Rare Vos (Amber Ale) - Brewery Ommegang

TXHops

Texas

2.28/5  rDev -44%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Coriander. Slippery, Bain de Soleil-in glass-like coriander. This beer smells, tastes and feels exactly like coriander-infused sun tan lotion in a bottle. Disclaimer for any who might not know—I don’t like spiced beer and I especially don’t like coriander in my beer. It tastes too much like vegetables for me. In this case, Ommegang has taken that flavor profile to a whole new level. I think I can maintain some degree of objectivity, but we’ll see…

The beer pours an orangey-gold color with a pretty good sized head by American standards and a sub-par offering on the Belgian scale. The frothy, meringue-like character was non-existent, though a layer of white film lasted forever.

The aroma was coriander. Nothing but straight, in-my-face coriander. I smelled 5 or 6 times for something else, but I could only smell coriander. That being said, coriander in beer, to me smells like the aroma conjured up when I see the image of the nicely-bronzed little girl having her bum exposed by the overly-frisky family dog. Either sun tan lotion or celery. Is there a celery-scented Hawaiian Tropic product?

The flavor is the same, but with some depth. First, the greasy, celery-ish coriander smacked me on the tongue. Then I was granted a temporary reprieve by the green apple maltiness, flowed by some more Braeburn-like sweetness, before Banana Boat and cilantro fruit regained their strangle-hold on the flavors.

I hated, HATED this beer. But, I could appreciate how so many might like it. I was also impressed by the fact that the flavor didn’t follow in lock step with the aroma, offering up some nice appley tartness that was non-existent in the aroma. I will take off points for the possible addition of Coppertone and cabbage to the kettle, but I’ll be fair enough to recognize this beer strengths too…

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2003 20:17:36 | More by TXHops

longpondbeerman

Maine

4.15/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a well-balanced, though not overly complex, brew. It pours a cloudy, medium-dark amber with a light tan head which settles into a weblike lace. There is hoppy smell, but not much by way of spice. The mouthfeel is exquisite--cottony soft and a lightly fine carbonation. There's an initially tart taste--the hops--which fades deliberately into a slighly fruity finish. Very drinkable. I like everything about this brew and the brewery that makes it; they are clearly doing something right.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2003 16:21:31 | More by longpondbeerman

GreatPondBrewer

Oregon

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

750 ml bottle

I picked up some bottles after my trip to the brewery and I am extremely impressed. Out of the four beers they brew this is in the middle of the pack, but for this brewery that still means exceptional. Vos poured a sweet orange color with a fair bit of cloudiness and sediment. The head was white and ginormous as a good Belgian should be. The smell was spicy with just a subtle hint of hops. The taste was full bodied with a sweet malted characteristic and some hops and pepper in the back. Seeing how carefully they attend to the brews only made me appreciate this even more. I can't wait for my 750 of the abby.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2003 09:18:31 | More by GreatPondBrewer

Darkale

Virginia

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

One of the first Belgian-style beers that I have really enjoyed. Rare Vos erupts into a fast, loud, fizzy and cream-colored head of good retention and lacing, and is a cloudy red-orange in color.

The aroma is a wonderful and sweet sort of caramel and fruit mixture. The taste is full of syrup and fruit, with a bit of spice and hoppiness to balance the sweetness. As it warms, it just gets better. This is a fun beer to swirl around and play with for a while.

Complicated but not overbearing, spicy but not combative, Rare Vos is peppy and intriguing. Certainly a beer that I will purchase again, and I will probably put one or two in storage for a while, if I can keep my hands off them.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2003 20:05:29 | More by Darkale

ElGuapo

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A cloudy light cherry colored brew with a serious white foamy head that pillows on top. Lace is left all over the glass. Sweet cherries hit the nose followed by a little bit of roastiness and toasted grains.

It has a crisp start and it then smoothes out. There is a lot of cherry flavor, like a blend of black cherry soda and black cherries. Grains and yeast blend this one nicely. The flavoring is fairly complex with the fruits, grains, and yeasts all balancing out to make a delicious brew. I did not get any hint of alcohol, but then again, it is not that high in abv.

