Ommegang Adoration Ale - Brewery Ommegang

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks for sharing Jon. Great aromas, the mace abd ornange, ginger and yeast. Big head and lacey. Taste is decent, complexity of spices, pepper including black,cardamon,ginger,corriander, cloves, a littl chocolate, slows down drinkability to a sipper. Average plus mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2009 16:35:14 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.85/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Bright blood orange with polished pomegranate accents when backlit with the rising sun. What a gorgeous hue! The golden caramel colored crown holds up its end of the bargain as well, but doesn't grace the glass with much lace. The appearance is very close to very good.

There's no question that this Brewery Ommegang ale is spiced, once nose is placed over glass. In fact, it's difficult to tell that it's a BSDA at all. The aggressive spice bill includes coriander, cardamom, mace, grains of paradise... and sweet orange peel (which isn't a spice at all). Bottom line: pungent cardamom overwhelms all else.

Adoration fares much better on the taste buds in terms of appreciation of the base beer. Having said that, it's still one of the most heavily spiced winter ales that you're likely to run across all year. A well-crafted, Belgian yeast estery BSDA simply doesn't need this much help.

Flavor intensity is generous, which means that palate fatigue will most likely become an issue over the course of 750 ml. Hell, it's already starting to creep in and I'm only at the bottom of the first glass. Unless you have a high tolerance for 'the entire spice rack' spiciness, it would be best to share your bottle with someone else.

As the color suggests, this is more of a dark amber than a dark. For instance, there are no chocolate, coffee or dark fruit notes. Maybe dark caramel, with generous amounts of candied fruit such as apricots, figs and dates. Sweetness is still balanced reasonably well by bitterness, but that won't be the case by the 'best by' date of 08/2014. Warming brings out the orange peel in fine fashion.

The mouthfeel is lush and plush and creamy and silky smooth. It's an interesting sensory counterpoint to the increasingly biting nature of the spices. This is one attribute that is fine just the way it is.

Ommegang Adoration suffers from an overload of spices. Decreasing the total by at least 50% (and eliminating cardamom entirely) would have given this seasonal brew a chance to be truly special. Twelve ounces would have been perfect.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2010 13:35:04 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

brown color was evident from the start with a rich looking hazelnut tone to it. The head finally calmed down after about twenty minutes but still dropped tons of foam and lace along the glass.

The aroma was very nice, a little bit ruddy at first. Hints of chcoalte and caramel, rich belgian spice and a wonderful bit of dark fruit all dancing around wonderfully inside of it. But it was once I took a sip that everything really came together for me. A wave of cascading brown sugar and tart apples just rolled across the tongue. Enormously rich and vigorous, this was just a wonderful thing to behold. Nice touches of chocolate and rich toffee like notes were all balanced well in advance of a lovely dark fruit tone that led the charge once the yeast kicked in. Nice notes of prunes and rasins, hints of plums and dark cherries were all very much evident in the profile.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 06:17:45 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

3.7/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: The beer pours an amber-brown color with a finger or so of khaki colored foam.

S: Intensely spicy with tons of coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Sweet caramel malts with lots of toasted bread aroma to go with it. Mildly yeasty with some alcohol coming through now and again.

T: A rather similar tale when it comes to the flavor. Intense spice flavor that is rather reminiscent of gingerbread. A fairly strong cinnamon, coriander, and nutmeg flavor as well. Sweet caramel and toasted bread with banana and dark fruits adding sweetness as well.

M: Medium in body with a moderate carbonation.

O: The spiciness can become a bit tiring after a handful of sips. Good, but I couldn't see myself drinking much of this.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2011 23:08:48 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked a bottle of this up at Capone's last holiday season as a present for Amyliz4. Reviewed from notes.

Pours a deep brown with a small off white to tan head that sticks around for some time. The nose is a bit of a spice bomb, but everything is fairly well integrated, with strong notes of ginger, clove, anise, caramel, and some molasses. The taste is a bit more constrained, but the spices work together with the mildly sweet malt and a sturdy medium body. Good carbonation levels and a nice mixture of spice and alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2010 11:08:22 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

11 ounce goblet - $8.75 at Taco Mac in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Essentially opaque, mahogany-hued body topped with a foamy crown of yellowish beige that settles out quickly.

Smell: It's fruity, strongly spicy and fairly sweet-scented with layers of melted candies and caramel and more than its fair share of notable alcoholic wafts.

