits, wheat, soft flowery esters all in the nose. Some unexpected light hops are noticed and are followed by fermented lemons pith and apple, grass, wheat, yeasty, husk. Later in the glass fruit characters gain in strength with some honey sweetness and notes of vanilla and banana. Mild carbonation and a light, airy mouthfeel. The finish echoes much of the flavor but is still relatively clean.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2006 17:19:31 | More by cabsandking

4.15/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Slightly hazy, golden-amber liquid. Large off white head.

Classic Belgian, yeast & earth. Fairly mild on the funk-o-meter. Also get some floral and fruit notes. Spicy.

Taste is floral and citrus, with spices. Sweet at the start, moving towards a tart/hoppy/spicy finish.

Mouthfeel is effervescent. Light, with medium to high carbonation. Somewhat drying.

Overall, very easy to drink. One of my favorite saisons.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2006 15:10:57 | More by

jswigart

Connecticut

4.15/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I just can't figure this beer out - I think its a great beer, but I have a hard time articulating why I think that... This is the SECOND time that I have had this on-tap at home... The first time, I had a half-barrel - when I picked up that keg, it was already a number of months old... I don't recall the exact age, but I recall emailing the folks at Ommegang and they told me that this beer would age well... Anyway, the sedond time, I had this i in a log and it was more current... I think I preferred the first, older, version... This is just an unusual style... Sweet, carbonated and notes of honey. I dinged it a little bit for mouthfeel - I think you can sense the carbonation and relatively high alcohol... Even so, I just like it... A great beer, even if I can't say why I think so...

Serving type: on-tap

08-18-2006 01:33:01 | More by jswigart

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Scott Ross for this...
Appears a transparent light gold with a small white head that slowly fades out.
Smell is of vanilla cream, Belgian yeast, pils malt, funky sour noted esters, light caramel, and mild hoppy citrus notes.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas. This one actually reminds me a tad of Dupont although more depth to this one and more of a sugary taste.
Mouthfeel is bitter-sweet, mildly sour in a refreshing medium body.
I like this Americanized version of a farmhouse. Pretty good stuff.

Serving type: growler

08-14-2006 17:31:31 | More by weeare138

mjc410

Virginia

3.48/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A bar pour yields no head in the straight edge pint glass. The beer is only slightly hazy. It's mostly a clear light gold. The nose is much lighter than the bottle, with just hints of the grassy funk I expect. The taste follows suit, being more mellow, less grassy and bitter than the bottle. Suffers a bit due to the loss of complexity. The mouthfeel tells you that this is a lively beer, with huge carbonation pushing through the medium body. A good beer on tap, but much better bottle-conditioned.

A note: the brewer at the State College BrewExpo said they recently stopped keg conditioning, so perhaps this could explain a bit...?

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2006 14:01:40 | More by mjc410

brushpig

Illinois

4.63/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had a glass on tap at the Hopleaf Bar in Chicago, servered in a hennepin glass.

Murky golden yellow hue with a rocky white head that lasted quite a long time.

Lots of aromas, lemons,pepper, nuts, grains, and earthy yeasts.

Great flavor, with grains citrus(lemons, pineapple) Hoppy biscuit flavor. Very complex but well balenced. the mouthfeel was very refreshing but sensed the alcohol.

A very fine and drinkable beer. Have one as often as possible.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2006 21:18:16 | More by brushpig

gbarron

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Melton's in Decatur, poured into a nice Hennepin tulip glass.

A - light golden, almost straw colored, almost perfectly clear, slight haze. Head is bright, bright white, like a well-bleached flour. Tight collection of tiny bubbles. Lacing is outstanding and thick all down the sides of the glass. Head retention also excellent.

S - light, sweet pilsner malt aroma followed by significant bursts of spice such as corriander, cloves, and fresh cracked peppercorns. Lots of spicy, citrus fruit aromas as well. Notes of higher alcohols. Little hop aroma.

