Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison) - Brewery Ommegang

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

Willytee3

New York

4.65/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle into Captain Lawrence Tulip.

Pours a clear golden yellow with thick white head, equal to the beer depth. Pillowy, with thick lacing.

Smells of sweet Brett, banana, Honey and a touch of spice? Slight citrus and butterscotch.

Good Mouth feel, moderate carbonation. Creamy butterscotch with farmhouse brett and a touch of peppery spice with some banana, honey, and a hint of bread as it warms. A nice bitter comes through on the finish then fades nicely. Very clean beer, a touch of lemon with slight alcohol essence on occasion.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 05:11:53 | More by Willytee3

95stategrad

4.73/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

As far as I'm concerned, this is the Gold Standard for Saison/Farmhouse in the USA as far as mass producers are concerned. Some micro out West might have a better one, but as far as a Big Time producers, this is it. Everything is right on. Smell, appearance, and of course taste. It has the classic Belgian esters you get with the Farmhouse yeast strains. Everyone is out to make an "Americanized" Farmhouse/Saison by going big with the gravity or the hops or more unfortunately, both. True Saisons are not overly hoppy and are modest alcohol % with just enough hops to keep them from going bad too quickly. This one is a bit on the high side alcohol-wise to really be a real traditional Saison, but it is otherwise on the money. Saisons were brewed to refresh the seasonal field workers in Wallonia, and the brews were generally 3-5% so the workers could have one and still finish the job. 7.7% is a bit too high to be a true traditional Saison. Still, if you don't like this beer, you don't like Saisons.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 02:54:55 | More by 95stategrad

dbell23

Tennessee

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

Poured from a 750 ml. bottle into a tulip glass. Huge fluffy white head with large bubbles. Good retention and some lacing. Color is hazy slightly dark golden. Nice looking beer.

Smell is like Tripel light. Fruity, chalky, yeasty, spicy, and clean. All Belgian.

Taste is great. Slightly hoppy to start; mostly sweet, maybe green apple, with some mild hoppiness in the middle; and a crisp clean sweet finish. Really good taste. Refreshing just like I think a good saison should be. Complex taste.

Mouthfeel is good. Maybe a little more carbonation than I like but still good. Mouthfeel adds to the refreshing taste. As it warms it seems to smooth out a bit.

Overall a really good beer. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of experience with this style but I know what I like and I like this beer. Ommegang is a really good brewery. Most of their beers are like this one - very good.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 21:35:10 | More by dbell23

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

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

750 ML poured into a snifter

This beer is hazy orange with a massive white head. Aroma is breaddy, yeasty, and spicy. There is also a nice lemon zest character to this beer as well as a slight dark fruit. There is a lot of wheat flavor and feel to this one. It is fruity, zesty and wheaty. The feel of the beer is highly carbonated at first but gets smoother and creamier over time. The dark fruit and the wheat flavors work well together and are constantly changing. The yeast adds a spicy character and feel to the beer. This is a nice offering by Ommegang and a solid saison.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 01:15:00 | More by TwelveOunces

GMB

Japan

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

Hennepin deserves its nearly perfect score at BeerAdvocate.com. It pours a beautiful hazy golden body that supports a nice, fizzy foam. I have seen more inviting heads on Saisons, but this one is lovely all the same.

The nose is very nice. Its sweet and fruity character is at the fore, but it closely followed by mild spices.

The taste is complex, but not as complex as some Saisons. Lemony tartness, pineapple, and coriander seeds dominate at first, but are immediately balanced by the malt's lightly roasted and honey-like characteristics. This beer's aftertaste is outstanding; spices (notably coriander seed and pepper) and roasted grain linger on the palate. Mild esters highlight the bouquet of spices and tart citrus by adding a warm base and floral characteristics. All this is nicely complemented by the beer's mild carbonation and full-bodied mouthfeel.

