Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison) - Brewery Ommegang

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly fogged straw color. Nice white head. Nose is yeast funk with strong citrus and dough tones. Flavor is funky dough with an obvious yeast influence. Feel is a bit thicker on the liquid, it's the dough character peeking through again. Drinkable, yes. Not as good as I remember it being on the bottle though. Possibly a prime example of how bottle conditioning can really make a difference in certain beers.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2007 09:24:39 | More by RblWthACoz

jeffmonarch

Maryland

3.7/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap in a pint glass at 69 taps in Akron OH.

A - Golden amber color with not much head. The bartender poured the beers to the rim not leaving much room for head. This is ashame although they were cute.

S - Faint sweet smell.

T - Sweet with a fruity citrus taste.

M - Full bodied with good carbonation and a great finish.

D - Great, I could drink this all day.

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2007 05:58:00 | More by jeffmonarch

Floydster

California

3.83/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pint at Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach for six dollars

Color was a golden pale straw with a massive white soapy head, easily over an inch and left generous amounts of lacing

Smell was citrus, sweet honey, grassy accents, and some bread-like malty aromas

Taste was pretty good and there were several different things going on, there is honey, grapefruit, oranges, lemons, pears, earthy hops, coriander, several spices, and other sources of sweetness, nice balance of malts of hops, a slightly bitter finish differentiate this saison from other ones I have had in the past that are too sweet a lot of the time

Too carbonated at times in my opinion and the body lacked fullness

Could drink another pint or two these of this with ease, taste might get overwhelming after a while and it is pretty strong at close to eight percent alcohol

First review of an Ommegang beer for me and it was an above average brew, will add an Ommegeddon review some time soon when I taste that beer again after it has been aging for a while

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2007 17:08:46 | More by Floydster

beergynt

Illinois

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

On tap at the Bavarian Lodge in Lisle... Served in a goblet, this beer was pretty to look at. A bright, cloudy golden hue, with some orange color. A little darker orange and it would actually look a lot like orange juice, Bright, white, fluffy head that lingered throughout leaving scalloped lacing all the way down... Smelled banana and clove, spicy phenols, maybe a hint of mint... Taste mirrors the smell on this one; banana, clove, slight phenolic/alcoholic heat... Mouthfeel was very nice; Clean not cloying, effervescent, sparkling... Overall a good representation of the style and a nice, drinkable brew.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2007 16:30:35 | More by beergynt

Kiwano

New York

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

A: Golden with a little orange tint - white head a little thin - probably becuase it was on tap and a little colder than room temp.

S: Citrus and fruit but not overpowering with a little bit of floral and yeast coming through

T: Excellent taste - a little bit of citrus but not too much fruit - excellent balance between not being to sweet or too bitter- very well balanced with alcohol

M: A great balance between being light but with body. Nice amount of carbonation - not too bubbly but not flat at all -The taste keeps going in your mouth after each sip.

D: Perfect beer for a relaxing day or evening. Goes down smoothly and able to savor for a while - wouldn't drink too quickly.

From a tap served in a large snifter type glass

[ serving type: draft into glass]
--

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2007 01:14:57 | More by Kiwano

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

3.05/5  rDev -27%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Hennepin

Appearance- Light copper brown with a super thick head. Heavy lacing throughout.
Smell- Alcohol, vanilla, clove, and spice.
Taste- slighty tart up front with a spicey clove, vanilla, and orange rind flavor.
Mouthfeel- Boozey throughout. A little tart and crisp with the bulk of the flavor in the end.

Overall- Not as musty or funky as I was expecting. Light flavor with a big alcohol presence. The strong highly noticable alcohol knocks this 1 down a notch.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2007 00:57:23 | More by NJpadreFan

BBM

New York

4.75/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This beer poured a golden honey color into a Hennepin goblet. A thin fizzy head lay atop this beer. To be honest the appearance belies how wonderful this beer really is. Aroma was very subtle, but had it's fair share of Belgian spices, sweet malt, and bread-like quality.