Taste: Sweet maltiness tasting of a rich caramel sauce further boosted by an additional sugary candy sweetness is tempered by a staunch spice blend with its boldly peppery bite. As with the nose, it's rather fruity with plenty of dark fruit tastes, some light citrus, and a bit of banana that, when coupled with the encroaching, growing alcoholic hotness presents a hint of 99 Bananas. Finishes both spicy and sweet with a pinch of boozy heat.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium-plus carbonation.

Drinkability: At this early stage, the bold spiciness serves only to exacerbate the hot, fusel alcohol character of the beer. For me, this one definitely needs some time away in a deep, dark cellar to hopefully mellow.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2009 21:50:17 | More by ChainGangGuy

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Ommegang is onto something here. Starting with a Dark Belgian base that reminds me of Three Philosophers (minus the cherries) and with the fruitiness of Gouden Carolous. Throw in some cough syrups and Jagermeister and here we go.

Very fruity throughout with emphasis on plumbs, grapes, anise (licorice), black raspberries, and raisons. Tawny Belgian notes give a bit of acidic and woodsy flavor. Spicy and peppery notes could be completely yeast derived if not for the label that ruins the fun for me. Molassas or sorgum maltiness gives as much candy sweetness as fruitcake breads.

Dry and hot dominate the mouthfeel. Fusal alcohols and evaporative dryness cancel eachother out. Regardless, age should be kind to this beer.

The first pour from the bomber was a brilliantly clear ruby color. Alcohols held the head formaiton and retention in check and with minimal lacing. Second pour was considerable more haze but with better head characteristics.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2009 22:03:33 | More by BEERchitect

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Dirty John's tulip pint glass.

Thanks to Matt for sharing this bottle!

Time to see how this thing stacks up after a year of absence. It pours a hazy ruby-amber topped by a finger of cream foam. The nose comprises cinnamon, nutmeg, chamomile, banana, clove, pepper, and some light chocolate. The taste does not want to deviate much from this at all, though the spices come through decidedly more...spicy...more pronounced and in-your-face. The body is a straight medium, with a light carbonation and a grainy feel. Overall, a nice Winter brew, but the spices were just a bit too much for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2010 23:15:05 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ommegang Adoration Traditional Belgian-style Winter Ale

Clear, crimson-colored, beneath a lush, creamy, off-white head, no lace, but stays a solid 1/2".

Aroma: rich malt, spicy, dark fruit, plum and fig. Lovely stuff.

Taste: blast of spice and fruit, earthy and gritty, slightly mineral. Some apple and cherry shining through, as the alcohol strength reveals itself. Getting more and more warming. Medium bodied, long, sweet/spicy finish.
Just the right amount of sweetness, with only a smidgen of hop bitterness.

Someone who had been an ardent admirer of this one last year told me she's not a fan this time, because it lacks the sweetness of the previous batch. As I taste this one, I wonder what she missed, and scratch my memory to think of how last year's tasted. There's enough sweets to turn many away, I'd think. Or some. Maybe a few, or a fraction of a faction. (Wait, where am I going with this?)

Anyhow, it's a lovely, spicy, fruity dubbel. Just a little bitter to match the sweet and the spice. Super delicious yum time. Mmmm. A real treat. Might have to get some bottles of this stuff, and hang on to it for awhile.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2011 07:18:37 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.33/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a ruby red color with a thick frothy tan head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a wonderful dark fruit and spice aroma. It has a kick ass warming crystal malt scent with bits of orange peel and cardamom as well. The taste is awesome. It has an incredibly smooth flavor that boasts of pale, crystal, and roasted malts along with an excellent selection of spices that really compliment the dark fruit flavor of the Belgian yeast esters. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a very good beer. It's adequately spiced as well as having a great malt bill.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2009 01:38:55 | More by WesWes

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a deep red color with a cream-colored head. The aroma is heavy on the toffee and caramel malt, along with some Belgian yeast, brown sugar and cinnamon. The flavor is heavier on the spicing than the aroma. I get cinnamon and cloves, as well as some brown sugar, caramel malt, yeast, dark cherries and a little bit of alcohol. Still, the alcohol is fairly well hidden for a 10 percent ABV beer. Medium mouthfeel and high carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 01:25:33 | More by Mora2000

metter98

New York

3.95/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is hazy brownish amber in color and poured into a snifter glass with a finger high beige head that slowly died down and left a thick ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are aromas of dark fruits and malty sweetness in the nose along with some hints of spices.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell and is quite fruity with a light amount of sweetness. There are some hints of alcohol and the finish mainly consists of spicy flavors.
M: It feels medium-bodied and smooth on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. There is some dryness and a slight amount of warming sensations from the alcohol in the finish.
D: The beer is quite drinkable because the alcohol is for the most part well hidden although the amount of spices in the flavors makes this beer one that is better sipped.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 03:10:06 | More by metter98

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.78/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap 1/2/2011 at Doherty's East Ave Irish Pub in Pawtucket, RI, served in a tulip glass.

