Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison) - Brewery Ommegang

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

thagr81us

South Carolina

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

Served from tap into a sampler shaker. Poured a slightly hazy straw yellow with a one finger pure white head that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt and banana. The flavor was of sweet malt, banana, and spices. It had a light feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall thiswas a pretty decent and easy drinking brew. It was not overly complex, but still pretty nice for the style. I had this one a long time back and the spices just overwhelmed me. Really glad I re-visited this one. If it were more complex, this one would definitely be great. Definitely worth trying without a doubt.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2011 13:45:19 | More by thagr81us

Cyrano41

Virginia

4.7/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I had this first on tap at Fire and Vine. Excellent was the first word that came to my head. It was amber with 1/2 inch of head, lots of lacing on the glass. Fruity aroma that made me want to dive in. First sip brought a smile to my face, my wife isn't as into beer as me, but I had to share. Since then I found bottles at the local Total Wine shop. This is one I will always look far again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2011 17:16:50 | More by Cyrano41

MrWinky

Maryland

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

A. Beautiful pale straw pour with small but luxurious head. Nice bit of carbonation.

S. Hoppy with grapefruit-like aroma. Crisp, citrusy, and light.

T. A great balance of hoppy flavor, pale malts, citrus and excellent dry finish.

M. Good bit of carbonation. Nice, light, and dry.

D. Bring on the summer work and keep these nearby and you'll be a happy camper...if you like the type than this is your beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2011 17:22:42 | More by MrWinky

anap

Texas

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

From the tap, Hennepin poured a sunshiny gold color, slightly hazy, with a spumy one-centimeter head. The first sip left a strong impression of pears that receded with subsequent sips, unraveling a sparkling apple cider note with a trace of soapiness and lichen on the finish. For having so mellow a flavor, the beer was surprisingly crisp and thin. In fact, I would have preferred a slightly heavier feel, but perhaps my opinion was swayed by a craving for warmth on a chilly day in February. Well, I found it thoroughly drinkable nonetheless and look forward to sampling it again when springtime rolls around.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2011 23:11:16 | More by anap

jmfc8237

Delaware

3.85/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap. Poured a slightly cloudy straw yellow with active carbonation and spotty lacing. Served in a fluted glass about 14 oz. Peppery spice with banana and clove on the nose that leads to a nice peppery forefront and sharp bite on the palate. I just ate onions on my sandwich though. I feel a faint grape like mouthfeel in the back and finished spicy and slightly alcoholic. Overall a nice beer to have with any occasion.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2011 18:46:32 | More by jmfc8237

Satchboogie

New Hampshire

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

On tap at Strange Brew in Manchester, NH 2/2/11

A: Light yellow, almost hay colored, hazy. 1 1/2 inch fluffy white head, leaves tons of lacing, almost completely covering the glass.

S: I could swear this was a wit beer. Tons of clove upfront with banana and other sweet aromas in the background. Yeasty, some citrus (lemon mainly), slight floral hops.

T: Just like the nose, this tastes like a classic hefeweissbier. Clove seems to dominate the flavor with banana and lemon in the background. There's a ton of floral yeast, very light buttered biscuit malt character. Finish is lemon, clove, slight alcohol, and Belgian yeast.

M: Fairly high, crisp carbonation. Light body. While it's light, the high level of yeast and solid malt character give the body a strong backbone that allows the flavors to flourish. I quite like beers that can achieve this.

D: As with the style (again, more wit beer than Saison), it's light, crisp, and delicious. This is quite easy to drink, though it's on the high end (7.7ABV).

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2011 07:20:50 | More by Satchboogie

TheDTrain

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

D Train swung by his favorite Mexican restaurant Hector in Wauwatosa. Not only do they have great food, but they always have pretty good tap selection. I was not expecting to see Hennepin Farmhouse Saison on tap! And for $3.50! This hazy yellow saison smells of lemon, citrus, earth tone, and yeast. Taste has a awesome funkiness upfront with settles nicely with the earth tones and citrus.

This brew was so fucking good I went back the next night for another....and more taquitos.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2011 14:55:25 | More by TheDTrain

Mora2000

Texas

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

On tap at the Flying Saucer in Addison.

The beer pours a hazy straw yellow color with a nice-sized white head. The aroma is a mix of wheat, Belgian yeast, lemon and orange. Very fruity smelling. The flavor is more of the same with the addition of some pineapple and mangoes, as well as some white pepper notes. The alcohol is fairly noticeable, though by no means overpowering. The beer is very dry and is very drinkable. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

A very nice American-made saison. One of the better ones out there.

Serving type: on-tap

01-18-2011 02:50:15 | More by Mora2000

Drazzamatazz

Maine

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

From the kegerator into a weizen glass (I was feeling thirsty).

A: Huge pillowy head. As it starts to reside the large bubbles grip to the sides and remain puffy in the middle. Starchy corn water appearance with nice carbonation.

S: Lemon, grass, yeast, cloves, bubblegum. Sweet smelling which plays off the earthy grains in the background.

T: First tastes are the funk you'd associate with a great aged blue. I think the yeast is huge in this beer, it lends so much flavor and aroma. Has a nice biting grassy flavor that is cut through with the crisp citrus. Finishes spicy with a lingering flavor of clove, nutmeg, and pepper.

M: Mouthfeel is spot on for this one I'd say, light bodied with a strong carbonation that helps to move along and heavy lingering flavors.

D: Bought a keg of this for New Year's Eve to go along with Michelob Ultra. Group was BMC drinkers for the most part but they were all adventurous and stepped out of their comfort zone. It was a huge hit with everyone says it was so much more flavorful yet refreshing and light.

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2011 00:50:23 | More by Drazzamatazz

orangesol

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap into a standard pint at Shady's downtown.

A - Pours pale straw yellow with a small film of head leaving thin sheets of lacing down the glass. I think it was a bit too cold, and it suffered a bit because of it.

S - Lots of strong bready belgian yeast up front. Plenty of barn yard funk with some faint earthy hops. I really think the colder pour hurt the appearance and smell of this one greatly.

T - Plenty of funk up front mixes well with a bit of sweetness. Some muted earthy hops add a nice hop bite. Hops seem to come out a bit more once it has had a chance to warm up a bit. A touch of black pepper adds some spice to help break up all bready sweetness. Finish is funky but not overpowering. I love how this one is light and refreshing and yet still filled with bold, rustic, flavors that make it one of the best saisons.

M - Light body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Not as barn yard funky as some of the other drafts of Hennepin that I have had in the past but still funky none the less.

D - Very high. I absolutely love this one. It is funky yet still very re-freshing. One of, if not the, best american saison on the market today.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2010 02:20:27 | More by orangesol