Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison) - Brewery Ommegang

Phatz

Pennsylvania

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

750 ml bottle poured into my tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a light brown with a hint of orange hue to it. Translucent but hazy. Nice head. Highly carbonated.

Smell: Very sweet malty smell with lots of citrus and surprisingly yeasty and bready.

Taste: Sweet malts, bread, a bit too much yeastyness (for me), citrus, and bit of wheat. Very good. Not my favorite flavor for a Saison, but still a good beer.

Mouthfeel: Nice medium bodied highly carbonated beer. Crisp finish feels refreshing.

Drinkability: Though Saison may not be my favorite style and this is not my favorite Saison it is still very drinkable and a 'classy' beer that is good to impress with. It is quite drinkable and worthy of a justifiable occasion from time to time.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2005 09:09:07 | More by Phatz

Durge

Connecticut

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

This pours a dishwater grey/yellow, kind of cloudy, with a huge head of big time bubbles and plenty of lacing. The smell is very floral-biscuit but there is a sort of caustic overtone, something medicinal, of alcohol perhaps. The mouth finds a peppery introduction, very nicely carbonated and active, but the major flavor I detect is one of licorice. Bitter but very smooth and full bodied. Yeast presence is there but I can't get past this anisette quality that isn't really my favorite, and it aggressively overwhelms the taste buds right to the back of your throat. Quite dry but generally refreshing. I don't pick up hops or malt. It is something different and definitely a quality brew but this, like many other Belgian styles I've tried thus far, isn't right up my alley. Recommended for a try, this might be really special to the right palette.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2007 23:41:46 | More by Durge

Luk13

Quebec (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

75 cl bottle. Pale slightly hazy gold pour with a nice loose foamy white head. Lots of citrusy, hoppy aromas a bit of good barnyard funk. Not so enjoyableGrainy taste with a citric acid finale, quite dry. Mouthfeel is a wee bit rough but it becomes okay when the beer sits a bit but still nowhere close to Saison's standard.

Very disapointed since there is a lot of praise on this beer and Saison is my favourite style.
The most over rated beer on this site imho. I'd have to revisit to make sure I didn,t get a bad bottle or something.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2010 19:21:24 | More by Luk13

divineaudio

Michigan

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

wiezen glass. best by 3/20/13

a - pours a hazy, pale yellow with lots of streaming bubbles. gave me a huge, fluffy white head that calms to a finger or so and stays put. leaves a thick swath of lacing down the side of the glass.

s - typical banana and clove, grassy pale malt.

t - pale malt character with the usual belgian spiciness. notes of lemon. slight earthy funk and faint bitterness come in at the end.

m - lighter in body with a slight mouth coating action. more than enough carbonation.

o - not bad, but not really doing it for me either. goes down easy enough. tastes like a standard belgian pale ale to me. will probably pass on this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 05:56:26 | More by divineaudio

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

steeb

3.28/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip.

A: Golden yellow with a nice frothy head that slowly dissapated.

S: Orange peel and ever so sight level of funk.

T: Sweet, green apples, slight pepperyness, and some belgian aromatics.

M: Medium/Full body, it still feels like its in your mouth after drinking

O: A pretty solid belgian ale. I fell in love with Saison Dupont and hold all other saisons to that standard. A bit on the fuller body sweet side that i didnt care for too much.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 04:52:08 | More by steeb

rtepiak

Poland

3.3/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

i would have to say one of the most inconsistent american beligan beer i've had. when good its bright and tight mint hoppy with a nose of cannabis pine and a soft fruit. had it again about three months later. extensively... beligan sugar cane with a back of the mouth curdle. acidic. woody but dingy. very sweeten pine apple to the point that my teeth hurt... don't know if that's exactly proper.

had it again about a month later... palate again a bit too sweet... funkier. but a rotten banana infections flavor. some herbal quality. the taste of stale wet three day old chrysanthemum... and why i know that is in part my interest in herbalism yet hectic party lifestyle. interesting but not something i would favor without some sort of palate cleanser that should come from the hops... a tad lemon... sort of a saving grace.

had it again. seem about the middle of the road for the this is an old bottle and this is a new bottle. didn't have the expanded palate. lack a lot of broadness. hard on the gums. i'm over this beer. ruining a style i love for me...