A: The beer is a dark reddish brown color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains dark fruit, a lot of spices, some alcohol, Belgian yeast, caramelized malts and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out with sweet and strong flavors of cherries and spices up front. Then a hearty malt character and some Belgian yeast breadiness come in. The hops presence is very mild but about where it should be for the style and creates a decent balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: A little tasty, goes down dangerously easy, not too filling, well-disguised strong kick, good representation of style, this is a solid stronger Belgian beer worth drinking for a while.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2011 16:52:58 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured out as a hazy looking brown color. The head was big and tan. The head leaves a decent lacing along the glass. The smell of the beer has an interesting citrusy aroma along with some dark fruit and yeast on the nose. The taste has a good amount of dark malts and fruity flavors coursing through the beer, the flavors of spice and citrus give off a bit of a refreshing warmth to the beer. The mouthfeel is very smooth, not overly carbonated. Overall the beer has a good flavor and is one of Ommegangs best in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 20:22:27 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.88/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up at macadoodles in Jane, Mizzou...

Pours a ruby tinged chestnut with 3 fingers of tan head. Average head retention, zero lacing, but a nice vicious look to this

S: Ripe pears, peach some apricot as well & vanilla at the end

T: Spiced gingerbread up front, a touch of licorice & cinnamon up front. This melds into a spicy dark fruit experience as it warms, still thinking gingerbread, plus cinnamon again & boozey pears, plus a bit of orange-piko tea. Finishes with the whole orange-piko tea flavor & some leafy hops showing up late to the party, along with some ginger

MF: Medium bodied, firm carbonation, slight grainyness & a touch warming booze

Pretty drinkable, enjoying this by a fire, per the recommendation on the bottle. Beers like this make the Winter much more enjoyable

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 06:37:22 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

4.33/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 mL bottle,

A: Pours a dark amber with a soft white head, average retention, no lace.

S: Orange peel, winter spice.

T: Christmas cookie notes with clear flavours of mace and cardamom. Brown sugar abounds with elegant notes of orange in the finish. Sweet feel overall, reminds me a ton of Old Fezziwig.

M: Full-bodied, long aftertaste of spice and malt. Just a tad overcarbonated, but I'm nitpicking.

D: A great Christmas Belgian spiced beer. Don't know why I waited so long to try it, I love Ommegang and I love Christmas beers. A real treat.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2010 02:35:53 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: pours a hazy light brown color with a short 1/4" head that breaks down to a spotty surface foam.

Smell: loads of spice, yeast, and hint of chocolate.

Taste: big caramel sweetness with plenty of yeast, pepper, clove, plums, figs, nutmeg, and a moderate bitterness is wrapped in a warming alcohol blanket. Complex beer.

Mouthfeel: medium-heavy in body. Lightly crisp to start, smoother and a bit dry at the finish. Long aftertaste as the flavors linger in the mouth.

Drinkability: alcohol kicks this down a notch. A real slow sipping beer that provides a nice warming feeling. Wonderful beer to enjoy over a longer period of time.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2009 18:14:24 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml cage-corked bottle, poured into tulip glass:

Pours caramel-to-dark brown colored, with nice-looking hues. Shiny. A thin, foamy, off-white head sits atop, gradually descending to wisps. Not much lacing sticks. It could have better head-retention and lacing, but it has a beautiful color.

The smell is of rich caramel/toffee with a variety of fruits ranging from nectarine and citrus/tropical to dark fruits. A light spicing and some grassy bitterness mix in. Very complex and inviting. Rich and aromatic.

The taste follows the nose wonderfully. Complex and layered. A mix of rich caramel and toffee mixes with a wide range of fruitiness, from berry-ish to tropical/citric to dark. Slight vanilla and light wintery spicing and a bitterish touch in finish blend and balance it well. Some booze mixes in as well.

Pretty effervescent, it hits full-bodied.

A very rich, complex brew. Truly a winter treat! Drinks well despite noticeable 10% abv.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2009 16:36:24 | More by jwc215

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to frederickTbunky for bringing two bottles down south from the 'Shire.

