Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison) - Brewery Ommegang

Utica_Brew_Review

New York

4.08/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Murky pale straw color--definitely fits the bill. Sweet fruity aroma. Sweet and juicy tasting beer. Bitterness right at the end. Awesome for the summer sun. True to the style and an appropriate alcohol level. Mild carbonation. Flavor is in balance. One of our top five saisons right now.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2013 18:48:04 | More by Utica_Brew_Review

hagbergl

Massachusetts

4.01/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

It's crazy I haven't reviewed this old standby, the first Saison/Farmhouse I ever tried. Served in a pint glass at The Pub, University of Chicago, where there's always something tasty and domestic on tap.

Appearance (3.75/5): Hennepin is light yellow, straw-colored, a smooth, dense white head of foam tops it off, coming in at about two-fingers. Slightly hazy, though a little too clear for a Saison, in my opinion.

Smell (4/5): Lemony, grassy, smooth herbal hoppiness, some interesting yeastiness (a little spicy, a little funky) going on as well, and sweet pale malt. I really enjoy the melange of grassy/herbal hops, the yeast funk, and the light sweetness of the malt. Subtle. Well-engineered nose going on here.

Taste (4/5): Lightly hopped, floral, grassy, sweet bready malt, green apple. Some yeasty spice, light citrus, lemony, and lemongrass. Refreshing. Mellow, and despite its relatively strong ABV (compared to most Saisons, this is big 'un), no alcohol is present in the flavor–nice job on that, for sure. This is a solid tasting Saison.

Mouthfeel (4.25/5): Hennepin sports medium carbonation and medium body, both appropriate to the style and to what I believe the brewery's going for. It has a very nice light prickliness to it. The mouthfeel is also dry, champagne-like.

Overall (4/5): Hennepin is a quality Saison that really nails the essential flavor hallmarks of the style. And while it doesn't feature anything particularly adventurous, creative, or outlandish, it's still quite a pleasant beer and a wonderful introduction to the style. That I would recommend either Hennepin or Saison Dupont to those who have never had a Belgian-style Saison is a testament to how well Ommegang's creation stands up to the imported examples of the style (Saison Dupont being a paragon of the Saison style). Good stuff and a worthy buy.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2013 06:48:53 | More by hagbergl

merc7186

New York

4.08/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

On tap at Gene McCarthys in Buffalo NY, poured into a pint glass.

A: Mildly Hazy Golden Straw Hue, Passes Lots of Light, White Head Ring, Great Lacing

S: Belgian Yeast, Belgian Sugar, Apples

T: Belgian Yeast, Apples, Pears, Belgian Sugar

M: Decent Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Mildly Sweet, Mildly Yeasty

Overall, a very nice belnd of fruit, yeast and sugar...very well blended without being too yeasty or too sweet

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2013 20:25:20 | More by merc7186

xmorgan

California

5/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had this on daft at "Joes Corner" in Niles,ca
It poured a dirty reddish tornado that filled the air with straw and grassy elements.
I pauses and think of families of workers, being refreshed with a similar beverage.

I found this quit drinkable and it is too hard to pin this style so Enjoy!

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2012 09:40:06 | More by xmorgan

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

had a whole keg of this with the boys this week. pours a hazy bright yellow colow with very excited carbonation and a thick bone white head thats lasts forever. smells farmy, like wild yeasts and wheat malt. really funky nose with some spice as well. flavor is equally interesting and the yeast is the star. it has a bitter lemon rind component and a peppery barnyard finish. excellent saison. mouthfeel is magnificent. its effervescent carbonation and medium unfiltered body make it a pleasure to drink. the abv is a total sneak, and can really do you in if you arent careful. its not noticeable at all. overall another epic brew from ommegang.

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2012 16:03:38 | More by StonedTrippin

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Ba Review #196
Served On: 07/23/2012
Glassware: Pilsner Glass
Labeled ABV: -
Date/ Code: -

Had this at Finbars (Rehoboth) while visiting Coastal Delaware on summer vacation.

Look: Poured a clear yellow. Head was a thin coating of white foam. Some lacing formed on the glass - nothing to write home about though. Carbonation bubbles were minimal.

Smell: A typical Saison aroma. Peppery coriander, clove, some faint banana and wet grass. Nothing real special was in the nose.

Taste: Again, very typical to the style. The coriander and funky Belgian yeast hit first with hints of sweet banana making up the middle. The finish was a long lasting mango or kiwi that faded into a clean aftertaste.