The body is medium, and it is full of flavors. The complexity is not too much as to scare people away. I would think that this would be a great beer to turn someone on to the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2003 06:42:35 | More by ElGuapo

AudioGilz

Pennsylvania

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

Unibroue can't go wrong. This beer pours with an enormous fluffy head. The aroma is dark fruits, malts, sweetness, and a touch of hops. This has such a beautifully smooth mouthfeel with a perfect amount of carbonation zing. It's sweet, a little spicy, some cloves and fruitiness as well. Not much to say other than buy this 750mL for the very far from objectionable price. Also buy this if you're looking for something more mellow than the higher ABV monsters that Unibroue makes.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2003 23:02:27 | More by AudioGilz

taez555

Massachusetts

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

Tried this beer in the 750ml corked bottle. This beer poured a nice thick white head that took a few minutes die down. The color was a hazy opaque brownish/amber. The nose was amazing. hints of fruit, plums, raisons, apples, yeast, with a few earthy woody notes. The initial taste on the other hand was rather disapointing compared to the nose. Rather bland, a mellow woody apple almost cider quality that was overshadowed by it's bitterness. The more I tasted this beer, it just kept coming up the same. A very complex light flavor that was just slightly overshadowed by it's bitterness. It seems this beer might be improved by 6 months or so of aging to mellow it out a little. The finish was short. A few spice notes and the subtle bitterness were all that lingered.
Compared to the other beers by ommengang I was a little let down by this beer. If you gave me a blind taste test of this beer next to a real belgian I havn't had yet I'd be hard pressed to tell which one was the American beer. It's an excellent belgian attempt. Ommengang stands alone in US belgian style beers, but this beer just fell a little short in my opinion. I might get another bottle and let it age for a while before trying it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2003 22:55:59 | More by taez555

BeerBuilder

Minnesota

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

Orangish-copper in color with an off-white head. Lieave a good amount of lacing. The aroma is sweet from candi sugar, with hints of raisins, dates, and toffee. The flavor is sweet, bread-like with raisin notes that flow into a dry alcoholic finish. This is a very good medium-bodied Belgian-style ale. I will definitely sample this one again.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2003 06:12:12 | More by BeerBuilder

scottum

Vermont

4.13/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Woah. Thems some brew. Pours a hazed red amber with a flowing white head. Fruity, spicy, grainish... what is it? Well for yeast sake, it's quite the belgiumish brew. Quite good indeed! Not the best Ommegang, but for a Belgium brew from the US this is up there for sure!

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2003 17:35:31 | More by scottum

BitteBier

Indiana

4.38/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy peachy amber color with active carbonation and a thick, persistent head. Crisp yeast scents complemented with fruity (apricot) notes and a bit of peppery spice. Yeasty but not bready--a creamy, smooth mix of light malts and hops topped off with the spiciness that shows up in the nose. Alcohol warmth shows up more and more as the beer warms up. Nothing dominates the flavor of this incredibly drinkable, but a bit watery, beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2003 19:12:55 | More by BitteBier

kunzbrew

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Corked 750 ml bottle with RARE VOS as the main type in the label.

Appearance: Hazy dark straw color with a nice white head that last for a while leaving a nice sexy lace behind.

Smell: Fruity pineapple smell pours out the top of the glass, along with grassy hop aroma.

Taste: A strong fruity flavor along with a mild metal taste that I am not quite sure of. The hops are light to non-existent, along with a malty taste.

Mouthfeel: This is light to medium body that is very nice, and welcomed.

Drinkability: I think I could have 4 or 5 of the bad boys and not realize that I was druling out the side of my mouth as I lay on the floor peeing my pants.

Overall: This is another great beer from Ommegang, it is sad to hear about the sale of the brewery, I am sure going to be pissed if these brews are changed at all.

Cheers

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2003 17:40:39 | More by kunzbrew

