Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison) - Brewery Ommegang

bshirley

Texas

4.73/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: very light, yellow straw, some small and some large bubbes

Smell: sweet and slightly alcoholish, a little corn

Taste: very sweet, wine, apple, pear, light clove, alcohol phenols linger

Mouthfeel: super creamy

The belgian yeast on display here is wonderful.

Serving type: growler

11-29-2012 00:57:51 | More by bshirley

nassaubeercop

New York

3.83/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler Poured into a tulip glass.

A- Translucent gold, with thin white foamy head which dissipates leaving a little lace.

S- Lots of yeast, some citrus notes.

T- Crisp yeasty, bready, earthy, some citrus acidity.

M- Champagne like, quite a bit of carbonation.

O- Pretty standard example of a saison, good but not great. I like this better from a bomber.

Serving type: growler

07-30-2011 01:31:26 | More by nassaubeercop

tdawgydog

New York

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

Have had this beer many times and I just finally got around to reviewing it. It is one of my favorite Ommegang brews:

A: Pours a beautiful golden yellow with a little cloudiness. Not as "unfiltered" as some of your Belgian Saisons but looks good none the less

S: Decent amount of spice in the nose. Very refreshing scent.

T: There is something about this beer that keeps me coming back. It has a little spice in the taste that turns sweet while it's warming in your mouth.

D: Goes down smooth, if it was a little lighter on the ABV it would make a great session beer.

M: My only complaint is that it feels a little thin. This may be a product of the keg that it came from but it is still highly enjoyable none the less.

Serving type: growler

02-01-2011 03:20:14 | More by tdawgydog

thasnazzle

Texas

4.13/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - pours a slightly cloudy straw color with a two finger head that dissipates into a small ring and leaves lacing down the glass.

S - Mostly banana and fruity esters, with a hint of spice in the background.

T - lots going on here. Spices up front - coriander and clove, maybe something else as well - which lead into a strong fruity banana/bubblegum flavor with a lemony presence, followed by a dry bready finish with a hint of hop bitterness. Alcohol is deceptively well-hidden - I didn't realize this was over 7% abv until I looked it up.

M - Had this from a growler that was filled at Brewery Ommegang about a week and a half ago, so I'm not sure how representative this should be of the beer's carbonation. Mouthfeel was good - carbonation drew out the spices without being too strong to destroy the tastes in the middle of the palate. Maybe slightly thin, but that was probably the result of the growler having been filled a week and a half ago.

D - I could drink this all night. It's light enough to not fill me up, but still packs a ton of flavor without leaving an unpleasant aftertaste.

Ommegang got me into craft beer, and this is another great offering from them. My first saison, it has me craving more from the style. Great beer.

Serving type: growler

08-09-2010 06:08:55 | More by thasnazzle

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is the way to go if you want Hennepin.

Whereas when I encountered a strong phenolic aroma and taste in the bottle version, on draft (in this case, from a growler), what was so up front and mildly distracting/detracting was now much mellower - mellower to the point where now it blended into the entire makeup of the beer so wonderfully.

Even keeping the growler top unlatched while we drank it (why? I don't know why), it poured with a huge, fluffy, crystalline or cotton candy-like head. The color was a deeper orange compared to the bottle - a cantaloupe shade.

Before, where the phenols were kicking more, now the spice and an apricot taste highlight the flavor. Hints of freshly-cut hay are still present.

The feel and drinkability are amazing. Like freshly-squeezed orange juice. Hard (as in cider) but not entirely soft in the finish. Slowly warms you up and mellows you out. Wonderful.

Serving type: growler

06-02-2010 14:03:47 | More by Bouleboubier

akorsak

Pennsylvania

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

A growler filled at Al's of Hampden on 23-Apr-10. Hennepin is on record as being my favorite. It was also in the running for my newborn daughter's middle name (although it wasn't the winner).

A: The saison is crystal clear, a pale golden straw color that radiates. If I didn't know any better, I'd call it a pale lager due to the hue. A full head, over 2 fingers, is lacing in thick clumps.

S: The nose is refreshingly sharp, hoppy with a fresh dose of Belgian yeast. Mild fruitiness and black pepper jump out, both subtle but unmistakable. Grapes (white, of course) and a teaspoon of funk round out the nose, alongside a brief earthy hop aroma.

