Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison) - Brewery Ommegang

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

Maine

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

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

New York

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

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

fx20736

New York

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

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a chalice, served cool.

Hazy Lemon yellow with a thick cotton candy white head, a nice shawl of lacing.

aroma of tart apples, white grapes and band aids.

Mouthfeel is light and soft with an underlying prickly carbonation.

Taste: pale malt, white wine, tart apples. Finishes long and dry.

Notes: complex, interesting, well made, excellent.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 16:45:33 | More by fx20736

SHODriver

California

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

A: poured into an Ommegang glass to a cloudy deep yellow to light orange with a three finger fluffy white head that is slow to recede
S: smells a bit fruity and also has notes of lemon zest, grass, and a nit of must along with a bit of pale malt aroma. a bit of spicy yeast comes through as well
T: spicy yeast, clove and banana comes through, some fruity esters, grassy and a bit musty, lemon zest as well with a cracker flavor from the malt. aftertaste is fruity with a bit of peppery yeast and some lemon zest
M: mouthfeel is a touch under medium with ample and effervescent carbonation, slightly drying finish
O: a very solid beer that is quite tasty. a very nice example of the style with good complexity and flavor notes.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 04:09:41 | More by SHODriver

PhantasIPA

Delaware

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

The appearance of Hennepin is a light-golden, almost orange color. It is very cloudy and pours with a solid 1.5 inch head. It leaves a nice lacing against the glass.

The smell is a solid wheat scent in the beginning. Hints of cloves, bananas and spices follow closely. It has a very hearty smell.

The taste is fantastic! Really nice balance between the wheat barley, brown sugar malt, bananas, cloves and spices. Balance is a difficult thing to properly achieve, especially with a beer this complex.

Mouthfeel is smooth and crisp and leaves all of the flavors against the tongue after every drink. It is carbonated but finished smooth and dry, giving you the hint that you should drink more!

Overall this is a really solid, well balanced beer that has complexity, drinkability and strength (7.7% ABV). A must try if you are looking for a quality brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 00:30:56 | More by PhantasIPA

TownDunkel

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Hennepin - awesome label had to try the good stuff

Appearance - apricot orange with a good hazy texture to it

Smell - Fresh wheat, light fruit, and overall great beer scent for a wheat beer

Taste - Exceptional! Light and tasty that grows into a hearty thirst quenching after taste. Has hints of some seasonal fruit, but none to distinct that it takes over the flavor.

Mouthfeel - I wish it had some more carbonation to keep the great flavor going.

Overall - A nice, nice beer

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 01:51:44 | More by TownDunkel

GeckoPunk

Connecticut

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

Really diggin' the Belgian funk!
Light and crisp
Wet Hay, Barnyard Funk, HorseBlanket, Grassy
Not excessively malty or hoppy
Smooth and quite sessionable...

Copied from stxp:

appearance: whitish gold, champagne, high carbonation, slightly hazy

smell:slight butterscotch, belgian yeasty, bubble gum, banana, some phenol

taste: cloves right up front, slightly bland phenols in the middle, alchoholic on the end, slightly dry finish, almost no hoppyness

mouthfeel: starts a bit thin, gets thick in the middle due to high carbonation, creamy, alcohol punch only comes out right at the finish

overall: love the ommegang belgian yeasts, great clove spicyness, minimal bitterness, smooth despite almost 8%, very drinkable

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 16:34:37 | More by GeckoPunk

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

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

(4.0) A: Hazy and golden with a very tall creamy eggshell coloured foam head with intermingled sporadic bubbles. Very good retention and lacing.

(4.5) S: Banana, pineapple/passion fruit, bubblegum, cloves, belgian-style yeast, pepper, and cane sugar. Very pleasant and enticing. Appropriate proportions of each aroma that come together extremely well.

(4.0) T: Similar to aroma with ripe and sweet tropical fruits coupled with spice including a bitter pepper taste. A refreshing taste of earthy dry grasses with some floral hints. Enjoying how the emphasis isn’t on the sweet side, but rather on the dry and bitter spice side of the spectrum.

