Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison) - Brewery Ommegang

SeamusDoyle

Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a golden orange with a foamy white head which fades to decent lacing. Aroma is of citrus, baked bread, yeast, cloves, some sour fruit, and some earthy funk. Taste is of baked bread, lemon peel, yeast, cloves, sour fruit, black pepper, and some earthy wet hay. Has a medium body with a creamy mouthfeel and a dry, slighty bitter, champagne like finish. Overall, a nice example of a Saison.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 00:42:11 | More by SeamusDoyle

AmitC

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a one off 12 oz bottle bought from Atlanta GA.

Pale yellow, a bit strawish color. Very unclear and a lot of haze. Head is around two fingers thick of white color, creamy and fluffy. Receding head leaves an excellent Belgian lacing on the sides. Good retention, stays for a long time. Super bubbly. A lot of finely suspended yeast.

A lot of typical Belgian ale fruity notes. A very good burst of pepper like phenolic and noble hop smell bursts as soon as the cap is half open. No apparent alcohol though it is only 7.7%. Some spiciness. Strength is moderately strong.

Taste is much better than the nose. Enters with upfront spiciness and crispiness. Phenols give a mix of pepper, clove and coriander taste. Some dry nutty feel towards the end. Some minor noble hops provide freshness and prevent any malt effect from coming forward. Overall finish is dry with some tartness. Very fine.

Mouth feel is medium light to slightly medium bodied. Abundant carbonation. Effervescent. No astringency of any kind.

Style Rate: 4.25
Personal Rate: 3.75

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 00:28:31 | More by AmitC

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

JudoJeff

3.78/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I found the taste to have hints of bitter spices. The label says it is brewed with ginger, but it wasn't forward enough for me to notice. However, I do pile ginger on pretty heavily in the food I eat so it may be that it is just a much less intense taste than I'm used to. The coriander and grains of paradise seemed to play a larger role the the flavor. In general I don't enjoy hoppy beer, but this was quite nice overall.

When poured from a 750 mL bottle into a tall glass (maybe the wrong choice) this developed a very tall, foamy head that took a while to settle.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 01:28:26 | More by JudoJeff

JMScowcroft

Vermont

4.61/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ommegang Hennepin - 1 Pint 9.4oz - Bomber

Look - Resembles a sparkling champagne, golden and lightly carbonated. Full, foamy head.

Smell - Hops and citrus, can definitely smell the coriander and ginger and hops.

Taste - Refreshing and tart with citrus overtones.

Mouthfeel - Very drinkable, another stomach warmer, another one that's hard to tell it is such high alcohol content, which is a good thing.

Overall - Amazing brew, seems like a Summer beer but it was hearty enough to also enjoy in the Winter. Another solid brew from Ommegang!

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 17:20:53 | More by JMScowcroft

kojevergas

California

3.64/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

I've taken a long time to get to this one, but I'm glad to finally get to it. I've educated myself on saisons recently with a lot of Fantome, so I'm confident I can give this the fair review it deserves. 7.70% ABV confirmed. 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap acquired at a local bottle shop and served into a New Belgium stem-goblet in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are through the roof given its reputation.

Served straight from the fridge and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Not paired with food.

A: Pours a two finger white colour head - disappointingly thin - of slight cream, and great retention for the high ABV (~4 minutes). Body colour is a hazy pale yellow-gold. Thin minimal lacing. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Nontransparent. Translucent.

Sm: Crystal malt, brett yeast funkiness, heavy lemon esters and lemon zest, lemongrass, rustic spicing (perhaps cilantro and clove if I had to guess), and pale malts. Maybe a bit of light white pepper. The lemon citric zest is pure and fragrant, evoking a fine dry champagne. Pear effervescence. Honey. Pale grains. A moderate strength evocative aroma. I can't wait to try it. Yeasty and inviting. No alcohol is detectable.

T: Delightful lemon citrus esters and lemon zest; these notes are dominant. Complementary funky yeast as well with notes of clove spice and maybe even a bit of banana and phenol. Some light biscuity character. Crystal malt. Dry pear and champagne notes. A hint of sour green apple - but not to the extent you'd see in a patersbier. Pale unobtrusive malt body. Rustic spices seem primarily yeast-derived. Refreshing and a bit tangy. Some honey. Perhaps some light fermented pineapple. These bright fruit esters also seem to come from the yeast. Little malty sweetness - just enough to aid the balance. I quite like it. What's sorely lacking is white pepper; a quality saison should always have peppery qualities but this one lacks them. Still, it's a balanced and well-layered saison. No alcohol comes through either, and it manages to remain refreshing. It doesn't lack complexity, but saisons are a complex style, and more could certainly be done. Maybe my Fantome consumption has driven up my expectations.

