Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison) - Brewery Ommegang

gatorsuf1

Georgia

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

12 oz. bottle poured into an oversized wine glass. The beer pours a hazy orange-amber color. A great, sticky, 2-inch white head forms that leaves good lacing.

As the beer warms the aroma really picks up. Smells like honey, lemon and very yeasty.

The taste is very complex. Very grassy and earthy with a hint of citrus. Alcohol and the hops come through at the end. A little spice also, kind of like cloves, that leaves the tongue slighty numbed. A medium mouthful with more carbonation than expected.

Overall, a great beer and the first saison I've had. I will definitely come back to this one often.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2006 06:21:27 | More by gatorsuf1

sls0210

Florida

4.47/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours hazy yellow with a fluffy white head. Banana and cloves dominate upfront with some lemon and coriander. Definitely taste the yeast and a little sweetness. Nice crispness from all that carbonation, but not overloaded. Surprised by the ABV because it drinks pretty smooth without too much of an alcohol bite. Perfect for pre-dinner or a day out in the sun. In my opinion, close runner-up to Saison Dupont for best in style.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2009 18:34:57 | More by sls0210

Sirwootalot

Minnesota

4.88/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured into a tall pilsner glass. The beer has a thick, chunky, and very foamy head - some bubbles are large enough to be iridescent, and the whole thing has the look of ocean spray frozen in time. The nose is redolent of lemon candy, wheat fields, and a tiny hint of exceptionally tidy barn. Upon tasting this beer, I involuntarily exclaimed "oh my fucking god" - It's utterly sublime. Juicy fresh-squeezed lemonade accompanied by hints of carrot cake, white peppercorns, and maybe even a tiny tinge of nose-searing russian mustard. As the taste develops, the strong alchol notes and the copious phenols kick in, with a taste very much like banana bread or fried plantains. It's like a beer equivalent of a gruner veltliner, in all of the best ways imaginable. Despite the high alcohol, it goes down almost more like juice or 7-up - it is just fiendishly drinkable. It leaves a sticky, starchy and very dry feeling in your mouth after a while, which of course just makes you want more.

Overall, this is one of the best damn things that has ever entered my mouth, beer or otherwise - and hands-down the best Saison i've tried (though Surly cynic comes close). I originally wasn't planning on reviewing this beer, but it was so ridiculously good that I felt utterly compelled to share the experience.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 03:08:12 | More by Sirwootalot

EdTheEdge

California

3.85/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

S - 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A - Bright cloudy yellow with thick pure white head and substantial lacing.

N - Smells of sweet pine, orange peel, grass and yeast.

T - First I get a orange zest taste followed shortly there after by a peppery spice. Malt and hops in the end. The alcohol is well hidden behind the flavor profile.

M - Near perfect carbonation. Aftertaste is pleasantly clean and does not linger.

O - Not my favorite style as I usually enjoy hoppier beers, but Hennepin is a crisp and refreshing representative of the style. I will most likely drink this beer again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 15:41:28 | More by EdTheEdge

scninmer08

New York

4.55/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle into tulip.

A- hazy yellow with white head. Hard to pour this one without creating a large head. Dissipated fairly quickly. Lots of bubbles.

S- Smells like a hefeweizen. Lots of banana and clove with some pepper.

T- Similar to a Duvel, but not quite as complex. The taste follows the nose, with plenty of the Belgian yeast coming through. I was fascinated by the finish I got, which added a new dimension to the range of flavors already present

M- Very carbonated at first, which took away from it, but was much better as it warmed. Dry and crisp.

O- I'm not too familiar with the Saison style. Having only had Saison de Silly, I was expecting something a little more funkier and out of normal range, but I suppose the Silly is an exception. Overall, a nice brew that I will be enjoying more of soon.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 23:06:46 | More by scninmer08

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

lord2464

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beutiful beer! Drank from a wine glass as no quality goblet was available. Head formed a thick marshmallow fluff looking head that was reminicent of shaving cream. I waited for it to die down - it didn't - so I stuck my nose in it. The flavars are delightful with complex spice and sweet malt. The beer is full bdies and light at the same time. A sleeper that will put you on your ass if your not carefull! Love it. And a bargain compared to imported versions of equal quality.

I am inspired to brew a Saison next time I open up the back yard brewery.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2005 16:52:51 | More by lord2464

moklett

North Carolina

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

Pours a rather clear buttery golden color with a frothy ultra-white head.

The smell is definitely fruity (apple and pear) but with the characteristic Belgian-style malt/yeast earthiness that makes me think of nuts.

Taste is not as sweet as I expected based on the smell (and my limited experience with saisons, which I thought were sweeter). The earthy characteristics shine through instead. Alcohol taste is present more than I expected, but not out of balance. As drinking continues, the pear flavor is the one that persists.

Feels creamy but light on the tongue. As I get toward the end, wow(!), I realize how much I am enjoying this beer. While I wasn't initially floored, the great balance in this beer makes it a great drink!

