Rare Vos (Amber Ale) - Brewery Ommegang

BrotherDarryl

Texas

4.8/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

One of the best beers to be had. I found this as a three dollar beer pint night at the flying saucer. What a difficult name to remember though. Normally $5/pint. Good enough to make me want to sign up and make my first comment. The smell and the taste remind me of armangnac or calvados or perhaps an armenian brandy.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2013 01:40:05 | More by BrotherDarryl

HabiMendes

Rhode Island

4.58/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

I'll start saying that this beer is a winner. It pours as a beautiful amber beer, with a white, well-retained neck. The orange peel and spices are absolutely clear. It is so great. The palate has a caramelized malt, not at all sweet, showing wonderfully expressed pepper-like tones. The high carbonation, and the hops, well balanced with malt and spices, is what we expect from the style. The aftertaste brings us hops and... pepper! What a wonderful beer. Perfect for a more intellectual conversation (I'm sure the 6.5 ABV would help...).

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 03:37:09 | More by HabiMendes

LiquidAmber

Washington

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

Poured into an Ommegang flute glass. Pours a coppery golden amber with a three finger white head with good retention and lacing. Pleasant aroma of clove, peach, pear and citrus fruit, light banana, enticing. Flavor is relatively muted compared to the aroma, with biscuit malt, caramel , finishing somewhat dry with a lingering dry caramel aftertaste with hints of hops. Medium bodied with hints of creaminess. An unusual flavor combination that is well integrated so that individual caramel, light fruit and yeast flavors reveal themselves and fade away during the taste. I greatly enjoyed this ale, as I have all of Ommegang's offerings.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 02:33:36 | More by LiquidAmber

silverking

Florida

4.26/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A- Pours a hazy amber with a frothy off-white head. head retention is excellent and it leaves thick sheets of lacing down the sides of the glass.

S- Clove, bready malt, and an underlying zesty fruitiness.

T- Orange zest, Corriander, clove, bready malt again. The finish has a slight hop bite and comes across dry.

M- Medium bodied and creamy. Carbonation is very lively and it adds a bit of depth to the beer.

O- Amazing. Try it.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 23:25:19 | More by silverking

DMXLOX22

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a single of this bottle after a quick visit to a grocery store. Been hearing a lot of great things about this one. Let's see how it is.

Appearance: Pours a golden, amber hum with a look of butterscotch. Provides and shows off a beautiful frothy, white, foamy head. So professionally done, it could've been a postcard inviting you to just dive in and enjoy the pure Belgian style. The lacing left behind is something that I've been looking for and this beer nailed it.

Smell: Can definitely notice a aroma of strong peach-like, fruity scent. Clove is also noticeable and what else pulls through is an undertone of Belgian yeast.

Taste: Has a great flavor of sweet malt and some nice touches of earth-based fruits and citrus zest. Also quite noticeable is a hint of peppery malt which actually helps support a bitterness of yeast that really actually ties this together and creates a well-balance of flavors. An underestimated hint of floral hops also comes into play. Enjoyed this beyond my early expectations. Its a combo of creamy and rich flavors

Mouthfeel: Medium body with medium carbonation. Sort of soft on the palate and semi dry on the finish.

Overall: Upon coming into this beer, I was told great things by beer lovers alike. I did come into this with an open mind and tried to stay as unbiased as possible. It far exceeded my expectations. The overall balance of sweet and bitter came together just right and provided me with a texture of just pure, Belgian style beer. I will be getting this beer again as a great session brew and would totally recommend this to anyone looking to expand into the Belgian beer market. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 02:16:51 | More by DMXLOX22

Dave1999

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a slightly cloudy golden colour with a small white head and plenty of lacing.

The smell is cloves and pepper and coriander.

The taste is light malts, sweet with spices and very slight hop bitterness.

It's medium bodied with medium carbonation.

I really enjoyed this beer light and refreshing with enough flavour to keep me interested.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2013 20:16:31 | More by Dave1999

Utica_Brew_Review

New York

3.89/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice caramel straw color. Not amber. Smells sweet, with a citrus floral element--almost like a hefeweizen. Spicy aftertaste. The sweetness coupled with the citrus element work well. It grows on you and is definitely bitter-sweet. It covers a majority of the palate --bitter, sweet, citrus, spice, etc. Decent amount of carbonation. Nice summer (warm weather) beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2013 18:45:00 | More by Utica_Brew_Review

Muhly

Alberta (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

33 cl bottle poured into a brandy snifter.