TheLongBeachBum

California

4.5/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Well after all this time, it’s finally happened, I have a bottle of Ommegang Rare Vos. It is from that very Belgium of sources, Cost Plus World Market in CA & at $4.49 it seems exceptionally under priced for a 750ml.
I love Belgium beers so I have always wondered what the offerings from Ommegang were like. Even more so, because the very first time I came across Ommegang was last Easter whilst in Belgium, strangely enough it was actually at the Rare Vos Café in Schepdaal (a rare lambic Café – see BeerFly).
The gold colored wire cage & steel cap were removed, exposing just the cork. A hard grip was need to remove it – a deep bass “thrupp” accompanied by a light blue cigarette smoke exhaust announced the exposure of this beer to the world since it was bottled.
Pours with a slightly milky but luminescent fiery glowing golden orange color, fast rising CO2 streamers are evident. The head is reasonable at first, but it settles to a low 1/4” collar for the duration of the drink. The beer is transparent at first, but subsequent top-ups from the bottle add some deep haze – hell, who cares.
I lean over the glass & breathe in, Holy Shit!!! - A mighty, deeply biscuit malty, musty smell punches me square in the face. Wow, my nose is more bruised than Michael Jackson’s. But thankfully mine is still its original color & firmly attached.
Tastes are awesome, from the initial Belgium dubbel yeastiness that is exhibited early on through to the highly complex & professional middle that reveals a complex apricot fruitiness, malts, hops & a classic dry fruity finish. Mouthfeel is smooth & dominant. Bloody Hell this beer is good. This is a serious class act. We are talking the best Belgium Style Ale that I have ever had brewed outside of Belgium. In fact, to be honest, this beer would easily “kick the arse” of several Belgium brewed beers.

Brewery (Brouwerij?) Ommegang is 3,624 miles from Brussels it says on the Bottle. Well in that case, I am even further away then, but as long as I can get keep getting this stuff in CA, I will be placated between my annual Easter Trips to Belgium. So, Cost Plus World Market it is tomorrow then to buy the rest of the Ommegang beers on their shelves. F*** Me!! $4.49 for a 750ml Bottle – that can’t be right can it???

An Awesome, High Quality Belgium ‘style’ beer brewed in the USA, now back under the direct control of a Belgium brewer. Is it idiosyncratic, or politically incorrect, to say that I hope the Belgium’s don’t mess about with this beer?????

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2003 21:42:48 | More by TheLongBeachBum

Realale

Missouri

3.65/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Deep hazy brass in color. Huge extremely fine and fluffy head settles slowly to a nice, fine, complete cap.

Nose is slightly rummy, with a lot of volatile fruit, especially pear, and just a hint of banana.

Palate is surprisingly simple and a bit watery. There is some malt, with a subtle clove/phenol note. The fruit is there again, with pear leading the parade, and banana making a fleeting appearance. Decent length, and easy to quaff, but there's just not a lot there. A disappointing performance for a beer from this fine brewery. I'll have to pick up another bottle to see if mine was representative.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2003 09:24:27 | More by Realale

cbl2

New York

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

Appearance: Orangish with good head

Smell: Fruity and malty

Taste: Effervescent with bubbles on the tongue; nice fruity character, somewhat cherry like; a nice imitation of beligian ale. This one goes down easier than the Ommegang Ale, though it lacks the character of that brew.

Drinkability: I really like the beers being produced by Ommegang. I just hope that with the recent announcement of their sale to the brewers of Duvel that they maintain the quality I've come to expect from them. If you've never had Ommegang, I urge you to do so now! Not to be missed.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2003 09:45:14 | More by cbl2

maxpower

Missouri

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

Pours a cloudy hazy golden-amber color, huge tightly bubbled clingy head that leaves long lasting lace in my glass. Flowery, spicy clean citrus aromas. Fruity and sweet spicy flavors, medium-full body, very lively carbonation, finish dry and crisp, very refreshing and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2003 10:37:22 | More by maxpower

kwill

Texas

4.2/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The slightly sweet and malty smell hit me as soon as I removed the bottle cap. This smell was coming from at least a foot and a half away, and out of a one inch diameter hole - I knew this was going to be a good beer :).

Appearance is a nice, cloudy amber. The taste has a slightly sweet and malty flavor with a very slight hoppy aftertaste.

A very good beer. I will definitely purchase this one again and try all of the other offerings from this brewer.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2003 19:40:15 | More by kwill

bditty187

Nebraska

4.15/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cloudy, hazy amber-honeyish hue, soft gold highlights. Fluffy dull-white head with handsome lace and soapy retention. Yeasty, citrusy, fruity, malty, musty, and faint pepper gathers as the nose, fragrant but not magical. Medium-bodied, peppery, very well carbonated, malt and yeasty-must battle for supremacy on the palate but the sweetness and fruitness are not to be ignored. Complex, a true pleasure to drink. Hard to believe that Rare Vos (and anything made by Ommegang) is domestic, a genuine treat from the Beer Gods… this is brew is recommend.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2003 11:46:12 | More by bditty187

philipt

North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Brewery Ommegang is one of the top 3 American brewers of Belgain style ales and Rare Vos certainly helps maintain this opinion.