This was a textbook Saison in my opinion. I've had others that were very similar, but the level of quality is probably what sets this beer apart from the others.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2012 01:34:27 | More by CraftBeerTastic

psuKinger

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

25.4 ounce bomber, corked and caged, poured into my new Ommegang Tulip.

A: Huge bone-white head, well over 2 fingers worth. Perhaps the most visible carbonation I've ever seen. Hazy golden straw color. Reminds me of "beer champagne" in the glass.

S: Yeast, clove, and banana all come through in the nose.

T: Light bready notes with a sour lemon zest on the back end. Perhaps a hint of clove and garlic. A touch of pine bitterness on the back end to help balance things out.

M: Light and lively doesn't do this justice. A yeasty wheat beer that is still light and refreshing enough to truly be enjoyable even on the hottest of summer days.

D/O: Enjoyable from start to finish, and I get why so many suggest that this is a great summer beer. Sometime soon I hope to give it a go on a hot summer day. Until then, this was enjoyable, but it's still not something that I *crave* when the weather isn't hot.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2012 02:56:14 | More by psuKinger

Jesse13713

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

An abridged review from notes.

Appearance - A light, bubbly clear yellow with fairly decent lacing. Golden-straw colored.

Smell - A sweet, zesty lemon-pepper smell. A bit of foul diaper-rash smell as well.

Taste - Traditional Belgian properties. Loved the beer from the bottle; the tap is the same. Fresh banana and peppery clove. Citrusy orange and fresh, faint hops.

Mouthfeel and Drinkability - A nice, light beer for summer. Easily drinkable and refreshing. A very nice saison and Ommegang offering.

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2012 05:27:50 | More by Jesse13713

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Cloudy lemon yellow color with a stalwart white capper. Looks purty in its own glassware. 4.5

Sweet lemon, peppery spice, chalky yeast, light damp funk, and some floral hops. Very classic. 4.5

Powdery yeast with lemon and apple esters, white pepper, medicinal notes, grassy notes, and fruity tang with some sweetness in the finish. Tasty saison. 4.0

Medium body. Light carbonation. A little booze-showy, to be honest. Slick and settling. Light tack. 3.5

I loved this beer far more back in the day. Since then, I've had a wide array of tasty farmhouse ales, but this is a trusty classic. 4.0

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2012 04:28:34 | More by thecheapies

dbrauneis

New Jersey

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

Served on tap at the Brass Rail in Hoboken, NJ

A: Pours a cloudy golden orange in color with moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall dense white head that slowly reduces to a thick film covering the entire surface of the beer and an even thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Significant lacing is observed.

S: There are moderate aromas of floral hops, light amounts of citrus and spices, and just a hint of the yeast.

T: There is an earthy and floral quality to the taste of this beer most likely contributed by the hops. There is a good balance with the underlying malts. Also, there is a hint of citrus and moderate amounts of spices. This beer has very light bitterness but is not sweet, the bitterness lingers just a bit in the finish.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of carbonation. Crisp.

O: Very refreshing, very enjoyable, and very easy to drink. This beer is sessionable and goes down well on a warm summer day/evening. At one point in time a couple of years back, this was my favorite beer and is still one of the best easy drinking beers.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2012 12:36:37 | More by dbrauneis

Darkmagus82

Montana

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

Served in a chalice.

Appearance- Served with nice orange color and a bit of haze. A nice billowy white head is present upon serving that fades slowly over time leaving a bit of lacing.

Smell – Citrus with some more green apple aldehyde and some phenol like aromas typical of wild yeast brews. Some bready aromas mix in with the more wild yeast aromas giving a rather nice “wild” aroma.

Taste – A sour citrus is heavy up front and is mixed in with some breadiness from the wheat maltiness. The yeast cake flavor develops more toward the middle of the flavor alongside the green apple aldehyde and some phenol flavor. Bitter and sweet fruit flavors rounds out the taste profile; with the bitter flavors winning out over sweet and leaving the tongue with a rather lemony grapefruity flavor.

Mouthfeel – A rather heavy level of carbonation suites the brew quite well. This coupled with a moderate body makes it quite easy to drink.

Overall – A very nice beer. Sour and bitter with just the right fruit sweetness. Well done for a Brett fermented beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2012 02:06:53 | More by Darkmagus82

FosterJM

California

3.88/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

944th Review on BA
Draft to Pint
12 oz

@Pizzaiolis Chino Hills,CA

App- A semi translucent yellow with little bits of orange and a 1/2 finger of white head. Only a couple dots of cling on this one due to very cold pint glass.

* Server realized error and comped this beer for a cold glass and a pint glass instead of a OSWG or Tulip (He did it, I didn't mention due to being with wife for anniversary)

Smell- This seemed to be a hybrid of aromatics to me. A bit of a thick Hefei with a Saison. Big aromatics of yeast, dampness, lemon and banana.