What makes this beer stand out is the distinctness of each of its myriad flavors. To achieve complexity without confusion is the mark of fine craftsmanship. I take my hat off to Brewery Ommegang for delivering an outstanding rendition of this extremely delicate and difficult style.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 00:36:49 | More by GMB

colforbin73

California

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

ommegang is a treasure of a brewery -- one that american's should actually be proud of -- a brewery that makes flawless beer true to the traditional styles of belgium. while other american brewers have crafted unique beers in a truly american style -- ommegang brews beer that can stand up to any in the world on the merits of craftsmanship and adherence to the specifications of traditional style. for me, HENNEPIN is at the apex of american brewing. i associate this beer with baseball and more generally late summer and fall.

the pour is very delicate -- you need to pour slowly and carefully, the brew has a champagne level of effervescence and gives off a big foamy cloudy white head that sticks to the glass all the way down. the aroma betrays the spices used, coriander, orange peel, and ginger. but unlike a spicey winter warmer, the spices provide just a background hum. the yeast is pronounced in the aroma...

the taste is crisp, clean, a little sweet, maybe from the corn used along with the pilsner and pale malt. coats the throat and warms the belly after a few sips.... this is fantastic saison and would be perfectly at home at a wide ranging harvest festival, with a crisp salad of apples, walnuts and goat cheese, a roast pig, a spicey butternut squash soup and a pear and raisin torte for dessert.

what a beer!

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 00:16:36 | More by colforbin73

acevenom

Louisiana

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle labeled best by 2/2014 and bottled in 2/2012.

Poured into a goblet. Pours hazy pale golden with a thick soapy white head. I can detect plentiful streaming bubbles in the beer. The head retreats slowly. There are aromas of biscuit from the malts as well as those typical spiced and fruity Belgian ale aromas like coriander, lemon, and pear. The beer definitely is spicier in the taste that in the nose. The coriander is more intense and it's somewhat peppery. Those fruity flavors are more intense, being pear forward. The hops on the back end provide some bitterness for balance. The body is medium with strong carbonation. The finish is very dry. For the style, this is solid. Those expected notes really come through and it deserves an A for that even if this is not my favorite style.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 16:04:51 | More by acevenom

fmccormi

New York

4.33/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Straight pour from 12oz pry-off bottle to a 25cl Duvel Single tulip; bottling date of April 11, 2012 and a freshness date of April, 2014 printed in black ink on the neck of the bottle (“PKG ON 04/11/12 BEST BY 04/2014”).

Appearance (4.0): This pours a tight, two finger head of bone white foam that dies relatively slowly, and leaves some sporadic lacing on the way down—a few suds, a few legs, a few fat splotches of lace scattered around the glass. The body is hazy and honey-colored, kind of a soft shade of orange. Aside from not having a lot of head or lace, this is a nice looking saison.

Smell (4.0): Coriander and light clove come out first—very nice mix of spice character for the style, not heavy-handed like a lot others. The malt has a strong biscuity character, very pale, rustic, and bready. There’s a fruity, musty character at the back, dominated by pear and wet hay. There’s a very floral, somewhat grassy scent that can get lost in that estery finish, but it’s there and very nice.

Taste (4.5): Starts out much spicier than the nose, with more coriander and a good dose of white pepper and just a bit of clove, too. The fruitiness is more pronounced here, with a sweet, juicy pear and apple character. It finishes with a relatively mild hop component, just a bit of grassy bitterness and a moderate hop spiciness. There’s a surprisingly nice mineral character in the finish, too.

Mouthfeel (4.5): It’s got a body that’s just about exactly medium weight, with a nice, all-over tingliness that moves into a lush, foaming carbonation, and it finishes very dry.