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2009 08:26:55 | More by rtepiak

TheDM

Indiana

3.33/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew pours a large invigorated white head of finely sized bubbles. It has a Cloudy wheat yellow color with yeast and carbonation rising in it. It has a mild malty hoppy aroma. Its a bit fizzy at first, but it soon dies out. I tasted a mixture of flavors that was unique to this brew. It was a bit chewy, doughy and had a hint of something else. It became very smooth with time. The good buzz I caught afterwards keeps making me raise my rating on this brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2003 22:01:02 | More by TheDM

Onslow

Texas

3.33/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sitting here ..in Houston, humidity 98% and a homemade pizza in the oven: Its time for my 750ml bottle of Hennepin...

Pours a light honey colour..

Nice sized head on pour, but disappears after 15mins with the glass i was using..

Straight up farmhouse smell, but not as funky as some from belgium..

Good bitterness level..
Sweetness is also done very nicely..
..a good balance..

aftertaste is very good but maybe needs a bit more assertiveness...

Overall, I am happy i tried this brew but am at a loss wether it is as good as Dupont, Hennepin seems a bit sweeter and not enough bitterness to make it a great- but still I did enjoy it!!

...Music- "Lady Dana" 'Climax' -the CD ...

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2007 17:39:42 | More by Onslow

MbpBugeye

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass. I need to get a good tulip and flute.

A- Big thick puffy white head rushes up quickly. It fades down with time into a 1/4 blanket. The beer is a pale straw yellow with some slight hazing.

S- Mustiness and bananas are the first things I notice. The nose has alot of characteristics similar to hefe's. There is some slight sharp citrus deletable under it all.

T- Slight tartness and sourness but not as sour as I was expecting. Its citrusy, peppery and contains notes of the banana found in the nose.

M- Round and smoothness are offset by prickly crisp carbonation.

D- Quite refreshing and nice for warm weather.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2009 02:25:01 | More by MbpBugeye

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

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

Poured from a 750ml. bottle into a pint glass.

A: The beer pours to a very pale yellow color with a large foamy white head that fades at a decent rate and leaves a small amount of lacing on the glass.

S: Bready, yeasty smell with background notes of malt, banana & hops.

T: The taste starts of malty with a flavor of banana, follows with a little bit of hops, then alcohol warmth. Not as bready as you smell and no after-taste. As the beer warms you get a little bit more hops but still not overpowering.

M: Very crisp, light-to-medium body, medium-to-high carbonation and a clean finish.

D: It goes down easy but I just didn’t like the taste enough to drink a lot of it.

I tried this beer at a tasting and thought it was pretty good. Now that I’m drinking a a whole 750ml bottle, I’m not liking it as much. Just being honest.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2006 04:08:36 | More by TheManiacalOne

iceball585

New York

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

A- Yellow/golden, cloudy, and lots of tiny carbonation bubbles when first poured

S- Slightly grassy smell w/ hints of lemon

T- Lemon start, a little sour, and a fairly dry finish

M- Very light and a little fizzy

D- Decent light summertime beer

I'm not too much of a Belgiun style beer drinker but this isn't too bad. I like the citrus flavors but just a little to fizzy for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2007 01:54:30 | More by iceball585

philipquarles

Louisiana

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

Pours a nice hazy straw gold with a medium white head. Decent retention and lacing. Smells of sweet candi sugar and a malt, along with some yeasty character and citrus esters. Some tart notes with a bit of alcohol present. Taste is sweet and slightly fruity initially. Light tangy notes come through later, along with alcohol at the end. Feel is pretty decent; not at all watery and with a good amount of carbonation. Overall, not a bad beer, but too sugary-sweet and too much alcohol presence for a saison.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2008 03:13:22 | More by philipquarles

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.35/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

I thought I had ticked this "Beer of Fame," but I guess not.

