Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison) - Brewery Ommegang

michaelwarling

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

to start, i will have to admit that it takes a lot of good press for me to try a saison. usually not hoppy or full enough to suit, but when we went to the brewery and tasted, i was convinced to give it a go.
We got a case of the 'cave aged' hennepin (rests for a year in the howe caverns at 52 deg. for a full year after brewing)
pour was very carbonated, big bitey bubbles and a huge head! after letting it rest for a good 15 minutes, the aroma was light, airy and slightly spicy.
the taste in the mouth is almost the same as the flavor, not as spicy as it tastes though. pretty uneventful in whole, but very well balanced, mild and a perfect hot day beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2009 15:02:33 | More by michaelwarling

dougriddle

Missouri

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

Just poured this from one of the 750ml bottles. It has a nice and soft golden yellow color with a strong head that slowly dissipates as it sits in the glass. Upon the first sniff I get a slight, slight malt fragrance accompanied with citrus. When drinking while smelling there is a strong hoppy aroma as well as a nice hoppy and carbonated dance on the tongue. As it goes down the hatch, I get a crisp, burst of citrus followed by a final goodbye of hoppiness. The taste left in the mouth is a battle between hops and citrus, with the victor eventually being the citrus. Indeed it should be served a tad bit out of the fridge as I think it helps battle the strong carbonation. But my goodness is this beer smooth, delicious and oh so good to the last drop. Hennepin, we will be seeing each other soon.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2009 04:26:29 | More by dougriddle

Bolendak

North Carolina

3.23/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

My brother bought me a 1 pint 9 oz bottle of Ommegang Hennepin and I decided to pop the cork after a couple weeks of staring at it in the fridge.

Appearance - it really looked like i was pouring a glass of bud light. it was a light yellowish gold color with a good amount of head. it even smelled like bud light or something you would find in the dixie cups of a beer pong playing college student.

Smell - again, it really smelled like a light beer, perhaps bud or maybe even coors or miller, they're all the same to me.

Taste - after lifting the glass and actually sampling this beer, it did, in fact, taste a lot like bud light. However, there wasn't such a harsh or bitter aftertaste. The aftertaste was similar to Heineken or some other hoppy lager. I did not enjoy the bubbly carbonated light beer taste, but the sweet aftertaste was a relief.

Mouthfeel - It was extraordinarily easy to drink. I could chug this for days without my eyes watering. The carbonation was a little much, and I would have liked it to be a little heavier.

Drinkability - again, very much like a light beer. While I enjoyed drinking it, I was let down by my expectations, come on Ommegange, you can do better.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2010 02:34:16 | More by Bolendak

Conk

Colorado

3.7/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: This beer pours a burnt apricot color with medium clarity and stout head bright white in color that receded to leave modeerate lacing behind.
Smell: Hennepin has a spicy, sweet, malty nose with aromas of wheat, clove, corriander and citrus fruits followed with a slight barnyard mustiness.
Taste: Flavors of citrus and stone fruits, yeast and malt are crisp and bold with notes of apricot, orange, and a slight bitter hop finish.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with adequate carbonation that offers a crispness to this medium bodied Saison.
Drinkability: Very drinkable for some, an acquired taste for others.
Rating: Uniquely delicious.
Final Words: This beer is worth a try for adventurous beer drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2010 17:49:09 | More by Conk

anap

Texas

4.08/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From the tap, Hennepin poured a sunshiny gold color, slightly hazy, with a spumy one-centimeter head. The first sip left a strong impression of pears that receded with subsequent sips, unraveling a sparkling apple cider note with a trace of soapiness and lichen on the finish. For having so mellow a flavor, the beer was surprisingly crisp and thin. In fact, I would have preferred a slightly heavier feel, but perhaps my opinion was swayed by a craving for warmth on a chilly day in February. Well, I found it thoroughly drinkable nonetheless and look forward to sampling it again when springtime rolls around.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2011 23:11:16 | More by anap

wfaulk

North Carolina

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

Slightly orangey yellow, slightly cloudy. Small trails of bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. Absurdly large head, very creamy, retaining a lot of shape on its own, almost like shaving cream, with strong lacing as it subsides.

Yeasty, slightly fruity nose. A lot of earthiness.