A-amber with ruddy highlights. A good two fingers of white tightly knit head. Retention is low, but leaves a good layer once it has reduced. Lacing leaves small chunks and broken lines on the glass.

S-touches of apple and raisin with sweet bready malts. Some Belgian yeast floats throughout.

T-light malt sweetness with hints of pepper and fruit.

M-not effervescent, but there is a sense of a light biscuit on the tongue.

O-a nice complex Belgian beer that I could sip for hours. Lacks some yeast on the palate, but an otherwise tasty brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 04:04:30 | More by Muhly

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

3.05/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Into a chalice:

A: cloudy red body with a one finger white foamy head, slight carbonation is seen rising

S: Belgian yeast up front, cooked apples in the background only after a bit of warming

T: sharp slightly sweet through Belgian yeast and the apples combine with some bubblegum sort of flavor

M: light to medium, slightly sessionable (I thought this one would have been more sessionable, a bit surprised here), carbonation is adequate

O: interesting, wish there was a date on the bottle because I'm unsure how old this is, something seems a bit off but I don't want to blast this one, I need to come back to this, above are the numbers for now

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 16:17:16 | More by kangarooAdam59

breakingbland

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

At 7 Monks in Traverse City, MI, March 2013. From the bottle poured into a goblet.

Appearance: Cloudy deep honey. Small head that dissipated.

Aroma: Typical funky (good) aroma.

Taste: Typical spiciness with some pepper and some sourness. There was a subdued sweetness. A slight sourness lingers after swallowing.

Mouthfeel: Light to average carbonation. Nice to hold on the tongue which makes the carbonation is a little sharper.

I like this style very much and enjoyed this one -- especially the aroma and the rather complex flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 15:08:44 | More by breakingbland

Eeroomnhoj

Virginia

4.39/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Came home from the local wine store and had three bottles of beer. This was recommended as being a great beer and I am enjoying it. Seems a bit fizzy (or is it yeasty?). Enjoyable nonetheless. With that being said I am not sure I would want to drink several of these, might be wrong though. This is definitely a beer worth having again.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 01:08:51 | More by Eeroomnhoj

ianjsullivan

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

ST: 12oz poured into a wine glass.

A: Cloudy amber with a half-a-finger white white head.

S: Fruity, malt, earthy.

T: Dry malt, multigrain, pepper, and a noticeable medicinal edge in the finish.

M: Medium and creamy

O: A fine session beer (as the label suggests). Rare Vos has an enjoyable dry malt flavor with an edge of spice that would work well with most foods. Since it is not clingy or too heavy, it is enjoyable in more than one doses.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 19:09:26 | More by ianjsullivan

mscudder

Georgia

3.96/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Served in a snifter.

A - Cloudy amber body with a massive frothy head. Fair retention with light lacing.

S- Belgian yeast, citrus, caramel, mild hops and floral notes. Nice.

T - Sweet malts tie together Belgian yeast and spices. Far from complex, but carries good simple flavor.

M - Creamy light/medium body with big carbonation.

O - A nice BPA that should not go overlooked.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 04:00:28 | More by mscudder

BeerManDan

California

4.24/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

The color when poured was reddish copper-amber, with loads of tight white foam and lace on the side of a tulip glass. Make sure you pour slowly or you'll get nothing but foam. The aroma was of yeast, spices with a fruity hint. The taste had a very pleasant carbonated bitter/sweet yeasty flavor, with spices with a very pleasant aftertaste. Nice combination of components to this fine Belgium Amber Ale. Another winner by Ommegang Brewing Co.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 22:23:39 | More by BeerManDan

falloutsnow

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From: Binny's, Bloomingdale, IL
Date: "9/25/12" stamped on bottle, but uncertain if this is bottled on or best by date
Glass: New Belgium globe glass

Ommegang has a solid, highly drinkable Belgian pale ale with Rare Vos, which sits well with any time of the year (while drinking this in winter, I can equally see myself enjoying it in summer with ease). The Belgian yeast and its byproducts are of major emphasis, along with a noticeable malt component, offering a wide variety of flavors to focus more deeply into. The beer's appearance and feel across the palate are equally complementary. As a whole, this is an excellent Belgian style ale.

Pours a tall (>3cm) head of fairly compressed, small bubbles that are quite frothy-looking, slowly fading (retention is quite good) to a solid cap resting atop the body. Lacing is modest, but present, small dots and lines cover a fair amount of the glass' inner surface. The body itself is a fairly rich, dark, cold orange-brown color, with light bringing out deep, cold, goldenrod yellow tones. Carbonation is visible through the semi-hazy body, moderately active as it streams up the sides of the glass.