T: Each sip is deliciously sweet, lightened up by fleshy fruits (think pears, peaches, apples). A dose of anise follows the fruit, a dry sharp contrast to the sugary fruit. Coriander adds a black pepper flavor, a bite against the sweetness. Throughout, the saison is light and refreshing. Clove and pear appear near the finish. Near the end of the growler, the carbonation tapers off, allowing the fruits to linger much longer than normally.

M: The mouthfeel is sweet, with a heavy dose of yeasty fruits. Hops linger around but never get in the way of the pale fruits.

D: The ale nails every aspect, sweet and dry, sharp but lush. It's been my favorite for years and this growler is no exception.

Serving type: growler

04-26-2010 00:03:24 | More by akorsak

RppIII

District of Columbia

4.6/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a growler into a pint glass (several times)

Appearance: Pours a pale golden with a slight haze clouding the body of the beer. Carbonation gives way to a full snow white churning head, which quickly subsided to a light film that leaves almost no lacing.

Smell: The aroma of this beer has a slight doughy sour note, fruit, spicy yeast, and a hint of alcohol.

Taste: The beer brings back memories of many a triple but with a twist. I love the flavour present from Belgian style yeast. There is a sweet tartness to this beer that reminds me of white grapes which is a superb contrast to the dry crisp profile of this beer. Reminds me very much of a sauvignon blanc I recently had.

Mouthfeel: Medium in body, crisp, and refreshing. This beer is excellent at masking it's 7%+ abv, which adds to the pleasant feel going down.

Drinkability: It doesn't get much better than this. If this beer could contain alcohol or could be exactly the same and contain no alcohol I would opt for later because if I could I would drink this all day every day. Absolutely the best Saison I have ever had.

Serving type: growler

02-04-2010 02:18:20 | More by RppIII

mtnbikerpa

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a growler into a pint glass small disappearing head, with slow but steady carbonation. Sugary, biscuity, sweet with a hint of clove aroma. Sweet and crisp with the carbonation makes it burst on your tongue. Alcohol extremely hidden. Very drinkable and enjoyable. An instant favorite.

Serving type: growler

08-08-2009 21:59:46 | More by mtnbikerpa

wingman14

Ohio

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

Pours a golden amber with an off white head that fades but leaves nice lacing. The smell is complex, some nice sweet fruit notes, some malt and spice notes as well. The taste starts somewhat sweet with the spice and fruit upfront, followed by a somewhat tart taste finishing with a malty taste. The mouthfeel is very smooth, some alcohol content detected in the aftertaste, but overall a silky beer with nice balance. This is a great drinker, not overpowering flavor, but lots of flavor is packed into this beer. Definitely worth checking out.

Serving type: growler

07-14-2009 22:20:36 | More by wingman14

PBBC

New York

4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours pale yellow... excellent clarity for a wheat.

Very sour, earthy aroma

Tastes sweet, honey with citrus, balanced with a crisp carbonation, finishing with a lingering wheaty tart/sourness... very refreshing.

Great wheat, balanced, yet extreme.

Serving type: growler

07-18-2008 03:16:35 | More by PBBC

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

mikem0487

Pennsylvania

4.36/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle poured into tulip glass. Bottled on 1/09/13.

A-Poured a huge dense and foamy white head. A mildly hazy golden yellow body.

S-The nose is very appealing. Nice spice notes of coriander and black pepper. With the spices it contains earthy clove, banana, baked bread and orange rind. All these different aromas mix in very well with one another.

T-The taste of this beer is amazing all around and follows suit with the smell. Citrus, coriander and clove. At the end of the palate has a dank earthiness with the banana like sweetness coming out. Very enjoyable balanace with the malts and hops. Finishes with a refined bitterness that does not last long.

M-Medium, effervescent body. Not as dry of a finish as I was expecting. But overall what you expect from the style.

O-Highly enjoyable saison that does not disappoint. Pick up a 750 or 4 pack now...

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 01:47:42 | More by mikem0487

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.36/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: It has a nice hazy light golden/yellow color to it. It has a nice thick white head that dies down moderately slow and leaves some nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of lemon, citrus, peppery spices, cloves and belgian yeast.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has some lemon upfront with some citrus notes, cloves, some pepper and some yeast.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium/high carbonation with a very nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with great flavors and aromas. Very refreshing on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 19:20:03 | More by SebD

BTVflatlander

Vermont

4.46/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750ml bomber into a Fantôme snifter.

A: Very golden, attractive.