Served in a Delirium Tremens shaped-glass.

A: Poured a bright, yet murky orange color, with a pillowy, cloud-like formation posing as a head on top.

S: Coriander and orange peel upfront, followed by some banana pudding, and candy component reminiscent of "Pixie Stick" dust.

T: The finish on this is really harsh and not entirely pleasant to my taste buds. A bit too alcoholic, and a bit too grainy and bitter for my liking. I think that if some pepper were added to the overall profile, it might have been more fun and interesting.

M: I dug the carbonation bill.... very spritzy and champagne-like, but the bitter lingering was substantial. A good bit of lacing on the glass.

O: It's been years since I've tried this one, but I remember not really caring much for it back in the day either. To each his or her own, I guess.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 01:22:21 | More by Chaney

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

BeerBelcher

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I had this on-tap at Cafe Hollander in Milwaukee. I thought it was a fairly pleasant saison-style beer, particularly compared very old bottles of imported saison that are found in my area liquor stores. Recommended, but not outstanding.

It arrived as a fairly bright and hazy yellow, with fairly good head structure that left little lacing.

Aroma was of sweet yeastiness and some subtle spiciness.

Flavor was also of sweet and complex yeast flavors with some spiciness, but without a lot of fruitiness.

Mouthfeel was a bit harsher than I expected for the style, but was still decent.

All-in-all, a good saison choice.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2007 20:58:36 | More by BeerBelcher

Brunite

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a tulip glass.

A: A light gold color with a decent 3 finger white head. Not much lacing.

S: Some lemon citrus...some grass....some floral.

T: Dry...highly carbonated...taste some lemon....some floral...taste like champagne.

M: Crisp, dry finish and a high level of carbonation.

D: Not bad. High carbonation may limit consumption.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 02:46:17 | More by Brunite

LeeryLeprechaun

Colorado

3.38/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

The corked bottle opened with a wonderful POP! I was very excited to try this beer and it poured a gorgeous hazy straw yellow that prevented you from seeing through the glass. The aroma was less complex than I expected and was yeasty and floral. The beer was notably carbonated and bubbles played on my tongue with every sip. However, the flavor did not have much depth and the only aftertaste was about a second of sour on the very tip of my tongue. The brew was enjoyable but will not be placed on the top of my list.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 23:00:07 | More by LeeryLeprechaun

Truh

New Hampshire

3.4/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Was feeling Minnesota with this one on 10/21/2004. 12-oz. pour in a wide-mouthed goblet.

Initial ½-inch down of cream head that thins on its own schedule. Flowery/floury permissiveness on nose with coriander, sweet clover honey, and Kentucky blue grass all chortling around in there; as it warms, alcohol provides some heat. Biting pepper, lemon juice, chewy grape leaf hint, Hi-C fruit punch sweetness follows behind all of this with a finishing overall Sourpatch Kid puckering. Could take it or leave it; the sour aspect is just a bit off-putting.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2005 22:04:07 | More by Truh

palma

New York

3.4/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nice looking beer. Pale yellow/golden color body with a lasting white head.
Yeasty peppery nose with some citrus and vanilla notes.
This beer tastes very much like a witbier. Don't know what that’s about. Fruity citrus base with some grassiness. A tart sour-like finish. Even though this is a siason, I think it's a little too tart for the style. Big citrus sour aftertaste kind of ruins the complexity of this beer IMO. Finished clean and semi-dry. Not the greatest siason as many BA's have proclaimed it is. Southampton's is much better.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2005 22:02:47 | More by palma

Vancer

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Excellent pour- first honey yellow with a frothy white head, great lacing. Just some subtle notes of Belgium yeast in the aroma.