Aroma of Belgian yeast heaviness with pineapple, toffee, boiled wheat, and nutmeg and clove-like phenolics.

Front of palate picks up mild toffee with stronger Belgian yeast with nutmeg and clove-like phenolics. Mid-palate of toffee, boiled wheat, Belgian yeast, fairly sharp bitterness from hop choice or yeast byproducts, and reduced nutmeg/clove-like phenolics. Back of palate picks up still sharp bitterness, nutmeg and clove-like phenolics, with a mild malt character. Aftertaste of Belgian yeast, modestly sharp bitterness, and a noticeable backbone of light caramel malt sweetness.

Beer is medium-bodied, with carbonation of moderate intensity, which somehow manages to never feel fizzy on the palate, but still completely foam up as it moves across the tongue. The result is a soft and foamy (redundant, I know) mouthfeel that closes out quite dry, with little residual stickiness. Excellent.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 04:47:33 | More by falloutsnow

Mavigo

Michigan

4.35/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bought a 3 for 2 Ommegang box set consisting of Three Philosophers, Hennepin and this from Costco during the holiday season, a good deal. Served this in a snifter.

A: Pours a hazy light orange color, with a short, but long retaining white head with bits of lacing.

S: Has a pleasant aroma, wheat, citrus, hops, malts, spices, grapes, champagne tinges to it.

T: Good flavor, wheat, barley, malt sugars, yeast, honey, grapes, citrus, and hints of hops, very robust, a little bit bitter at the end.

M: Bit higher on the carbonated side, but it is complemented well with its robust and refreshing flavors, a full bodied beer but smooth at the same time.

O: Another incredible beer from Ommegang, fairly light, compared to other Ommegang beers that I've tried, but it's a great beer. I got it for an incredible deal, normally it would be a bit more expensive, but I would say it is worth it, its got its reputation behind it, recommended by for everyone, superb.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 02:26:03 | More by Mavigo

chinchill

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

Rare Vos poured from a chilled bomber bottle was hazy amber in the glass, with a creamy, durable off-white head. The nose is fruity, more so than the lightly fruity flavor. The flavor also has some peppery spice and nutty yeast. Some delicate hops in the mildly bitter finish and aftertaste.

M: good body, appropriate to style, and finishes dry.

O: more than credible US version of this Belgian style.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 02:37:10 | More by chinchill

Ranz

Texas

4.15/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Poured into my Flying Saucer Father's Day glass, this amber ale has a nice orange-copper tone. It created about a finger of foamy head that spritzes away in nice dollops. The 750mL bottle has an incredibly class presentation. I really like Ommegang's new designs.

S: As the bottle testfies, the orange peel and coriander are very present here. There's also a nice Belgian-y funk that I'm really enjoying.

T: The herbal spice works beautifully with the banana and clove profile from the yeast. You get the subtlety of the coriander here, too.

M: It's a lot more buttery than I would have expected from looking at it. It has some play for carbonation, but overall quite creamy for mouthfeel.

O: This would be a fantastic gateway beer for someone hesitant to wade the dark waters of true Belgians. Ommegang, keep 'em coming.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 02:16:05 | More by Ranz

pkalix

California

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

pours a nice color- does apricot convey it well? orange-y-amber, for the head is loose with larger bubbles and dissipates quickly into a nothing.
smell is a little fruit-like, typical of a belgian, but in an attempt to hone it down i came up with 'cotton candy'. yeah, i'll stick with that...
taste is green apple up front(?) with some other crisp fruity flavors. i think this is the first wanna-be duplicate brew which actually has some great(er) characteristics than the original. the taste is right up front and clearly defined. right off the vine, fruit taste. almost a bit candy-like, with a greasy superficial flavor not unlike a flavored pack of Twizzlers (which, for licorice, i abhor- Red Vines are the best).
i wrote this as i continued tasting it and my feelings for it continued to evolve. i understand the description seems a bit strange but i stand by it and as i am left with an almost-empty glass i feel confident in what i just tasted. the taste is most definitely like a 'sour apple' Jolly Rancher, but if it had billed itself as such we'd all be trying to derive that and probably be disappointed. this is absolutely my description of it in a nutshell. or a shot glass. i think i need to look at their website to see what/how they describe it... 2nd thought-forget it. after checking in i remember what a struggle it is to get around their website.
there is a funky taste to it, but it's not over-powering and i dont hold it against the review. it's still a great brew and one i will recommend....