Yeasty flavor. Almost sweet, but not quite. A small amount of bitterness in the aftertaste, but not much. Mild fruitiness, but no specific notes. It's somewhat hard for me to describe, but it's very nice.

Very carbonated, as if it were a soda with tiny bubbles. A slight thickness to it. It feels like it coats your mouth.

This is a very nice beer. I don't think I can say enough nice about it. I could drink it all night.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2007 02:24:19 | More by wfaulk

lramsey48

Maryland

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Tasting this beer takes me back to Father's Day 2005. My girls took me on a brewery tour in Bruges at the Straffe Hendrik Brewery. They were serving their Saison. Hennepin has managed to capture the essence of the Belgium brewing style. A smooth blend of fruit, sour, and muted bread flavors that perfectly mask the relatively high alcohol content. I recently had one of these while watching Rick Steves give a HD tour of of the Grand Place in Brussels - perfect.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2009 12:27:41 | More by lramsey48

JetSmooth

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Some years back, my extremely good friend, Jake, gifted me with a three-bottle set from Brewery Ommegang. Ommegang is a Belgian brewery in Cooperstown, NY. I'm just going to let that settle in for a moment. You may associate Cooperstown with Baseball. But beer people associate it with Brussels. The three beers included in this set were the Hennepin Farmhouse Saison, Chocolate Indulgence, and Three Philosophers Triple. This review will be of the 2008 Hennepin Saison.

I'd been holding onto this beer since Christmas of 2008. I've not really aged beer before, but felt these would be good candidates. Keep the age in mind through this review.

Eyes: The Hennepin Saison pours from a 750ml corked and caged Belgian bottle as a bright amber. I stored this sideways and don't think all of the yeast settled back to the bottom from when I put it in the fridge to chill. The first pour was crystal clear but clouded up somewhat as the yeast snuck into the pour. Still, the golden amber was very inviting and "rustic". Head was creamy white and thick, but not fluffy. It clings to the sides rather well, but does not "lace" much. Eventually dissipating to a thin foam.

Nose: Nose is very thin. This could either be from the long aging or the fact that I have a late-summer cold. The aroma seems to be lightly plastic, but not in a repelling way. There's a little spice and maybe some fruit, but it's not the prominent component.

Tongue: At first, this beer comes across as rather bitter; not from hops. Rather, it seems to be an alcoholic bitterness. There is a good base of citrus and maybe ... I don't know; figs maybe? Hennepin came across as a little one dimensional until I was about half-way through the first pint. Spice began to present itself. Maybe a little pepper. There was some late-presenting malt. Definitely grainy, but not sweet. Perhaps this was through the temperature of the beer warming up over time. Still, I would have liked a little more fruit in a saison.

Mouth: There is a little bit of solvent to the mouthfeel. It lends to the spiciness of the beer. The higher alcohol level of this beer definitely provides a good burn and astringency, but not in a bad way. This isn't a liquor burn; more of a comforting warmth.

Overall: Despite the solvency and slight metallic taste, this beer is very drinkable. Most of the flavor comes through AFTER drinking and in the after taste. This would be a great beer for an October evening at a bonfire or barn party. This bottle could have been aged a little long. It was still a great beer!

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2010 01:03:16 | More by JetSmooth

alzy

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bottle poured into a pilsener glass

a - nice golden honey with two plus finger creamy white head. a little cloudiness.

s - wheat and biscuity malt aromas over a standard belgian style orangey spiciness.

t - sweet and citrusy at the start - some lemony flavors add to the oranginess, peppery and yeasty in the middle, then nice smooth biscuity malt finish.

m - light body and highly carbonated, adds to spicy mouthfeel. finishes with a nice refreshing (not overwhelming) dryness.

o - such a light refreshing easy drinking beer that the high alcohol content doesn't come through until the last third of the glass. perfect for a 102 degree MN day. i will definitely drink this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 01:43:30 | More by alzy