A: The BSDA is appropriately dark, a murky blend of red and brown earthtones. The hues are dark enough to render the ale opaque, albeit with a twilight glow near the base. There isn't much head lingering around, just a thin band around the mouth of the glass.

S: A winter warmer if ever I've smelled one. The spice profile is crazy. I pick up cardamon, coriander, anise, caramel, ginger and Sam Adams Summer Ale (Thank you, grains of paradise). A rich, warming aroma.

T: The spice profile grabs hold of the ale immediately, taking control and stearing it. The cardamom, as with all cardamom beers I've ever had, is dominant, creating an 'exotic' flavor is seems much more eastern geographically than Belgium. Dark malts and the Belgian yeast add depth, including pear fruits, along with candi sugars. In addition to the cardamom, coriander and grains of paradise, along with sharp anise and ginger, all make appearances. The richness of the ale masks its strength, a bit dangerous if you're not careful. The finish is a sweet fortified mixture that could pass for an digestif liqueur.

M: The mouth is riddled with exotic spices, amping up the flavor exponentially. The ale seems to have evolved from its initial release last BCTC. I like the direction, Ommegang's version of a quad.

D: A whopper of a beer, with the full flavor and significant alcohol content. The anise and cardamom fire on all cylinders.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2010 21:54:37 | More by akorsak

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had a snifter at the Gingerman in Manhattan. It appeared hazy brown with a short tan head. This reminded me of a St. Bernardus 8 in that there's a caramel syrup character along with the mild ester and spice. For the most part this is a fine sipping beer. It's not the most complex dark Belgian, but smooth and delicious nevertheless.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2011 04:20:22 | More by tempest

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cloudy, dark amber color for this brew. Excellent head that recedes in a rocky way. Good Belgian lace, but spotty.

Lots of ginger in the nose with very little else left to detect.

Strong ginger and Belgian flavors. Slightly sweet, but the spicy ginger takes over for the finish. Think true Ginger Ale. Rich body with an appropriate carbonation. Some darker malts, but it's the ginger the makes this brew. One of the best ginger beers I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2009 22:24:45 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

4.33/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks goes out to jwc215 for this one.

750ml
Caged/Corked

2100th review!

Poured into a Watou glass a nice clean/clear dark amber/ruby color, nice carbonation, nice little fizzy off-white head, with some sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, with some yeast notes, dark fruits, banannas, and caramel. The taste is sweet, malty, yeasty, nice touch of dark fruits/banannas, and caramel. Medium body, the ABV is hidden very well for this brew. Very drinkable, this one is very nice.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2010 00:40:24 | More by Wasatch

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a two finger, cream head that fades very slowly leaving a good lace. Hazy amber color. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Nose is light holiday spice. Flavor is spicy malts, hints of orange peel. Nice winter ale. Pricey at $15.00 for a caged and corked 750ml bottle from Tully's Beer & Wine Wells, ME.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2010 23:28:27 | More by jdhilt

Billolick

New York

4.33/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had a taste or two of this at the recent BA Belgian fest in Boston, glad to see it today at DeCiccos's in Ardlsey, NY. $13.99 for the typical Omme. caged and corked Belgian style bomber. (w/o vintage dating BTW.) Dark brown, cloudy, darker khaki head, huge initially, slowly, slowly turning to a thicker film, collar and then respectable larger blots of lace. Sweet malty nose with hints of rum, raisins, figs, dark ripe fruit. BSDA in feel, tasty and personality. More sweet malt, rum notes, raisins, figs, light smoke, chocolate, thoroughly delicious, w/ 10% nowhere in sight. Complex, tasty and oh so wintery good. High quality sipper. Seek out and enjoy

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2009 01:28:02 | More by Billolick

Zorro

California

4.35/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Chill hazed brown colored ale with a tall light brown colored head.

Smell is strong brown sugar with bruised banana and fig with some dates too. Spices are in here to, cinnamon and clove. Strong gingerbread cookie aroma. One of the best smelling beers out there.

Starts out sweet and spicier tasting than it smells. Sweetness abates quite a bit after a few sips and the alcohol can be sensed as warmness but not taste. Brown sugar and figs dominate the taste. Gingerbread and a little whipped cream. Very tasty.

Mouthfeel is full and slick damn close to drinking straight cream.

Overall, one of the best beers I have ever tasted.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 05:04:18 | More by Zorro