Taste- A good malty spicy saison. A large amount of pepper on the first sip and then more of the hefe banana and yeast flavors on the following sips.

Mouth- A medium body and a medium carbonation level. A bit of a mixed wet/dry feel and a bit more peppery spice note.

Drink- This was pretty good and flavorful. More of a sipping saison with big bold flavors and a good balance and feel. I like what Ommegang does. I'll come back to their beers for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2011 03:57:50 | More by FosterJM

MsRif

Pennsylvania

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

I've had this bottled and on-tap several times. Pours a translucent gold color with a nice white head. Retention and lacing are both excellent. Has an aroma of yeast, funk, citrus, sweetness...complex and well-balanced. Tastes sweet with a bit of tartness to it...yeasty, earthy, bready...citrus is still there. Does not stay on the palate long.

Light bodied with generally great carbonation. This beer is excellent and very drinkable. A refreshing beer that goes down smooth. I'll drink it many more times to come, I'm sure.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2011 04:38:44 | More by MsRif

kylehay2004

Florida

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

A: quarter finger clear and golden color with some lace.

S: Lots of cinnamon with a background of belgian yeast.

T: Lemon and spiced belgian yeast up front. The aftertaste on this one lingers and is somewhat unpleasant likely due to pungent hops. Clove and banana notes.

M: moderate carbonation and light to medium body.

Overall: The hop flavoring in this one is different. The aroma is excellent

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2011 01:22:53 | More by kylehay2004

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at the New Rudy's into it's proper vessel.

A: Slightly hazy gold body with a finger of fine white foam. Decent retention and nice lace. Nice.

S: Enjoyably spicy, mildly fruity saison nose. Plenty of clove, pepper, and pear. Good.

T: Follows the nose: spicy, fruity, and full of tasty yeast minerality. Solid.

M: Light-to-medium body with tons of frothy, creamy carbonation. Great for the style.

O: Hennepin has long been a staple of mine, as it's available all over the place on tap. Sometimes it absolutely blows me away, other times it's just satisfactory, but usually it's like it was tonight: a solid, balanced, authentic-tasting Saison. Good stuff.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

09-20-2011 01:09:46 | More by woosterbill

2xHops

Texas

4.18/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The last time I had this beer, it was over five years ago. I have completely forgotten about trying this beer again.

I was pleasantly surprised by the taste of this beer, because saison/farmhouse style used to not do it for me. I decided to give this another try after tasting Picnic Ants.

The taste was soft, mellow, and there's a hint of tartiness to the aftertaste. It was actually pretty refreshing for me to drink this beer. It had some malty component while having some tartiness to balance things out.

Overall, I definitely will pick this up again. I think next time, it won't be a five-year gap before my next drink. If you want to start experimenting with Saison, then I don't think you can go wrong with trying this one first.

Serving type: on-tap

08-29-2011 22:37:40 | More by 2xHops

Soonami

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

12 oz for $6 at South Philly Taproom, served in a wine glass

The beer is a reddish amber with a cottony white head that sticks around leaving fine lace. The smell is a little herbal from the hops, spicy from the yeast, and bready from the malt. The beer tasted good, but it was definitely undercarbonated which keeps the aromas in the beer and out of my nose, but it kind of also ruins full appreciation of the beer. This was carbonated more like an English Pale than a farmhouse ale. The beer wasn't as fiesty and zippy as the bottled versions of this beer, which are perfectly carb-ed. That said I think this beer develops in the bottle a bit and it might be the micro-oxidiation (along with carabonation) from the bottling process that adds some earthy and fruity flavors I remembered in this beer that was not present.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2011 04:44:15 | More by Soonami

thegodfather2701

North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours a bright sunny yellow with a thin bright white head. It is somewhat hazy. Not much lacing. The appearance reminds me of a hot and lazy summer day.

S-Belgian yeast, some noble hops, and malt.

T-Essentially the same as the nose. Belgian yeast with some noble hops. Its very refreshing.

M-Crisp and fairly clean. Its not too thin or too thick.

D-Great session beer especially for the summer months.

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2011 20:05:26 | More by thegodfather2701

HopHead84

California

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

8/9/2011

On tap at High Dive.

A: Hazy yellow with a creamy one finger head. Good retention and sheets of lacing.

S: Apple, pear, lemon, and orange with notes of pepper and coriander. I get a little hay and grain accompanying perfumy floral notes.