T - spicy, fruity, flowery flavors overlying the sweet, slightly corny malt foundation. Light bitterness, but beer is mostly sweet and spicy. Warming alcohol. Nots of oranges, pineapple, citrus, cloves, pepper. Very, very tasty beer. Alcohol content is fairly well masked.

M - light bodied, carbonation is medium high to high, tingly. Fairly dry finish.

D - light bodied, yet somewhat filling beer due to the carbonation. Alcohol content also makes this slightly prohibitive as a regular drinker. But very, very tasty interpretation of the farmhouse style. Another fine offering from Brewery Ommegang.

Serving type: on-tap

08-06-2006 14:24:11 | More by gbarron

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a chalice)

A- A hazy lemon yellow body with a thin white head that last for the full glass. It is a bit to hazy to see any carbonation in this beer.

S- The dry faint tart notes come through with a faint lemon zest hint in the finish. There is a very light earthy hint to the tartness.

T- The dry tart flavors can't really be associated with anything and it is followed by a faint spicy note that is hard to describe also. The faint taste of black pepper and lemon/grapefruit start to come through. There is a faint soapy taste that in pleasant with a light bitterness from hops at the finish.

M-This beer has a medium light mouthfeel that is crisp.

D-This beer might sound awful the way I described it in my review but it was very taste with a very mysterious flavor that was hard to put into words. This beer is proof that you can make a fizzy yellow beer that taste great.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2006 19:49:54 | More by rhoadsrage

maddamish

Tennessee

4.55/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

My first review of this beer was written when I was just getting into craft beer. I remember the beer being a bit too much for me then thus the less than stellar review. I was able to revisit this gem when it I was it on tap at my local beer bar. I have to say that this is great on tap.

Taste: Spiced banana, clove and wheat notes. I could really sit and drink this all day. I have to say this is one of the better tasting beers I have had in awhile.

Smell: Banana and citrus notes. Slight wheat presence.

Ap: A clear light gold. The head disappeared quickly and there was hardly any lacing.

Verdict: I take back my comments that this isn't a top 100 beer. This beer deserves all the praises it should get.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2006 00:04:27 | More by maddamish

mcallister

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

An average looking beer. Pale hay/copper with hardly any head. A bad pour by the bartender?

A malty yeasty aroma with hints of earth & meat. Somewhat sour fruit, lemon, orange, and melon.

Carbonated yet creamy mouthfeel with flavors of lemon fruit, sour candy, earth, flowers, and some grilled vegetable flavors. Leaves a sour off taste in the finish.

I've had this bottled and thought it was far superior. Could have been dirty lines?

Serving type: on-tap

07-09-2006 17:38:10 | More by mcallister

scottoale

California

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at O'Brien's yesterday, served in a pint glass. Bright irridescent yellow-amber with 1/2 inch of snow white frothy head. If looks could kill...a very handsome looking light beer, light in color, not in taste.

The smell is very fresh and sweet. Sweet malt, corriander, spicy and fruity, very complex and absolutely smells Belgian.

Very sweet initially, bubblegum, corriander, Belgian candi-sugar, this is really tasty, super fresh and a great representation of this style. I'm thinkin it's the most enjoyable Saison I may have ever tasted.

Medium plus in body with great head retention and the complexity of a fine Belgian, I'm craving one right now. Smooth creamy mouthfeel with a nice amount of alcohol to complement this brew, very enjoyable on-tap, cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2006 07:11:12 | More by scottoale

marcobrau

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -6%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Found Hennepin on draft at a Winking Lizard in Columbus and I couldn't pass it up. I always like to try Belgian and Belgian-style beers I've had in the bottle on draft to compare the flavors. Typically, I find these beers to be rounder (more balanced) and not as complex and flavorful as their bottled counterparts. This particular glass of Hennepin on draft was typical in that regard. I missed some of the rustic character of the brew on draft, but instead was left with a sweeter, less dry wheaty tasting ale, that was nonetheless quite refreshing. This beer was not as visually appeailing as the bottled version and lacked the mousse-like head of its bottled counterpart, although the aroma was still fairly bright with notes of vanilla. A white pepper spicines tended to come out a little more as the beer warmed up. The mouthfeel was very soft, with a little bit more of a bitter finish coming out as the beer warmed up. Perhaps served too cold. This was exceptionally drinkable at the right temperature.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2006 04:14:50 | More by marcobrau