Taste – here we go: sweet and sour, earthy, just some notes of Belgium yeast. Mouth was tart, dry, and on the downside, fairly thin. Somewhat bitter. All in all, I have to say I didn’t care for it, and I like the Schlafly version of Saison. Wouldn’t go after this again, but would not turn down a glass of it, either.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2006 21:56:56 | More by Vancer

washburnkid

New York

3.4/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

750mL bottle served in a tulip

A: Somewhat foggy yellow-orange with a firm finger of white, rocky head. Decent head retention and lacing.
S: Citrus, hops and some sweet malts; undeniable spice on the nose.
T: I'll break this part into two. The first half: Sweet start and a bitter finish. Wheaty and spicy, rounding out with yeasty, hoppy and eventually a baked/biscuity flavor as it warms slightly. Only a few minutes after that, earthy flavors pull through majorly. Eventually my palate was overrun with grass, metal and blood. Or so it tasted. I loved the first half of this beer, but I was not a fan of it as it had a chance to warm a bit.
M: Love the carbonation and spice combo. Lighter, refreshing body and just a touch or slightly bitter residue left on the palate.
D: This beer is as refreshing as any wheat...in the beginning anyways. I thought there was a serious breakdown of flavors near the end, so much so that I thought someone threw a farm into a blender and served it to me. I look forward to trying other Ommegang brews, because this one was a minor letdown.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2009 04:34:14 | More by washburnkid

TLove

District of Columbia

3.4/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

750 ml into a glass tumbler.

Appearance is pervasively murky and orange/yellow depending on the light.

Smell is citrusy, with a resiny tang. The alcohol is strong, but doesnt hold up so much in the smell as in the taste.

Taste is basically like a bleached blonde with the alcohol content of a saison. Grainy, but not grainy enough. Unfiltered and a tad sweet.

Like other saisons I've had, the taste doesnt roll off your tongue, but rather to the back of your mouth and straight up your nose.

It finishes well with a touch of plum sweetness and tartness, like a grilled apricot soaked in scotch.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2009 15:06:52 | More by TLove

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.4/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Cloudy yellow haze, with a frothy big head. Aroma of clove and spice.

Taste, I dunno what the big deal is, tastes simply like a combo hefe and pale wheat beer. Some citrus notes, mostly lemon. Seems like an imperial hefe at times. Stays nice and dry with its tang, light bodied. Wish the clove stayed more in the background.

I dunno, you could just go buy 6 SN Kellarweis or something for this price.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2010 16:28:59 | More by Beerandraiderfan

paulozanello

Brazil

3.4/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Meridian Pint in DC. This is a beer bar that has three tables with individual taps that carries two pre-selected beers on them so you can pour them yourself and they will charge you like a gas pump. The night that me and my friends were there the beers on tap were the Hennepin and the new Sierra Nevada Tumbler (Fall Seasonal Brown Ale).

But anyway, the Hennepin poured a nice dark yellow/golden color, translucid, with a small white head and fairly good retention. It was pretty cool to pour a pint of Hennepin in my own glass as I've had this beer before and loved it.

The smell was dominated by malt/bready notes and a LOT of clove that was clearly overpowering the yeasty esters.

Taste was pretty much the same: started with bread sweetness and a lot of banana/clove that got me wondering if I was really having a Hennepin or if this was a Hefeweizen. I called the waitress and told her what was going on and she promptly brought me a sampler straight from the line downstairs. And it was sure different! I could now taste those spicy and fruity notes that make Saisons very complex and refreshing beers, given that the malt profile in this style is pretty much just regular pilsner or pale malt. Bottom line is that this beer was probably in this table tap for too long and lost a good deal of its complexity.

Mouthfeel was medium and carbonation was high making it very drinkable.

I know Hennepin is a good beer but I will just have to taste it again from a bottle because this table tap experience was not very good.

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2010 02:45:36 | More by paulozanello