The taste is a magnificent blend of Belgian ingredients and American micro brewing. There is so much depth, so much flavor bursting with each sip, you'll wonder aloud if this beer was brewed in a monastery or not. The Belgian spices, banana-like flavor, dark fruits, and beautiful hop balance all come together without a hitch. There is a very subtle alcohol flavor in the finish, and as the beer warms it becomes that much more enjoyable.

Mouthfeel is perfectly smooth, with just the right amount of carbonation. I would drink this one all night if I could, but it does get a touch filling. Overall this is a beer that can be measured up to any of the abbey ales I've tried. And it's from upstate NY. Go figure.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2007 14:23:29 | More by BBM

DoubleJ

California

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

On-tap at the Yard House in Brea, on to the beer:

Poured into a goblet, it's blonde in color with a nice little head. This is a totally new style to me, so I didn't know what to expect. It was mildly fruity with grape and pear and a pinch of candy-like sweetness. The flavors aren't overbearing, and finishes pretty dry, making this a brew I could sip on all night.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2007 06:37:15 | More by DoubleJ

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

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

I was psyched to find a sixtel of this great farmhouse saison at the Beer Yard in Wayne, PA - and for roughly the same price as 12 750ml!

Admittedly, I was not originally a fan of this style, but Ommegang has helped changed that perception.

A: Slightly opaque golden color, with fluffy 1+" head, and solid lacing throughout.

S: Terrific smell of citris, especially lemon.

T: Very complex flavor, with lemon zest and spices lingering on the back of the tongue. Memorable taste.

M: Pleasing, light, but gripping mouthfeel. Great carbonation for this style.

D: I could definitely have a few of these in the course of an evening - rather light and refreshing, but full of flavor as well.

If you'd like a terrific, engaging beer for the summer - one with a little more complexity than a hefeweizen - give this one a try.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2007 20:12:54 | More by BeerImmediately

mwearl

North Carolina

2.95/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured on tap, this beer was pale with very white creamy head with lacing that lasted through the entire glass. Very sweet smell with champagne-like odors. Taste was watery and sweet with white grape tastes and an odd perfume taste at the finish. Mouthfeel was light and dry and little aftertaste. I will say that it is very well balanced with the higher ABV. Drinkability was ok for a hot day beer, but not at the top of my list.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2007 21:35:05 | More by mwearl

Chaz

Minnesota

3.43/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Koningshoeven chalice. Pours a golden straw in color, with a slight amount of chill-haze. Solid, densely-packed white head of good duration and with fine lacing, a full finger easily. The nose here is worth the price of admission, with the rare spiciness of the yeast verily prickling at the nasal passages, inviting wet horseblankets and dull fruity malt components up for drinks in the wee hours. Better than I remember in this regard. Equal parts tangy and sweet on the first sip, coating the tongue and promoting a sense of degustation; where's that sampler platter at? Pale malts sing the high notes in the background as the middle is cajoled through the wheaty-meaty bits, and the zest of the yeast parying a bit in the foreground, but not quite asI remembered from my last go-round some years back. Dry around the finish and with enough hop aromatics to make you notice them, but even for the stylistic interpretation that is Hennepin this is a rather tame component. Not a small beer by any means, it drinks so easily you'll forget where you left your car keys if you're not lucky. Some lemon rind peaking through here and there, but nothing to be overly offended by, and in the end this feels a bit tame overall. Still, this is the first time I've had it on draught, and seeing as how it's back it won't be the last. I look forward to another go . . .

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2007 03:29:06 | More by Chaz

StarSAELS

Georgia

4.13/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It's pint night at Taco Mac! That means if you get a pint o' their beer o' the month, you get a piece of authentic glassware to add to your collection. What a wonderful idea!

Appearance: golden, cloudy, perfectly conditioned. A thin off-white lacing up the inside of the glass and over the rim tells me it had a good head on it when it was poured. The head reduced to a fine layer of thin bubbles which didn't go away until the beer got warmer and I had consumed most of it.

Smell: lightly spicy, a little citrusy... it was hard to tell with the smell of food in the air. Very enticing, though. I just had to take a sip...