doubleipa

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Probably more third favorite Saison after Les Bon Voeux and Dupont. I've had this from a corked bottle and on tap many times. Hazy golden color with fantastic foamy head. Aroma is a little more subdued that other saisons. Nice grassy and fruity taste. These go down too smooth.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2006 18:58:11 | More by doubleipa

TheEclecticGent

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

I shared a pitcher of this beer with my girlfriend and a friend of hers. This beer looks fantastic in the Hennepin goblets they gave us. The beer has a hazy golden coloration. The head is very thick and an off white color. The lacing was very good and followed the beer all the way down the glass until completion it has a peppery-nutmeg spicy fermented fruit smell with nice musty spicy yeasty notes. The taste is floral-citrus sweetness with lovely spicy notes in the flavor. This beer is very balanced. This beer has a medium-light mouthfeel. There is good carbonation in this beer. This is just an easy to drink beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2006 16:42:19 | More by TheEclecticGent

wcudwight

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pale gold in color with a 2" inch head that last.
Mild fruit and spice in the nose.
Smooth and balanced in the mouth. Flows from sweet to bitter. Taste like a Grannysmith apple. Dry in a good way.
Very drinkable higher gravity beer.
Will be buying it bottled very soon.

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2005 19:07:06 | More by wcudwight

jaluria

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a yellowish color like hay with a white head. The smell is very interesting because there is so much going on...malt, yeast, fruit undertones. A hint of bread as well (probably from the yeast). The taste was exceptional with it's complexity and balanced texture. I tasted a bit of fruit-inspired bitterness with some spice flavoring. As the brew warms, I taste more sweetness and less bitterness, but that may be my tastebuds being confused by this beer. My mouth is left wanting more; a bready texture on my tongue. Very simple and yet distinct. A terrific beer with great taste and easy to drink anytime.

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2005 16:33:49 | More by jaluria

goodbyeohio

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

finally getting around to reviewing the summer kegerator selection.. been on tap for approximately 3-4 weeks and still yummy as hell.. gonna kick soon so here we go:

gold with amber highlights, bubbles marching randomly. big huge puffy head deconstructing slowly with craters and caverns. bigtime lacing sticks to the glass. aroma is a fresh cut grass sauteed in butter with a sprinkle of hop spice and minimal sweetness. light and springy. flavor is cooling in a licorice fashion, fresh botanical notes prevail with a bit of diacetyl. creamy finish on the first sip.. light body and goes down quicker than i had planned. after the creamy character coats, big bright fruit is revealed.. even a mild white wine hint of grape. perfect summer beer for BA nerds like me and drinkable for someone who doesnt mind the big abv. only negative is that this is not a food-pairing beer IMO, and that's something i look for in my kegerator selections.

oh, and the other negative is that i didn't get any hennepin passport promotional items from terry. hmm. i wanted that damn canoe too!

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2005 13:16:16 | More by goodbyeohio

MuddyFeet

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Finally got around to trying this brew. Found it on-tap at Red Bones. Poured a slightly hazy orangish yellow in color. Slight copper tinge. Slight head that created a whole hell of a lot of lace. Nose is citrus with some spice hovering in the background. Flavor was great. Lots of spice and a solid malt backbone. Truckloads of spice threatened to overwhelm the tongue. Alcohol came through quite vibrantly also. Mouthfeel was more carbonated than I expected with a thick and heavy feel on the tongue. Very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

07-17-2005 01:41:22 | More by MuddyFeet