(4.5) M: Medium bodied with a moderate/tingling carbonation. Chalky (in a good way) with a bit of chewy character. Lingering dry and bitterness. Wonderful stuff.

(4.5) D: A delicious farmhouse that really brings all the best qualities of the style together.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 03:29:20 | More by Digimaika2

BobZ

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into my Duvel tulip.

Appearance: Bright sparkling yellow with a big frothy head of about 3” which recedes to about 1/2”, an abundance of sticky lacing.

Smell: Citrus and spice with a bit of hoppy aroma.

Taste: Nice diversity of flavor, the citrus and spice are noticeable, there is no “piney” character imparted by the hops just the citrus and a pleasant bitterness in the finish. No “funk” really which is what I expected from a saison. A flavorful (delicious) pale ale is the best description of this brew. The alcohol is completely un-noticeable.

Mouth feel: Heavily carbonated which means it’s very clean and crisp on the palate.

Overall: Very good beer, as I’ve said extremely flavorful. In fact this beer has reignited my interest in the saison style.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 01:53:25 | More by BobZ

stxp

New York

4.18/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

appearance: whitish gold, champagne, high carbonation, slightly hazy

smell:slight butterscotch, belgian yeasty, bubble gum, banana, some phenol

taste: cloves right up front, slightly bland phenols in the middle, alchoholic on the end, slightly dry finish, almost no hoppyness

mouthfeel: starts a bit thin, gets thick in the middle due to high carbonation, creamy, alcohol punch only comes out right at the finish

overall: love the ommegang belgian yeasts, great clove spicyness, minimal bitterness, smooth despite almost 8%, very drinkable

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 01:15:01 | More by stxp

JohnnyMc

Ohio

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

This was a fresh bottle brewed in Belgium not in New York!!

Pours out very bright yellow/orange with 4 fingers of white and fluffy head. Typical champagne type look.

The aroma has the typical Belgian Yeast characteristics; orange peel, lemon zest, coriander, bubblegum and yeasty, bready malt.

The flavor is very similar. Up front there is a ton of orange peel and coriander with slightly sweet citrus fruits, slight wet hay/grassy notes, white pepper spiciness, and yeasty notes. Very, very refreshing.

The mouthfeel is crisp and slightly tart and the body is light-medium. Hides the alcohol very well.

Extremely easy to drink, with nice flavors and pretty cheap too. Check this one out.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 03:20:42 | More by JohnnyMc

DannyHartman

4.48/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I want to first start by saying WOW !!.... I was told about this beer by a good friend (and NYU graduate) about a year ago, and have been looking for it since.... I finally got my hands on a couple 25 oz. bottles.... It was well worth the wait.

As I pour part of the 25.4 oz. bottle into a pint glass, a massive head of fizziness appears atop a beautiful and hazy yellowish/gold brew.... Though those little fizzy bubbles diminish quickly throughout the drink, they leave plenty of lacing behind.... There's also easily noticeable sediment rising throughout the drink.

I take a whiff, and I immediately get spice like that of cloves.... There's also fruity notes of banana, and delicious notes of bready Belgian yeast.

All the mouth-watering scents of the beer really come out while sipping it.... You feel everything on the palate the whole way through.... At first sip, I think it's definitely spicy.... There's also a lemon citrus taste, as well as fruits like that of apple or pear.... There's a perfect balance of overall flavor with just the right amount of a hoppy taste to it.

The mouthfeel is is the home run to complete the cycle.... Very full-bodied with moderate carbonation that releases all the flavors of the nose and taste, leaving a lingering aftertaste.... There's also a tingly feeling left on the tongue throughout and well after the drink.

Overall, the only thing that needs to be said is "I LOVE THIS BEER !!".... Amazing from first sight in the glass.... It's complex and deep scents to the delicious and complimentary taste and mouthfeel.... This is amongst the most perfectly balanced beers I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 21:35:00 | More by DannyHartman