S: Classic saison.

T: Clean, crisp, belgian saison. Almost perfect taste, and definitely hitting the nail on the head for a widely-available, higher-alcohol saison.

M: Light enough for the warmer months and yet warming enough for fall.

O: A fantastic belgian farmhouse saison. Of the 4 saisons I've had, this is certainly up there among the best of 'em. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 18:14:56 | More by BTVflatlander

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.86/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured two fingers of head on a cloudy, light straw colored body.
The aroma is spicy with banana, orange peal and lemon. Pretty good.
The taste is great. Leads with spice, mild bitterness with a touch of sweetness to round it out.
Medium body with a fizzy texture but the carbonation stays in a nice range.
A great saison.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 23:05:26 | More by Fatehunter

HerculesRM

South Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Hazy gold with a gigantic white head (pour it into a 16 ounce glass). Smells like yarrow and milkweed, like an overgrown field (typical of saisons). Flavours of coriander, yellow curry, fresh cut grass, booze. You have to like saisons to appreciate this, but it's a good one.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 22:36:04 | More by HerculesRM

raoulduke25

Georgia

4.31/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This was a gift from a dear friend. Much appreciated, bro.

The first thing I notice is that no matter how slowly and methodically I pour it, a foamy head quickly develops. The beer pours smoothly and after it is done, there appear in the glass tiny colloidal particles that hang suspended in the glass, through the entire depth.

The smell is heavenly, soft, unobtrusive. A light malt waft is sensed when one dips his nose into the glass.

The taste is mellow but not without complexity. It's almost as if too many layers exist to parse in one sip. Hence, many sips were taken to identify all the many parts, but I remained unsuccessful in my ability catalogue them all.

The mouthfeel, though admittedly unimportant compared to taste, was much less viscous than one would think based on appearance.

Overall, this ale is excellent, a definite keeper of the Belgian brewing tradition.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 04:28:03 | More by raoulduke25

kini

Hawaii

3.61/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I first had a bottle with the same label as in the photo which was in fact brewed in Belgium by Duvel. It would've rated at least a 4. Clearly superior to the second bottle brewed in NY with a silver label.

Color, taste, look, head, mouthfeel were all superior from the Duvel brewed version. The newest version tasted more like triple to me.

Overall average and will be sticking with abbey ale from ommegang.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 00:48:56 | More by kini

alex_hart

Massachusetts

4.21/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

appearance: a beautiful hazy golden straw color with a 3 finger head that slowly dissapates to a thin layering on top of the beer. good, thick, creamy lacing throughout.

smell: that wonderful belgian funk that i cherish dearly, along with hay, some sweet florals, and citrus (mainly orange).

taste: delicious. plain and simple. much like the nose with the belgian yeast coming forward perfectly.

moutfeel: smooth, light, fluffy. light to medium bodied

overall: this just took over tank 7 in my "favorites" for this category. touche ommegang.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 22:38:59 | More by alex_hart

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.06/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a crystal clear, completely translucent, light gold with a HUGE pure white head. The foam takes forever to settle, and a ton of lacing is left on the glass as it drinks.

S: The nose is lemon citrus, light malt, pepper, gym sock, and a bit of stinky cheese. I also get a bit of grass, and some mineral rich well water. Srs.

T: This beer is sweet to start with a nice light malt bill. As it shirts to the back of the palate I get that grassy taste and bit of light citrus. Once the beer has moved off the tongue, the spices begin to shine. I get big pepper notes as it dries.

M: Light bodied beer. This is an incredibly easy drinker for a 7.7% beer. It's sweet and wet to start tightens up in the middle and get really dry on the back end. The spice shines through as it dries and it lingers until the next sip.

O: This is a really nice beer, but It's not my favorite saison. I'd definitely drink this beer again, but I'm not going to go crazy over it. Yet another well made beer from Ommegang.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 01:36:46 | More by trxxpaxxs

bmwats

Louisiana

3.64/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a footed tulip.

A: Hazy hay colored hue. Pours a 1 finger, persistent, bubbly, white head. Settles slowly, and unevenly. A little rising effervescence present. Thick peak and valley lacing.

S: Fermented fruit, lemon citrus, sourdough bread, and wet hay.

T: Really pungent, and bitter pecan shells, lemon rind, and soda water.

M: Pungent all the way through. Light and crisp. Dry finish. Very acidic.

D: Sip and enjoy.