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2005 01:57:21 | More by moklett

tdt560

Virginia

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

Appearance - poured a cider-like color with an incredible pillow like head with continuous bubbling, it's like a spa in a glass.

Smell - smells of citrus and pepper with hints of a fresh cut lawn, smells refreshing.

Taste - taste is very refreshing. Citrus, fruit and nutty flavor that finishes a little dry.

Mouthfeel - light slippery-like mouthfeel leaves a slight tingle on the tongue.

Drinkability - This is very drinkable and refreshing on a hot summer day, though caution must be used because the well hidden alcohol will catch up with you :)

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2008 23:20:57 | More by tdt560

barleywineman

California

2.78/5  rDev -33.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

This beer is full of funk and bubble gum, yeasty, doughy, a little too sour for a saison. definately farmy! but it may be better with food not an easy brew to drink alone unless you want half 3 philosophers and half duvel in the same glass :( sorry hut dissapointed. Tastes better with Food

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2009 23:49:19 | More by barleywineman

gorby16

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - golden color with ample amount of carbonation

S - anise, honey, fruity, floral

T - not sweet; a little sour taste and bitterness; can taste the floral esters at first, but those quickly disappear

I haven't tried many Belgium-style beers before so wanted to give this a shot. It's a good beer, but I'm not a fan.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2009 13:40:50 | More by gorby16

mynameisbuzz

Massachusetts

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

12 oz. brown bottle poured into tulip glass.

Blond and Pale in color with a thin healthy head. Typical of the style, tiny bubbles at the base of the head and big fat ones at the top.

Smells clovey, bananay, and yeasty. No real lemon scent.

Taste is similar to the smell. Very mild spice with yeast dominating the flavor. Ethanol kick at the end.

Smooth mouthfeel with just the right carbonation. I always find saisons to be over carbonated.

Very drinkable especially for the style. Very good job Ommegang!

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2010 00:56:37 | More by mynameisbuzz

bturton

Massachusetts

2.65/5  rDev -36.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Nice Golden Color with a head that starts at about half the glass and slowly gets smaller during the pouring process
Smell: It had the smell of a typical hops beer, and was really nothing special.
Taste: All though it was better than i expected given the smell, I was far from impressed by the taste of it. I felt that it was a stronger version of a cheap main stream beer.
Mouthfeel: It wasn't anything special from the other beers that I have had. Pretty typical
Drinkability: It is easy enough to drink that I will be able to continue drinking what I have of it, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get it again.
Given the high reviews that I have seen of this beer I was expecting it to be much more flavorful than it ended up being. Although it is a nice beer, it was a bit of a let down when it came to flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2010 17:01:48 | More by bturton

Trapiste389

Kansas

3.93/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Wonderfull appearance. All rocky and vibrant head and pale effervescent beauty. the smell is dominated by the malt and some alchohol with little to no contribution from the hops. The taste is sweet but not cloying, as it is wonderfully balanced by the mild hop bitterness. there is almost no flavoring hops. Just a little bitterness to keep the sweet maltiness in check. The body is pleasant and satisfying, medium mouthfeel. There is a faint hint of alchohol, but is not too astringent. this beer is very drinkable and goes down very easy. this is interesting scice this is a 7.7% beer ( a litlle to strong for a saison). It is stilla very wonderfullly balanced farmhouse ale that is a very good interpretation on a beloved style.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2010 02:44:04 | More by Trapiste389

mikestan06

Oklahoma

3.65/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

My first saison, so take this with a grain of salt because I really don't have a lot of experience with the style.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into my tulip glass. A weak gold color with a ridiculously thick white head that lasted for days (even with a weak, gentle pour like the bottle suggested).

Smell was strong and earthy. Dirt and lemon peel? My roommate called it cat pee, but I don't want to be that guy, so...

Tasted pretty nice, however. Strong spice and faint lemon notes. Even at 7.7%, alcohol is nowhere to be found.

Mouthfeel is as crisp and clean. Not overly syrupy with a light carbonation bite that's gone immediately.

Is it my favorite style? No. Is it good? Hell yeah.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 05:13:45 | More by mikestan06

whit

Texas

4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nice and warm. This beer is well balanced--the strong malt flavor blends well with the bitterness and subtle hop flavor. Has a slight spicy/phenolic character, but not overwhelming. Alcohol is nocibaly present at first, but fades. Very complex, but no particular aspect dominates. Thany you sir...may I have another.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2002 04:53:08 | More by whit

t8000shx

New York

2.93/5  rDev -29.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Was pumped to give this one a go, I generally like Ommegang. Poured nice, tons of bubbles, tall head. Caught me off guard, required a more delicate pour than even most other belgians to moderate head size. Nice hazy gold/yellow color in the glass, appealing looking. Smelled like the real deal, very authentick belgian.