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

maltomeal

Illinois

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

To quote the bros: "One of our favourites, bring a couple of 750 ml bottles to the dinner party and see if this sparks anyone’s interest away from wine" It worked. I brought 3 bottles to Christmas dinner and only had 2 glasses for myself. Beautiful white head that lasted forever. My brother-in-law noted it looked like an ice cream float. He put down his drink and had several glasses with dinner which is where this beer really shines in my opinion. It was a perfect match for the stuffed ribs and garlic mashed.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2004 19:47:59 | More by maltomeal

acarrb4

Washington

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

This was a great beer. The smell was of apples and grapefruit. Heavy tanic taste which reminded me of camp fire smoke. This would be a great beer to have before dinner. It has a sharp smoke finish and is bitter at times but very drinkable and even refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2007 18:46:00 | More by acarrb4

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

DCPlus14

California

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

First time trying to the Hennepin. A friend of mine brewed a Saison before and it didn't turn out the best, so this is only the second time I am trying one.

Off the bat I had some mixed feelings. I had to pour this VERY slow or else there was more head than I wanted. The smell however was amazing.

I let it sit for a few minutes so the head would die down and had my first sip - Thoroughly please with this beer!

Definitely worth pouring this slow to get the right pour out of it. Very pleasing beer and will be buying another one in the near term.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2010 04:16:19 | More by DCPlus14

ChefMoore

Maryland

4.72/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is just a really solid local beer for me. Brewed in the same casks they used to brew duvel in as they were shipped over to ny from belgium. Some people get turned off from this beer do to the very floral smell and taste and high alchohol. Side note this beer makes me sleepy if i drink it early on in the day.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 15:16:43 | More by ChefMoore

DingusKhan

Texas

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

A - Dark, straw-colored yellow, with a thin white head and tiny bubbles continuing to float to the top as it sits.

S - A very bright, citrusy scent. It smells very good and has a definite fruity aroma. You can also very clearly smell cut wheat, it smells like what I think

T - Extremely refreshing with a slight bitter aftertaste on the sides of the tongue. This is a very clean, easy to drink brew.

M - It has a very clean feel to it, very easy to drink and smooth.

Overall: I very much enjoyed drinking this beer. It was very refreshing, and affordable; I would easily imagine myself getting this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 19:00:50 | More by DingusKhan

CureTheRadio

1.43/5  rDev -65.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

I almost wonder if I had an infected bottle because this is one of the worst beers I've ever encountered. It is worth mentioning that saisons are hands down one of my favorite styles. It was poured out of a 12 oz bottle purchased from a roughly 55 degree cellar room at a local wine store. No dates on bottle. It was poured into a SA perfect pint. [don't judge me!]

A- Not impeccable. Odd for the style but not out of the question. After all saisons are neat because of the variety. Dark and quite clear for the style. Almost a burnt orange kind of color.

S- Malt overpowered most everything else. After tasting I found the smell to be unworthy of analysis. Vanilla and earth were most prevalent next to the malt.

T- Tastes like chewing a dry pack of Brett. B. and a handful of Maris Otter. With no water. In the desert. Again malt is overpowering, and the end leaves one with a sticky flavor somewhere between dirt and the smell of a dairy farm. Esters are very detectable but abrasive and unpleasant. In all fairness, despite the flaws it is somewhat balanced. I found it to be strangely acidic. There did not appear to be any residual sugars. I love funky beers but good god damn... This must have been a bad batch. Bad beers shouldn't make it to the shelf.

M- Thick and velvety for a beer of it's color/gravity/strength but mixing with the taste it just feels gross. It is sticky and slick, lingering on the back of the tongue for some time.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 21:01:34 | More by CureTheRadio

b11

3/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This was once one of my favorites, for a number of years. Now it is made in Belgium (as of June 2012) and it is a significantly different beer, not the same at all. I taste the following: hoppier and less sweet (the subtle sweetness of this beer was one of my pleasures), far less yeast taste (again, I loved this) and more filtered for sure, and less malt taste. It's as if the brewers said "let's make Hennepin taste more like Heineken". Very disappointing. I will not be buying this again (until they make it in NY).

If you doubt me please check this out yourself, the new label says "Product of Belgium" right on the front.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 23:16:07 | More by b11

LadyM

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I'm new to this style and I just LOVE it! I've recently really become a big lover of Belgians and this one is wonderful in that it's not quite as strong, but has a delicious, full Belgian taste and smell. I find it tangy and crisp, not as sharp as an IPA. Perfect with food, not as filling as hefes, great for a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 04:12:02 | More by LadyM