Overall (4.25): This is a really solid saison—always has been. Considering how light and dry it is for something of this strength, you can get a very good sense of the yeast character in this beer, which I like. It’d be nice to have some more head retention, but it looks good enough and has a nice nose, with a very good flavor and feel. It’s not transcendent at any point, but as classically styled saisons go, it’s well rounded and well done. Hennepin is a very solid, reliable beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 01:45:17 | More by fmccormi

hosehead83

Ohio

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

Poured from a "corked and caged" bomber bottle into a wine goblet.
Cloudy, straw-gold in color, with a bright white head of voluminous foam.
Aroma-Spicy Belgian yeast, pear, honey notes.
Taste-Pear, golden apple, spicy Belgian yeast, white pepper. Wonderfully effervescent, 'tingly' mouthfeel. Spicy,refreshing, earthy hop notes, crisp, peppery finish. "Gulpable" but be mindful of the 7.7ABV. Rustic,classic Farmhouse style. Excellent!

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 19:07:14 | More by hosehead83

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

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

12oz bottle into a tulip, aged for over a year

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden color with almost three fingers of active head.

S: Nutmeg, clove, and banana upfront, this beer is quite spicy. I get a bit of prunes as well, if I closed my eyes I might think this is a quad.

T: Similar to aroma, I get spices and dark fruits. Certainly on the sweet side for a Saison, but this beer stays balanced. I also get some lemon. This is different than any Saison I've had. Decent, but odd for the style.

M: Thick for the style with high carbonation.

O: This beer is fairly tasty but really odd for the style. It's also been aged for over a year, so the yeast has really taken over the beer. Decent.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 00:49:29 | More by coreyfmcdonald

Danny1217

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hazy golden color with a big, fluffy, white head. Good head retention. Floral smell. Some yeast and spices as well. A bit subdued on the nose though. Thick Belgian mouthfeel. A bit dry, with some bold flavors. Clove, lemon zest, and a bit of a floral hop taste. Nice.

One of the best saisons I've had, though I have admittedly tried very few.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 21:22:25 | More by Danny1217

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.8/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a New Belgium Globe.

A: Pours gold, and hazy from yeast remnants...bright white soapy head if a few fingers tall and retains decently...ok lacing as well.

S: Full of Belgian notes, can't mistake that; funk, distant rotten fruit, barnyard, banana, grain, faint white grape and malt sweetness.

T: Follows the nose, funk light musty quality, Belgian yeast, light fruity ester quality with phenolic notes, grains, light spices...clove & pepper.

MF: Light full with fuller carbonation, soft and right in line for the style.

O: Its a decent saison, but it seems run-of-the-mill for something that gets so much love. Still, it is a solid example of the style and easily drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 19:40:48 | More by Scotchboy

DeltaGolfSierra

Tennessee

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

Color is golden, with a large billowy white head that lasts and lasts. Scent is primarily fresh cut grass, with some freshy baked bread too. The taste features lemon, biscuit, and earthy grass flavors, along with a bit of tart apple. The alcohol definitely makes its presence known in the taste - it is almost wine-like. Excellent mouthfeel, even though it is light-bodied. Nice complexity, and a fine drinking experience.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 01:08:32 | More by DeltaGolfSierra

sweethome

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Golden pour - nice inch head - off-white. Nose of fresh cut hay and yeast.

Carbonic entry, again, hay, grass, yeast and straw. Nice bite to this beer. Flavors are upfront. Fresh. A nice food companion. I tasted this with crackers and sharp cheese - held up quite well.

A very well done saison - a bit pedestrian compared to belgian syle (I was just there), but hits on all charachteristics, fresh flavors and decent depth.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 23:51:57 | More by sweethome

aasher

Indiana

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

12oz bottle. This beer pours a very light bodied and bright pear juice gold in color with a highly carbonated and active two finger bright white head. The nose is light and yeasty. It has nice white orchard fruit character, like sweet apple and pear. The flavors follow suit. It has a light, slightly sweet fresh fruitiness to pair with the light and off dry Belgian yeast. It's very well rounded and has great flavor. It drinks light in body with a little too much carbonation for a saison, in my opinion, but it really doesn't detract from the beer at all. This is a light, easy drinking saison and you don't detect any of the 7.7% at all. I can't believe I waited so long to try it.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 01:17:26 | More by aasher