Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison) - Brewery Ommegang

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.47/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pale yellowish color. Fresh, floral,citrusy nose, quite like a witbier.Very beautiful, very inviting, who could refuse a sip of a brew so friendly?Taste is extremely satisfying, if lacking depth, but then, like many pretty things, it's not meant to be deep, just delicious, d'lightful, d'lovely!

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2002 17:21:25 | More by feloniousmonk

doho95fu

California

4.7/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very Nice beer. This is the second Ommegang I have tried and now I can't wait to rip into the Rare Vos I have chilling downstairs. The color is a pale orange and the beer is hazy. There is a soapy type head that leaves wide lacing.

The smell is fruity, almost like a Hoegaarden. The taste is great, fruit, a tad of spice, real light for the ABV. Very Drinkable - the 750 was perfect with the Thanksgiving Turkey.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2002 06:05:15 | More by doho95fu

OatmattStout

Connecticut

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

Had a 750 ml bottle and this beer was excellent. It poored great with a big foamy, rocky amber head. It has a great fruity, sweet nose. It's taste is malty w/ a honey start that drys a bit on the finish. 7.5% abv but very drinkable and one that I will be drinking regularly when I want an Belgian style ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2002 17:40:25 | More by OatmattStout

Admiraldinty

Massachusetts

4.72/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Holy crap! That's all I can say about this beer. It pours a hazy orange, with a thick head. The one overriding flavor theme that I found in this beer, yet no one else has mentioned is apple. Perhaps my tastebuds are screwed up, but everytime I drink this I can swear I taste apples, like in a strong (nay, very strong) cider. It's a shame I've only seen this stuff in four packs.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2002 20:55:49 | More by Admiraldinty

nathi

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Excellent golden color with just a tint of amber, thick head , nice a creamy looking, almost invencable in this tulip glass.

Big aroma, reaches up from the table to you. Very fruity with a strong spicy hop pressence. Sweet malt in back, a bit more then typical for the style. Not as spicy and complex as many, but still big and inviting.

Flavor is malt and fruit at first, but quickly fades into a very dry, spicy, and alcoholic finish. High carbonation dries it out even more. Has a stong citrus rind character with complexity of bannanas and pepper. Almost a berry seed character, interesting. Lots of spicy hop character adds to the overal spicy finish. Pretty bitter for the style, maybe a litle more then I prefer. . The spice comes through in the middle with a hell of a lot of complexity, almost like fresh herb. A lot of pine notes wich is very intersting. After taste is dominated by alcohol, almost grain alcohol like without the complex fruit and spice notess. This higher alcohol character is a big turn off. Also seems a bit tannic, almost oak like in finish. No sourness are tartness, which is fine, but is really a character that I think works well for this style in beers like Pipax and Fantome.

All in all this is a decent beer, with a lot going on, but is not one of the best saisons out there. The finish is disapointing and loses a lot of the complexity. Aroma is great, and appearance is perfect, but just dosnt come all together like some. If you like this try the Fantome Automn, it has the same smoth malt bas and spicy complexity, but just works better and all blends. Dupont, Pipax, Fantome, Pizza Port...all much better.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2002 17:31:37 | More by nathi

MaineBeerMan

Maine

4.53/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cloudy light golden color with one of the biggest merangue-like heads ever. The foam could stand almost an inch over the rim of the glass without running down the side and there was plenty of bubling action even though I rinsed the glass twice in anticipation of a frothy beer. The head on this beer left a total curtain of lace down the side opposite the one I drank from.
Aroma was full of fruitiness, with some weizen type banana smells and some peach and grapefruit evident as well. Slightest bit of clove and a dash of grassiness apparent in small low quantities.
The flavor is deeply complex with hints of grassiness, hazelnuts and peach and citrus fruit, as well as a good amount of clove and hints of other spices and a bit of musty yeast.
Very smooth, easy to drink mouthfeel, despite the zesty, high carbonation. It is a tradition in my family to bring a bottle of wine to the Thanksgiving Dinner for all to sample, but I think this year I will surprise them all with a couple of 750 ml. bottles of this. I am sure that they will enjoy it and if you have yet to taste this great beer, you will probably enjoy it too.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2002 21:16:50 | More by MaineBeerMan

tigerpaws

South Carolina

4.68/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

To put it simple Ommegang is one hell of a brewery! This nectar pours a cloudy golden color with a slight head and good lace along the glass. The scent is somewhat of a fruity one but not overly sweet like some Belgians. The taste is perfectly balanced more toward the malty side IMO. And it sits well on the palate, this beer is very drinkable for anyone. I think this is the one i would choose for the uneducated beer drinker to start with, it won't scare them off, and we BA can enjoy it also. I didn't think they could beat Ommegan but I think I loke this one better. I look forward to trying the other beers from this brewery when I can get my hands on them........CHEERS