Mf: Smooth and wet, with some effervescent dry champagne qualities as well. Excellent carbonation and thickness, complementing the flavour profile and coaxing out the more subtle flavours. Good palate presence. Refreshing and enjoyable.

Dr: Drinkable and enjoyable. Hides its high ABV well. A quality saison from Ommegang, but it drinks a bit too much like a witbier with its heavy reliance on lemon notes. Still, I quite enjoy it and I'd definitely get it again if I was in the mood for a domestic saison. It's a fine offering and a fairly priced one. Lives up to its reputation. Very refreshing. Bravo, Ommegang.

B

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 05:45:14 | More by kojevergas

DenverLogan

Colorado

4.56/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cloudy white gold color. Long lasting head of mixed small bubbles and lace on a chalice glass...poured from corked bottle. Aroma of grass, bread dough, citrus. Taste changes significantly as the beer warms/opens up...floral hops, amber malts, black pepper...subtle notes of sour apple, soap, alcohol, clove, lemon rind. Lively carbonation with a crisp, enticing finish. Overall very flavorful with farmhouse yeast esters offering many flavors. Good alone or with various foods. Darn tasty!

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 04:40:46 | More by DenverLogan

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

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

750ml bottle poured into an Ommegang tulip.

Appearance
Cloudy straw/gold with 3-4 fingers of fluffy white head. Excellent retention with low carbonation.

Nose
Pear, apple, dough, lemon, hay, clove, pilsner malt and a hint of potpourri.

Taste
Pear, golden delicious apple and lemon pith. Pilsner malts, wheat and doughy bread. The yeast is very spicy and quite funky. Dried hay, potpourri and hints of barnyard. Clove, black pepper and coriander. Finishes with grassy noble hops and a suggestion of apricot.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, crisp, dry and refreshing.

Overall
Very complex and easily accessible Saison. Definitely one of the better American renditions of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 19:01:43 | More by justintcoons

Hex92

Virginia

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

Its been several year since I last tried this beer. I remember that I liked it, but I am not a fan of saisons so I haven't been tempted. This was included in their Christmas pack this year and I am glad it was.

It seems like most of the saisons I have tried are made with Brett yeast and/or are too dry for my taste. The hennepin is like a tripel, very flavorful, none of the other weird flavors that seem to be common with saisons.

I poured it into a st berdnardus goblet and it looks great in the glass. Nice thick white head. Creamy mouthfeel. Nice flavor. I will have to pick this up more frequently.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 03:09:16 | More by Hex92

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

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

Best by September 2014:

Into a pint glass:

A: light golden yellow/orange body yielding a white, foamy, two finger head that slowly died to a film coating the top of the body. Normal haziness for the body of a saison appeared. A fair amount of carbonation is seen rising.

S: coriander and pepper up front coming through in a rustic sort of way.

T: peppery taking those previously mentioned flavors and making it slightly crisp yet tart and balancing with a slight orange peel in it.

M: medium with a dry aftertaste and finish, some acceptable harshness on the tongue, this is fairly drinkable

O: this one makes me glad I keep trying different beer styles because for a long time, I didn't like saisons, if there any saison that has pulled me into this style, it would be this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 00:43:24 | More by kangarooAdam59

damndirtyape

Ohio

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

12oz bottle, bottled on 07/03/12. Can't exactly read the best by date, some of it is unreadable. Served in a tulip glass. Despite a careful pour, some sediment came along.

Appearance: Cloudy golden yellow with a dense white head. Persistent sheets and strands of lacing. Held up to the light you can see the sediment suspended in the beer, along with bubbles coming up nicely through the beer. I suspect this would be an amazing looking beer had I been able to keep the sediment in.

Smell: Yeast, orange peel, herbal leafy hops. Quite nice.

Taste: Delightfully tart orange peel up front, followed by grains, coriander, hops, and a crisp but satisfying malty finish. Complex, but oh so very good.

Mouthfeel: Effervescent is indeed a good way to describe this. The carbonation is not fizzy, but does a nice job of gently scrubbing the palate clean, and yet leaving some of that orange peel and hop flavor behind without it sticking to the teeth.