Pours a copper/amber color with a sizeable head. Sweet, fruity, and floral nose. Malt, fruit, and some spice in the taste. Well balanced and finishes surprisingly dry. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2002 13:35:49 | More by philipt

CharlesRiver

Connecticut

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

Pours reddish amber in color with a 1/4 inch fluffy white head. The smell is malty with a hint of sweetness. The taste is Belgian all the way. Spicy, sweet and a hint of banana. I have had this beer a couple of times before but never had the chance to review it. It's like a baby Belgian Ale that just can't go all the way. I say that but I really love this beer. Another great offering from a great brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2002 16:57:42 | More by CharlesRiver

yen157

New Jersey

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

Fluffy, creamy slightly off-white head on top of a pretty, deep cider-looking beer. Toasted bread, yeast, and some esters round out the aroma. Malty and fruity in flavor with a touch of cider with related flavors including apple and spice. Tiny bit of bitterness from hops at the end of a swallow. Hop flavor there but not a key element to the taste. Less viscous than I had anticipated. Carbonation is bigger than I would have liked from this type of beer.

I've always liked this beer, just not as much as their others, Ommegang and Hennepin.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2002 19:27:39 | More by yen157

hyuga

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hazy dried apricot color with a large foam that settles quickly. I was a bit disappointed by the lack of head retention, since Belgians usually have no problem with this. Complex aroma of grape (making it a bit wine-like), plum, a bit of citrus, a touch of malt, and a hint of Belgian spicy yeast. Flavor profile differs a good deal from the aroma, but is also very complex, and definitely tasty. Bread-like malt, smoothed fruity bitterness, and yeast character up front, with an underlying yet rich spiciness. Dark fruits appear at the back, the aforementioned plum mostly. Grape-like acidity is present throughout. Finishes with a more apparent hop bitterness and a touch more yeast. Medium to full-bodied. With another pour from the 750 ml bottle and an immediate taste before the head settles, the mouthfeel is much better and the spiciness created by that wonderful yeast is more apparent. This would definitely benefit from better head retention. However, this is quite a tasty, complex, unique, and extremely drinkable ale. Definitely worth a try. I'd love to pair it with some food next time.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2002 22:59:07 | More by hyuga

jackndan

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Rare Vos: Year 2000 clearly stated on the label. Well cellared, and the beer was a effervescent treat. Pours an orange/gold, with a huge rocky head that lasts. The taste was particularly sweet and fruity, with a Champagne mouthfeel. A slight (very slight) taste of cider suggested that this had slightly passed its perfect age, but all-in-all it was very satisfying, and went very well with Thanksgiving dinner.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2002 09:27:08 | More by jackndan

bmills1608

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a hazy amber with a really nice fluffy head. Nose was somewhat mild with hints of fruit and an earth hop presence buy on the low side of the spectrum, sweet malt smell.

EXTREMELY drinkable and smooth. Easy malt with hints of tart apple, hay, yeast and spice. Fruitiness is more evident as it slowly warms, the flavor leans towards sweet, but is expertly balanced by an herbal finish.

Great beer, I am loving these Belgian styles.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2002 05:21:32 | More by bmills1608

Morris729

Texas

4.68/5  rDev +15%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a deep reddish golden straw color with a beautiful frothy white head with excellent clinginess. The aroma is a light fruitiness of banana and citrus mixed with a malty sweetness. A lovely taste of green apples, honey, citrus, malt, and hops with a somewhat dry finish. It has a very crisp and refreshing feel in the mouth. This was an outstanding beer! And, it’s a great buy at $3.99 for a 750ml!

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2002 19:30:20 | More by Morris729

Suds

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

An impressive, self-sustaining, rocky head tops this beer. The color is a ruddy, deep-amber that's very cloudy. The aroma is certainly yeasty and fruity, although not as intense as I'd anticipated. Also, there's some fleeting bananna and clove. Medium bodied and doughy....with a pleasing spicy flavor. I particularly sense cinnamon. As with other Ommegang brews that I've tried, the price is fantastic, while the beer is interesting and well-made.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2002 18:53:44 | More by Suds