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2002 15:57:28 | More by tigerpaws

jmatthew

Pennsylvania

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

Cloudy golden yellow with a foamy head that pours with the deadly ability to climb with vigor right out of your glass and onto the table. (which happened to me) The bouquet reveals musty fruit with a bit of spice and a slight alcohol presence. The taste is strong at first with a bit of the alcohol up front and a yeasty spiciness which rounds out to reveal a strong fruit presence and some slight hop bitterness that surfaces towards the end. Intense fruit flavors ride out throuh the very long and smooth finish enticing another swill. Well structured with good complexity, very well balanced, and dangerously drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2002 09:04:04 | More by jmatthew

Mick

New Jersey

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

Realistically one of the best beers on the market today when tallying in so many different factors. Deserving of a 5 across the board.

Translucent yellow allows a nice glare to lighten the contents in the glass. Colossal head frothy, creamy, and sticky. Excellent texture. It not only hangs on to the end, it wonderfully finishes the great story that this beer is.

Fruity and floral aromas; detected a slight hint of banana and or grassy tones.

Very complex body, very complex beer. At times fuller and chunky, at other times lighter and somewhat sweet. To call it excellent is an understatement. One of the best beers I have ever had.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2002 10:41:05 | More by Mick

whit

Texas

4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nice and warm. This beer is well balanced--the strong malt flavor blends well with the bitterness and subtle hop flavor. Has a slight spicy/phenolic character, but not overwhelming. Alcohol is nocibaly present at first, but fades. Very complex, but no particular aspect dominates. Thany you sir...may I have another.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2002 04:53:08 | More by whit

StevieW

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Initially a shiny clear yellow color, bottle swirl produces the famialer cloudy yellow. Highly charged, bubbly white head, faded fast, but left a small film of lace. Smelled everything from honey, citrus, pepper, and spices. Taste was deeply inticing, new tastes on every sip. Sweet, crisp tart citrus and honey to start. As the beer warmed, more subtle peppery tastes emerge, then noticable alcohol warming takes place. Noticable abv warms you as you drink, every sip is a new taste combination. Good beer to finish the evening. I'm very Impressed this one, and will seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2002 15:06:56 | More by StevieW

BeerAngel

Texas

3.9/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a pale yellow "wine-like" color with a white 2 finger head. The smell is that of a sweet and extremely lemony aroma (to me anyway). The taste is that of a semi-sweet fruity tast with a spiciness that is just right. The mouthfeel is a little sticky, but not a problem. Overall, I like this brew.
A Votre Sante or Cheers or sumthin'!

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2002 14:31:21 | More by BeerAngel

BillyBrew

Maine

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

As a new drinker of theses Belgo/Franco brews, I say this is a fantastic number. Orangey-brown colour with a massive, foamy, sticky, chunky head that slowy reduces to a heavy blanket of snow. Beautiful nose of honey and light banana and slight alcoholic tones. Earthy tastes with a slight malty graininess, cloves, fruity bananas and nuttiness. Medium, foggy-mouthed body that remains dry with little after tase on the palate.

Looks beautiful, smells soothing, tastes smooth and feels comforting and luscious. What can else can I say? Please drink. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2002 18:27:48 | More by BillyBrew

Murph

Arizona

4.8/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a hazy golden color with a decent creamy white head that never fully sinks and leaves a decent lace down the glass. Huge bubblegum, banana and other lighter fruits, and spicy pepper dominate the smell. The taste starts off with some great light fruity flavors that is mostly dominated by banana with some possible peach and orange. About half way through the brew gets nicely spicy with some good peppery qualities to it. Excellently creamy and smooth but also fairly refreshing and excelently drinkable with a medium body to it. This is one damn fine brew and I can't wait to get my hands on some more.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2002 23:01:15 | More by Murph

mophie

Delaware

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Coudy golden-orange, with billowy pure white head that sticks around for the long haul. Beautiful. Spicy banana aromas, very complex. Taste is herbal hops, pepper, clove, banana, candied ginger, caramelized orange rind, pear -- it's all in there! High carbonation creates a playful feeling on the tongue, and balances nicely with the spicy and oh-so-bitter finish. This is a damn good beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2002 19:25:39 | More by mophie

zerk

California

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

Dark golden color, with a white head. Head dissapates quickly, but carbonation continuously replenishes it. Aroma and taste contain honey, spice, and citrus. Highly carbonated, very crisp, and drinkable.