Taste: flippin awesome. Citrusy hops, spicy goodness and yummy yeastiness (is that a word?). I had to go to Ommegang's site to see what they had put in there: gingersnap! Unbelievable.

Mouthfeel: crispy, sweet, a little lingering resin from the hops and an interesting "je ne se qua" from the yeast.

Drinkability: definitely drinkable. I want another, but next time I'm going for the bottle. Another magnificent brew from Cooperstown.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2007 01:46:51 | More by StarSAELS

bonbright7

New York

3.73/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at Waterzooi tonight and it felt different from the bottle version I was used to. It alternated between a little watery and having the coriander zing to it above the chunky grains. It looked great in its glass, but I was a little taken aback as I seem to like the bottle version better overall.

Strangely, the after taste came to me 5 minutes after I left the bar with the previously mentioned banana esters and the bitterness of the hops. I thought maybe the keg was on the way out, so I'll hold back on any further thoughts.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2007 01:15:38 | More by bonbright7

GbVDave

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Hennepin glass at Hopleaf 3/25/07. Assist by HeatherAnn!!!

A: Served a pale gold color with almost no head. Faint skim and ring.

S: Faint sweet aromas of fruit. Apples and pears. Hops in the nose also.

T: White wine grapiness, very lite barnyard funk, pretty tame for the style for me. Herbal hoppiness.

M: Very dry, hoppy, and bitter.

D: Pretty good. Too hoppy and too mild in all the other flavors, to me, for the style. I'll take a Saison Dupont or De Glazen Toren Saison any day of the week.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2007 19:31:46 | More by GbVDave

2LBrew

California

4.78/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On Tap at a favorite beer bar.


Appearance: Pours somewhat whitish yellow color. Head adheres to the glass.

Smell: A very spicy beer. It has a different type of smell that is remarkably good.

Taste: I was expecting a strong, overpowering taste, but it was very drinkable and satisfying to the taste buds.

Mouthfeel: Smooth all the way. Very light and soft, providing a bit of tingly sensation with every sip.

Drinkability: Alcohol is hardly noticable with exceptional flavor.

This beer was a great find. After attending the Strong Ale fest in San Francisco this year, I really have taken to Strong Ales. I would recommend if you are looking to broaden your beer drinking scope. If you are not comfortable with drinking beer out of a something other than a pint glass, avoid this one.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2007 06:13:33 | More by 2LBrew

khiasmus

South Carolina

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

A-Slightly murky golden yellow with fluffy white head that dissipates to a thin layer quickly.

S-Fairly sweet with fruity esters, but overall far more reminiscent of a simple pilsner. A little piney hops.

T-Somewhat sweet with little hop balance- very slight bitterness, almost an orange peel bitter, or maybe grapefruit. Very strong flavor that I picked up and tried to place, I think it's honeydew. Surprisingly, alcohol is barely in there.

M-Highly carbonated with a relatively light body and dry finish.

D-The beer is good, but not as complex as I was expecting, and far more drinkable-dangerously so for a 7.7.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2007 16:52:17 | More by khiasmus

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

cabsandking

Ohio

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

A shade darker than golden and the beginning of a nice head but fizzles to a fine bubbled pool but some sticky lace remnants of its former height. Grassy, tart sour fruits, wheat, soft flowery esters all in the nose. Some unexpected light hops are noticed and are followed by fermented lemons pith and apple, grass, wheat, yeasty, husk. Later in the glass fruit characters gain in strength with some honey sweetness and notes of vanilla and banana. Mild carbonation and a light, airy mouthfeel. The finish echoes much of the flavor but is still relatively clean.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2006 17:19:31 | More by cabsandking

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

Slightly hazy, golden-amber liquid. Large off white head.

Classic Belgian, yeast & earth. Fairly mild on the funk-o-meter. Also get some floral and fruit notes. Spicy.

Taste is floral and citrus, with spices. Sweet at the start, moving towards a tart/hoppy/spicy finish.

Mouthfeel is effervescent. Light, with medium to high carbonation. Somewhat drying.