T: The beer has a lower moderate earthy and herbal bitterness up front with lots of fruit. I detect pear, apple, and lemon, with a rustic yeast profile and a light peppery spiciness.

M: Upper light body with high carbonation and a silky, smooth mouthfeel.

Overall: A tasty and refreshing Saison. Enjoyable stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2011 21:41:01 | More by HopHead84

mactrail

California

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Mother's milk! Smooth as caramel, warm and slightly sweet. A creamy mouthfull with great rich flavors. Beautiful beer-- golden color and clear in the tall tulip glass. Individual flavors don't seem to stand out as much, but the overall effect is spicy with rich wheaty malt. Mellow is the word, just enough fruit and a hint of hops. Not the usual Ommegang over-the-top Belgian funk.

Best Saison I've tasted this year. Highly drinkable but with a rich set of flavors. Shows a good Saison doesn't need the excess of acidity and random bacteria so often encountered.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2011 04:22:14 | More by mactrail

ehammond1

California

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

On Tap

Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA

Clear golden to amber with a thick, persistent white head. Lots and lots of lacing down the glass. The perfect saison pour? I don't see how it could get better.

A wonderful aroma: citrus, namely lemon and some orange, barnyard, a touch of horse blanket/farmhouse, and a touch of white fruit, perhaps apple or pear. This beer's aroma grows and magnifies as it warms; it's tremendous.

A classic saison, if such a thing existed. The flavors consist of sweet fruit, barnyard/horse blanket, a touch of funky yeast character, and some mild bitterness. Though it sounds funky, this beer is accessible as they come and incredibly drinkable.

Light to medium mouthfeel. A pleasure to drink.

A really fantastic saison. This might be the classic, benchmark, standard for the style--and I wouldn't argue the point.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2011 02:26:44 | More by ehammond1

TheWhiskerReview

Tennessee

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

On-tap at the Flying Saucer. Nashville.

Pours a hazed straw-gold with a fluffy one-finger head. Moderate retention with slightly sticky lace (lasted about half the glass).

The nose is mostly a malty mix of crackers and honey-drizzled biscuits with more lemony and straw tones. There's the expected spice and barnyardy funk, but it's real restrained compared to some other Saisons I've had. Smell is real reminiscent of those honey-lemon cough drops, but totally in a good way.

The palate mirrors the nose pretty closely- a creamy rush of malt with vanilla overtones to the continued theme of honey, lemon and straw. The hoppiness is light and floral/noble with a very mild bitterness, while the finish is mouthwateringly dry. Again, restrained spice.

A very delicious brew. Not as interesting as I had hoped- by that I mean I wished perhaps for more spice and funk. But it does show consistency with my other Ommegang experiences- delicious and approachable Belgian-style brews with an unbeatable price-point being domestic and all.

Serving type: on-tap

07-12-2011 20:22:51 | More by TheWhiskerReview

wiscokid920

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed this Brew on-tap at the Bodega in La Crosse, WI

A: Gorgeous pale dandelion yellow, with small grayish head that leaves faint trails of lace

S: Citrus, honeysuckle, coriander, overall very floral with traces of grains

T: Lots of cool flavors: ginger, hibiscus tea, pineapple, great balance of hoppy flavor, pale malts, and citrus. Finishes fairly sweet and ends with an excellent dry finish

D: It's as good as sunshine. The overall balance of the brew is dialed in to perfection. Definitely did not disappoint Ommegang!

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2011 01:44:56 | More by wiscokid920

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at Johnny Brenda's, Philly, PA

I first had this on tap, not knowing it was an Ommegang brew until I looked it up later. It's a tasty saison. Pretty smooth and flavorful but nothing to get overwhelmed about.

Pours a hazy golden color with a nice white head that retains and laces well. Yeasty aroma, with hints of citrus, grass, and light spice. Biscuity taste, with flavors of orange zest, apple, banana; grassy with notes of spice. Light-medium mouthfeel, and easily drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2011 19:04:47 | More by Rifugium

legalpete19340

Virginia

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

A: Bright but cloudy yellow with a huge off-white fluffy head that never really left.

S: Spice and bananas explode out of this one. Lots of yeast and grass notes. Some citrus notes come through as lemon and orange.

T: Just a wave of flavors: banana, pineapple, spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, ginger and cloves, yeast, scones, light menthol flowing into a big alcohol wave finishing with crisp bitterness and wave of fried plantains. Malt is there in a lightness throughout.

M: Medium with more than normal carbonation.

O: Big flavors that I found very drinkable. I would prefer to drink this on a hot humid day. This really blew me away especially since the style is usually too over-spiced for me.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2011 15:07:50 | More by legalpete19340