This is a great beer for the price, $4.50 for 750ml in Indianapolis.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2002 07:52:29 | More by zerk

Bighuge

Minnesota

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

This brew is a chill hazed golden and throws out a big pufffy white head that has nice retention. Pretty sweet aroma with this one. Honey like. Almost like a braggot or that Midas Touch brew. There's also some fruity esters perceived on the nose. Maybe some slight herbalness too. Nice aroma. Now this is a style of Belgian beers I can get into. This is really nice tasting. It is sweet, but kept in check with the hops, herbs and spices (which I will only try to take a stab at). There could be something like Rosemary or Marjoram throwing some pizzaz into this brew. I like it whatever it is. This brew really has a nice earthiness to it. Very unique taste. But very drinkable. Honey also seems to be perceived on the tongue. This is a light-medium bodied brew. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2002 20:47:09 | More by Bighuge

marc77

California

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

The fluffy, thick lace - leaving porcelin - white head tops a hazy light tangerine hued effervescent brew. Orange zest, candied ginger w/ trace phenol in aroma. Tart, citrus rind hit the palette upfront and are followed by a mild but refreshing hop bitterness. A light sweetness persists throughout this brew and seems to be the foundation for other flavors to build upon. Candied fruit, honey, pear notes all intermingle in a whimiscal fashion. The light body and crisp mouthfeel add to the flavorful yet refreshing nature of this brew. Finishes bittersweet, w/ a mellow lingering breadiness. Hennepin is "playful" in flavor, yet is very clean, and its drinkability is superlative. Alcohol warmth surfaces long after the sip finishes. Excellent, and perhaps bit dangerous.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2002 17:21:24 | More by marc77

frank4sail

New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Fresh fruit aroma with hints of sweetness. There is also strong yeast odor. Very pale hazy look with a thick white head. I also smell bannana. Very carbonated at first taste with bannana and hops on the tongue. Great mouth very sharp tasting also on the tongue. lots of complexity in the yeast/hops relationship. This would make a great starter with cheese and fruit. Awesome American ... as usual from Brewery Ommegang!

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2002 11:06:43 | More by frank4sail

ADR

Pennsylvania

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

Orangey and opaque, 1/4 inch fine mist head replenished by ascending carbonation. Bubbles shimmer like sugar crystals on the side of the glass. Slightly astringent aroma. Good combination of fruit, a little banana, and very nice bittering at the end. Pretty reserved and yet nice tasting. Its hard to call a Belgian a "session" brew to me, but this one would be for me. Solid in most categories.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2002 09:28:10 | More by ADR

Wildman

Ohio

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

This beer poured out a nice golden color. It formed a nice white head with some lace on the side later on. The aroma of smelled of malts and cirtus. Good level of carbination to this beer. Due to that, the initial mouthfeel taste of it throws me off a little, but it sudsides after the next taste or so. Hides it's alcohol content well. A very enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2002 15:57:25 | More by Wildman

Viking

Indiana

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

It all starts when you pop the cork from the bottle. A nice loud 'pop' - almost like a champagne. The beer pours to a hazy gold, with a thick, white head. Solid head retention, with lace clinging to the glass as you drink. Smell is lightly fruity and spicy, filled with sweet apple, pepper, hops, and yeast. Flavor is rich and strong with the flavors hinted at in the aroma. I also notice a bit of citrus flavor meshing with the apple. Lively continual carbonation give the brew a bit of zest, but not too much as to make it seem acidic on the tongue. Wonderful brew, and a great cost effective Belgian-style ale.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2002 15:56:59 | More by Viking

beerluvr

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy golden with lively carbonation. A long-lived head displays ample Belgian lace clinging to the glass. Nose is light malt, and a wee bit lemony. Taste is again light, fruity with some hoppy bitterness coming thru. Close your eyes and you'll swear this beer was brewed in Belgium. Goes great with Wise BBQ potato chips.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2002 20:54:35 | More by beerluvr

cokes

Wisconsin

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

I am actually shocked that I have not already reviewed this...as it is one of my favorites.
Pours a yeast-filled golden....quite hazy.
Aromas of apples, yeast, pepper and hops.
This pretty much labels the taste as well,
Fantastic tart apples up front. Peppery yeastiness. Nice lime accompaniment. Citric and very tasty. Hops dry things out in the finish.
Medium-light bodied with the big carbonation.
This is sooo good on a hot day.
Alcohol is not a factor.
One of my most-purchased beers (especially at $4 a 750ml...where's the brown bag??)
This is THE stuff.

Update: Maybe my opinion of Ommy has soured, but this is not the beer I once thought, aged or fresh. More tart than memory recalls with green apples and citric fruit taking the fore. Simplistic, light peppery and doughbal yeastiness. Good for what it is, but so many saisons surpass this. But I must say, for the price, this is still a soild belgo-quaffer.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2002 00:16:20 | More by cokes

packetknife

Idaho

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

Tart and fruity. Heavily carbonated, obscenely so. Smells wonderful. Nice deep character. I didn't expect anything this good for what I first thought was a 'knock-off'. Definatly a re-visit.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2002 19:28:19 | More by packetknife