Overall, very easy to drink. One of my favorite saisons.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2006 15:10:57 | More by

jswigart

Connecticut

4.15/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I just can't figure this beer out - I think its a great beer, but I have a hard time articulating why I think that... This is the SECOND time that I have had this on-tap at home... The first time, I had a half-barrel - when I picked up that keg, it was already a number of months old... I don't recall the exact age, but I recall emailing the folks at Ommegang and they told me that this beer would age well... Anyway, the sedond time, I had this i in a log and it was more current... I think I preferred the first, older, version... This is just an unusual style... Sweet, carbonated and notes of honey. I dinged it a little bit for mouthfeel - I think you can sense the carbonation and relatively high alcohol... Even so, I just like it... A great beer, even if I can't say why I think so...

Serving type: on-tap

08-18-2006 01:33:01 | More by jswigart

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

mjc410

Virginia

3.48/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A bar pour yields no head in the straight edge pint glass. The beer is only slightly hazy. It's mostly a clear light gold. The nose is much lighter than the bottle, with just hints of the grassy funk I expect. The taste follows suit, being more mellow, less grassy and bitter than the bottle. Suffers a bit due to the loss of complexity. The mouthfeel tells you that this is a lively beer, with huge carbonation pushing through the medium body. A good beer on tap, but much better bottle-conditioned.

A note: the brewer at the State College BrewExpo said they recently stopped keg conditioning, so perhaps this could explain a bit...?

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2006 14:01:40 | More by mjc410

brushpig

Illinois

4.63/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had a glass on tap at the Hopleaf Bar in Chicago, servered in a hennepin glass.

Murky golden yellow hue with a rocky white head that lasted quite a long time.

Lots of aromas, lemons,pepper, nuts, grains, and earthy yeasts.

Great flavor, with grains citrus(lemons, pineapple) Hoppy biscuit flavor. Very complex but well balenced. the mouthfeel was very refreshing but sensed the alcohol.

A very fine and drinkable beer. Have one as often as possible.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2006 21:18:16 | More by brushpig

gbarron

Georgia

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

On tap at Melton's in Decatur, poured into a nice Hennepin tulip glass.

A - light golden, almost straw colored, almost perfectly clear, slight haze. Head is bright, bright white, like a well-bleached flour. Tight collection of tiny bubbles. Lacing is outstanding and thick all down the sides of the glass. Head retention also excellent.

S - light, sweet pilsner malt aroma followed by significant bursts of spice such as corriander, cloves, and fresh cracked peppercorns. Lots of spicy, citrus fruit aromas as well. Notes of higher alcohols. Little hop aroma.

T - spicy, fruity, flowery flavors overlying the sweet, slightly corny malt foundation. Light bitterness, but beer is mostly sweet and spicy. Warming alcohol. Nots of oranges, pineapple, citrus, cloves, pepper. Very, very tasty beer. Alcohol content is fairly well masked.

M - light bodied, carbonation is medium high to high, tingly. Fairly dry finish.

D - light bodied, yet somewhat filling beer due to the carbonation. Alcohol content also makes this slightly prohibitive as a regular drinker. But very, very tasty interpretation of the farmhouse style. Another fine offering from Brewery Ommegang.

Serving type: on-tap

08-06-2006 14:24:11 | More by gbarron

rhoadsrage

Illinois

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

(Served in a chalice)

A- A hazy lemon yellow body with a thin white head that last for the full glass. It is a bit to hazy to see any carbonation in this beer.

S- The dry faint tart notes come through with a faint lemon zest hint in the finish. There is a very light earthy hint to the tartness.

T- The dry tart flavors can't really be associated with anything and it is followed by a faint spicy note that is hard to describe also. The faint taste of black pepper and lemon/grapefruit start to come through. There is a faint soapy taste that in pleasant with a light bitterness from hops at the finish.

M-This beer has a medium light mouthfeel that is crisp.

D-This beer might sound awful the way I described it in my review but it was very taste with a very mysterious flavor that was hard to put into words. This beer is proof that you can make a fizzy yellow beer that taste great.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2006 19:49:54 | More by rhoadsrage