Atmosphere is really solid. Nice hue, great head, and some pretty nice lacing. Nose is fermented, woody, wet and sour fruit and hay. Tastes like it smells. Pungent and bitter fruit rind and pecan shells. Overall, this is a pretty good quaff.

...This may be a truly great quaff, but saisons are not my favorite. Just a corollary to explain why my opinion may be way off.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 03:43:28 | More by bmwats

Maxwell

Massachusetts

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

The beer pours pale, golden yellow with a lot of chunks and carbonation bubbles circling around. The beer pours with a nice tight white head on it that settles to a quarter of a fingers width and leaves a thin lacing of tight, dry bubbles. On the nose, the beer smells strongly of spiced coriander with hints of orange peel, and ginger. There is also distinct bananay yeast in the background giving lovely character to the nose, while the hops and yeast are properly downplayed with lights notes of grass and hay and some wheat notes. On the tongue, the beer tastes creamy sweet and grassy bitter with lots of spice character. The flavor begins as orange peel and light wheat malt before being steamrolled away by heavy coriander spices with hints of pickling ginger. This moves into bitter grassy hops and banana yeast. The finish gives a fresh kiss of coriander infused orange juice with just a hint of sweet wheat bread before mellowing into an aftertaste of light coriander spice and yeasty banana funk. In the mouth, the beer tastes creamy smooth and medium in body with a touch of fierce carbonation that mellows into a clean scrubbing of the tongue. The mouth is left slightly dry but clean. Overall this is a solid and interestingly flavored beer. They’re a little heavy handed with the coriander spicing, which hurts the other flavors, but these flavors still show through and are beautiful and fresh in feel. This is a classic American saison in a Belgian-style. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 19:31:32 | More by Maxwell

BigBarley

Texas

3.35/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a crisp, bright gold. Almost completely clear, with the exception of the swirling sediment and the extremely active carbonation. Yields about 1.5 fingers of head that recedes over time to a floating cap of foam.

Fresh banana and clove smell up front, touch of citrus and coriander right below. Stand out smells of wild yeast all around. Fits the style well, keeping that funk balanced with the sweet, fruity undertones

Interesting. There's a bitterness wrapped around this beer that gives it a sour flavor. Very sweet but subdued by the funky presence. Similar to some Hefe flavors, with the presence of coriander and a clove taste, but the dominant quality is this funky sourness. Pretty interesting to say the least.

Somewhat thick, but refreshing in it's own way. Pretty much the standard mouth for the style, but goes down easier than some.

Not a bad Saison, but the flavor doesn't really wow me. It's enjoyable, but it doesn't really surprise or excite, and it falls short because of the way some notes clash.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 11:39:19 | More by BigBarley

TastyAdventure

Kentucky

3.7/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A - alightly cloudy gold. Big 2 finger head that doesnt go anywhere, big soapy bubbles.

S - yeast, sweet bubblegum. similar to a few weiss biers i've had lately.

T - mild sweet bubblegum that has spice in the background that makes it more enjoyable. slightly dry. crisp. hops are there but their bitterness is mixed with the dryness so it's hard to differentiate, but definitely refreshing and enjoyable.

M - Carbonation is definitely refreshing, but not overwhelming with too much of it. Slight sweet syrup touch, slick, i'd say.

O - didnt quite live up to the hype for me, but this is just my second saison. If I would drink it again, It'd be on a hot summer day and I would've had it nearly ice cold.

Not sure if it's worth the steep price.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 01:18:53 | More by TastyAdventure

Benish

Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from bottle into a snifter glass. It had an awesome foamy head. It almost covered half my glass and remained that way for a good 5 minutes (I poured gently into the glass). The color is a cloudy or hazy yellow (like most Belgium beers); nothing can be seen on the other side of the glass except light. Lacings were present.

I smelled cloves, other spices, gingerbread and some apricots. I do get ripen bananas as well!

It taste great. It has a fruity flavor yet it was not too sweet like I expected it to be. I have to admit this is my first Saison beer. There is an equal of sweetness and bitterness which makes this great. It also had that spiciness that came with the smell of cloves and other spices.

I opened this bottle in March but I have read that it is really refreshing to indulge during the summer months. I do think this beer complements well with all seasons. Drinking it right now felt like a perfect occasion. It could be opened on a cold rainy day or on a hot sunny day. Best drink cold before the beverage warms up if drinking on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 03:36:17 | More by Benish