Overall / Drinkability: Dangerously drinkable - I wish I had another one to try right now. Went very well with Tuna casserole and overall is a great beer. Fantastic in all categories. I will have to get it again to see how it is when I pour even more carefully next time leaving the sediment behind.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 00:07:59 | More by damndirtyape

tviz33

New York

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

Poured from a 750 mL bottle, served in a tulip glass.

A- Pours a hazy yellow body with a white soapy two finger head and minimal lacing. This looks tasty.

S- Yummy bananas, clove, and citrus. Of course there is the usual aroma of Belgian yeast, which works really well here.

T- Really, really nice. Reminds me of a good tripel. Orange and lemon come first, with banana and spice following. FInishes a bit boozey, but not intolerable.

M- Light bodied and pretty spot-on with the mouthfeel. Slightly creamy, well-carbonated, and crisp.

O- This one is certainly refreshing and clean. I will be enjoying one or many in the future, as it is easy to consume multiples of these.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 19:27:35 | More by tviz33

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a cloudy light yellow in color, 2 fingers of detergent like head, lots of visible carbonation. smells of yeast, lemongrass, very bready. the taste is pretty funky.. farmhouse yeast, has a slight skunkyness to it, which is a common thing in this beer (had it plenty of times before on tap and bottle, first time sitting down to review it). lemongrass and yeast are the main hints in both nose and mouth. medium body, high carbonation and creamy feel.

a nice saison, but a little too much like a witbier for my liking. could use more hops to balance out the overwhelming yeast flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 03:40:51 | More by facundoCNB

Larryken

Massachusetts

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

Ommegang has done it again with this great example of saison, nice medium carbonation, golden wheat color, substantial head and crisp taste. very well balanced taste, alcohol is hidden and this would be a session beer but for it's 7.7 ABV...one of my favorite saisons. The label says they are part of the Duvel family.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 01:23:29 | More by Larryken

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

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

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

It's about time I got around to this bottle. Pours hazy golden bright yellow with a big foamy white head. Nice lacing.

Smell could be noticed as soon as the cork went flyin..Phenols and spice, banana, mild floral hops, herbal qualities, white pepper, really light funk, heavy on spicy yeast, some citrus in there

More spice, sweetness, fresh grass, some bitterness with a nice dry finish.

Full bodied saison right here. Big flavors and dry finish. Love it.

A beer that calls itself the True Belgian-Style Saison? It better be good.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 05:06:39 | More by TheMultiYeast

Lordquackingstic

Italy

4.4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First review in a while, time to get back into this. 12oz bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Hazy light honey yellow with a colossal white head that clings to the sides of the glass as if its life depended on it. Too bad I'm going to devour it; it has zero chance of survival.

S: Spicy bananas and cloves, rye bread, lemons. I personally don't like how saisons usually smell, but this one smells a tad better than the rest.

T: Refreshing ginger and orange peel comes through first, backed by a nice hop presence. The bananas and coriander come through nicely as well.

M: Crisp and robust. Very refreshing.

O: This is damn near close to perfect for a saison in my books. Light and refreshing with lively flavors. I'm so glad this brewery is close by and comparatively cheap. They really put out high quality stuff at a great price (at least around here, I know it's way more expensive in other counties/states.)

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 21:24:59 | More by Lordquackingstic

LiquidAmber

Washington

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

Poured into an Ommegang flute glass. Pours a light golden amber with a massive white head with great retension and chunky lacing. Aroma is very fruit forward with orange, stone fruits, pear, light sweet malt and a hint of spicing. Flavor follows aroma with sweet pear, peach, bannana, sweet malt and Belgian spicing, finishing slightly dry with the saison yeast flavor finally making its presence known. Very flavorful and refreshing. Light bodied with excellent carbonation and mouth feel. The wild yeast element seems a bit tamed down from Belgian saisons, but the other flavors are so great that it hardly matters.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 04:09:47 | More by LiquidAmber

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-pale golden color with a nice fluffy white head and good lacing

S-citrus, funk, yeasty biscuit, earthy, spices

T-orange and lemon, pepper, clove, yeasty funk, earthy with grassy notes

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, crisp and refreshing

O-a delicious farmhouse ale from Ommegang in the classic Belgian style, will be enjoying a lot more of these in the future

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 17:26:42 | More by MDDMD

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I've had this bottle for a few months now. I wanted to follow the Stone Black Saison with a much better tasting saison, and I knew this was a really good one.