It was only once the beer left the glass and found its way onto my tongue that disappointment set in. Admittedly, for my first sip the beer was way too cold, so i let it sit for some time. Unfortunately i don't like how it opened up. Tart, bubbly, mildly sweet, citrusy, and earthy. It all sounds nice, except the tartness was too strong. Resulted in an extremely unbalanced flavor. Not to say the beer was terrible, it wasn't, however it could use significantly more strength from the earthy/malty notes. Tartness and acidity need to be toned down a bit. Noting the beer's high rating, it looks like i'm in the minority here, but so it goes. I'll stick with the 3 Philosophers next time I hit up Ommegang

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2006 03:17:32 | More by t8000shx

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

kellypodz

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was only recently introduced to the Saison/Farmhouse variety of ale. Ommegang Hennepin was definitely a wonderful first encounter with the beer. It's light, sparkling, and refreshing. It's not hard to put away a 750 ml bottle of Hennepin.

Hennepin is of a medium bitterness; but is tamed by the sweet malt and citrus tastes. Many jokingly call Saison Ale the breakfast beer due to its grapefruit juice undertones. Champagne and sweet wine lovers could easily be turned on to the brew.

All ales exhibit a certain hoppy aroma. But this Saison radiates ginger and citrus as well. The heavy carbonation delivers the delightful aroma straight to your nose.

You can read my full review on my blog:
http://1yob.com/post/1032386343/hennepin

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2010 21:48:25 | More by kellypodz

Someguy1_8t

California

4.73/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Got from the Whole Foods Market in Northridge

Served in a Tulip Glass

Appearance - pale straw like color. Hazy, with plenty of carbonation, and about a finger of moderately diminishing head

Aroma- floral citrusy hops. Belgian candied yeast. Banana and spice

Taste- fruits like banana,pears, and apples. Candied sugar and clove spice.

Mouthfeel - light to medium bodied. Plenty of carbonation slight dry finish. Crisp!

Overall- great example of the style that I would definitely recommend. Very refreshing

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 04:14:49 | More by Someguy1_8t

StoutBulldog

Massachusetts

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

Bought a 4-pack of this at my local store and I really enjoyed it. It poured a cloudy wheat color with a small, sticky head. Sweet fruity smell -- makes me wish it was a warm weekend instead of a cold January. Tasted somewhat sweet but not too sweet. Also some wheat/grain taste with some spice...maybe clove. Great flavor that isn't any too stong on one flavor but still different flavors to each mouthful. Easy to drink and a pleasure to drink. Wish it was a six-pack as opposed to a four-pack...

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2008 23:28:24 | More by StoutBulldog

holycrapamoly

Virginia

4.72/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My local Whole Paycheck, excuse me Whole Foods just brought this in. I had never had it before, but ¨if Duvel made it, I´m thinking it will not disappoint.¨ Wow, it really didn´t!
It poured a beautifully dull golden color that became very clear as the head developed. And what a head! Right there with Duvel on that! Excellent, white, sticky head. I found myself re checking the bottle to be sure it was made in America.
The smell is spicier and more peppery than I had expected with some definite sweet fruitiness. Still new to reviewing, so I don´t have a better description than that.
I was having a NY Strip and some vegetables, and this tasted absolutely wonderful with that. It was citrus, honey, yeast and pepper tasting with the hops coming in at the end of the taste.
Hennepin feels very smooth in the mouth. A bit thicker in consistency than I was expecting, but not at all in a bad way. A nice difference from the Belgians I usually have. Still very crisp and very very drinkable.
About three dollars less per 750 mL bottle than the true Belgians with every bit as much quality. I will definitely have this again and recommend Hennepin to friends!

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2009 13:00:05 | More by holycrapamoly

mrmin123

District of Columbia

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

Poured from bottle into Ikea beer mug. Poured amber gold with a hint of orange with a thick white head. A creamy, yet strong, citrus smell. A very flat front, with only a little bit of citrus taste coming through. Creamy mid-palate and finish, with an aroma and taste that reminds me of green apples. Leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2010 04:29:59 | More by mrmin123

elflake

North Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

My first Saison, and I will definitely be looking for others in this style.

"Crisp" and "Refreshing" are over-used, but I can think of no better terms for this. Citrus-strong up-front, nice carbonation, slight bananna, really just wonderful, and only $7.49 for a bomber.

I've been impressed with everything from Ommegang, but even moreso this. I honestly can't think of a better beer on a hot summer day...

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2010 05:39:41 | More by elflake

WJDobbs321

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Super Summer Beer!

Beer is very light in color with a super head. Is it what you want to see in front of a fire. Nope, but it is exactly what you want to see in a beer garden.

The Smell is light. Doesn't smack you in the nose. But if you get close enough the fragrance is worth it. Wonderful smell. Wish there was more of it.

The taste is perfect. Light lemony citrus with subtle sweetness. Nothing overbearing.

Light and crisp to the mouth. You could could potentially drink it after a workout. :) But why do that???

Overall I say what a wonderful beer! Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2011 00:03:29 | More by WJDobbs321