This looks like the best example of a saison. The beer is that wheat coloring with a lot of head on the pour. It is cloudy, as you would expect.

The smell is spot on for a saison. You get that horse-blanket presence in there. I like the wheat and the sour. There's also a little sweetness there.

The flavoring is well balanced. I like the sour, the banana, and wheat in there.

This is one of the best saisons out there. I recommend this beer thoroughly.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 02:32:38 | More by ummswimmin

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

BradtheGreat7

Ohio

4.23/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ive had this many times. But This review was taken from notes during a tasting- early summer 2012

12 oz brown bottle(bottle conditioned). Ommegang style label thats quite classy in appearance. Neat story and photo of brewery on the side of label. Poured into an stemmed Tulip style glass.

A - straw look to the color. A cloudy yellowish gold with good efferescence. Fluffy white head that's truly Belgian in Look. Head resides after a few moments leaving a decent ring of lace.

S - Crisp aroma that has some good fruitiness to it. Unique Belgian like yeast whiff with notes of spices.

T - starts with hints of orange fruitiness that quickly makes way to banana and clove spices. Peach, oranges, big banana, clove spices, delicate pepper spice. Just a good fruitiness to it with the spices doing a nice job of being noticed. The yeast strain is pure class in this flavor. A semi bitterness in a refreshing finish. Good complexity while keeping its balance in check.

M - this has a good crisp, clean mouthfeel that's overly enjoyable. I find this very easy to drink and a good farmhouse ale to enjoy any time of year.

O - I love the saison/farmhouse style and ive had many from its home country of Belgium. For a long time now American brewers havent truly understood this style of ale. Ommegang don't pretend to brew in a Belgian style but they actually do brew solely in a Belgian style. They give American craft junkies a true Belgian saison brewed and bottled right here in the United States and Hennepin holds true to the authentic farmhouse style. If you want the best American made saison then this is the one. American brewing has needed a farmhouse ale to give the great Belgians a run for their money and Ommegang's Hennepin is that saison we can call our own knowing it can compete. Pure class

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 15:41:01 | More by BradtheGreat7

KKB

Massachusetts

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

A – Pale gold body that is almost champagne-esque, gorgeous translucent white fluffy head, carbonation that flows rapidly from the bottom, overall a very good looking saison.

S – Apples, pears, yeast, a spicy element, perhaps a slight pepper, little bit of grass, lemon and wheat as well. Very fine smelling, and complex to be certain but very clean. I am thinking this girl is going to taste very nice.

T – Top notch. Very good. It comes on initially with the apples, white grapes, pears and then progresses into the spicy elements of light clove, some pepper, and a very nice yeast as well. I’m not really getting the hops right now but this could be owing to the fact that this bottle is about a year old. I waited a while to drink it because it was recommended to me that I wait 6-12 months and it seems that this has suited the beer very well. The taste definitely warrants some comparisons to Duvel, but I would say that it is unique and has a broader complex of flavors. This farmhouse saison is clean, fruity, spicy and well-balanced. A fine brew.

M – The mouthfeel is really just great. It’s luscious and smooth because of the amped-up carbonation. The body is medium and it has a very dry finish.

O – What a great beer. I actually totally was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. I love the Saison style to begin with (who am I kidding I love just about every style), and I love Ommegang Brewery so perhaps I was being naïve in thinking I wouldn’t enjoy this, but I really really like it. Maybe the best Saison I’ve had to date.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 05:18:54 | More by KKB

Ozapftis

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Quaffed from a bomber I did things best left unmentioned to obtain

A: A light straw color. Straw like. When you really look at it, the word "straw" comes to mind.

S: Citrus, orange specifically, possibly mandarin. Accompanying the citrus are the delicate notes of a particularly randy sow making friends with species of all types in the barnyard. Truly exquisite.

T: Taste follows the nose. Something like what a secretly welcomed sexual assault of an orange on a clove would taste like.

MF: The MF is consistent with orange/clove sex assault and delivers as anticipated. Glorious day!

O: Quite good. By the end of the bomber my curiosity was satiated. It will be a year or more before I have to, well I don't want to unsettle those bits of yeast right now. So quaff able. I quaffed this bottle so hard, in positions illegal in both Pennsylvania and Utah.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 23:53:40 | More by Ozapftis