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 02:01:44 | More by pkalix

mountdew1

New Hampshire

4.01/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ML Poured into a Ommengang Rare Vos glass. A medium amber color with a white bubbly head. Head had been 2 fingers thick, before settling to a tin head with lots of side cling. Fair amount of carbonation rising from the bottom. Primary aroma was a yeasty smell, with a hint of pepper undertone. Flavor a peppery spice, with a finish of a slight hoppy kick. Felt reaonable in the mouth, a bit of kick on the tongue, with a bit of texture and chew. Overall, not bad, but the low ABV seemed to pack a more of a punch than it really did.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 23:02:34 | More by mountdew1

curasowa

New York

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

Appearance: Clear, amber color with a huge head that fades slowly with chunky lacing.

Aroma: Crisp and fruity, with notes of citrus zest, pear, a hint of banana and yeast.

Taste: A mildly nutty malt base starts it off before a rush of carbonation prickles your tongue, followed by a whole jumble of flavors swirling around. There is definitely some metallic/phenolic notes mixed in with slightly spicy, citrus hop bitterness and that unmistakable Ommegang Belgian yeast. Finishes fairly fast and clean with some nutty/metallic aftertaste.

The Rest: Quite enjoyable, although I think it tastes better on tap; I don't get so many of the metallic notes as I do from the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 01:01:03 | More by curasowa

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

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

Poured into a snifter.

A: Hazy orange-brown with two-finger, white, fizzy head that lasted several minutes and left a nice film. Great lacing.

S: Yeast, citrus and spice.

T: Moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Fruity candy and bananas. Belgian spice.

M: Medium bodied with lively carbonation. Really crisp.

O: Really good BPA. The smell was a bit of a let down after I tasted teh Abbey Ale, but not bad at all. This beer looks really awesome in a snifter.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 01:43:49 | More by SolipsismalCat

fmccormi

New York

4.24/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Straight pour from a 12oz pry-off bottle to a tall Ommegang flute; bottling date of September 19, 2012 and a freshness date of September, 2013 printed in black ink on the neck of the bottle (“PKG 0N 09/13/2012 BEST BY 09/2013”).

Appearance (4.5): This is a beautiful, beautiful beer: three fingers of cream-colored foam rise quickly off the pour, fading slowly to a thick, fluffy cap with rolling indentations like a damn meadow or something. The body is a rich, glowing amber-orange color with reddish hues, evenly hazy but not cloudy or particular—just clear enough to see little streams of bubbles. The head leaves great lacing, with fat, wide-arcing patches of thick foam.

Smell (4.25): Love the aroma on this: rich, warming spices (clove, ginger, coriander) mixed with a mix of dried pit fruit scents (apricots, dates, some plum). The malt body has a nice, moderately deep but not sticky caramel-ish complexity. There are some light scents of hay and lemon zest, in Ommegang’s very characteristic way.

Taste (4.25): The palate lightens up compared to the nose, giving some very juicy melon and citrus flavors without the acidic character you’d expect from a hoppy IPA—but it’s underlaid with modest caramel and rich, bready malt character. The spices are just as present in the nose, but more pronounced: coriander, ginger, some white pepper, maybe a bit of clove—and they’re cut off with a short, bright, herbal bitterness that dies off a bit and then lingers. As it warms, the beer gets richer in the fruit character and deeper in its spiciness—the spiciness becomes very, very pronounced, but doesn’t upset the balance. Great character for a Belgian Amber Ale.

Mouthfeel (4.0): A bit overactive carbonation, with an active, prickly sensation accompanied by a fluffy foaming action on the way down, expanding rapidly. The body finishes dry, showing off a lighter-than-medium weight and character that picks up the herbal finish to dry it out.

Overall (4.25): There’s a reason this has been one of Ommegang’s best sellers for years. Actually, several reasons. It has a fantastic balance of depth and character for a beer its size—it kind of reminds me of what a “baby Quad” might taste like, with a farmhouse side to it—and yet it’s still very easy to drink, and has something for everyone who enjoys Belgian styles of beer. Rare Vos is a winner.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 02:26:42 | More by fmccormi

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

4.11/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle poured into an Ommegang tulip.

Appearance
Orange/amber with 2-3 fingers of creamy, white head. Very hazy with good retention. Low carbonation.

Nose
Coriander, clove, caramel, orange zest, lemon zest and perhaps nutmeg?

Taste
The spices are a little more balanced in the taste. Coriander, clove and orange zest. Good amount of banana and caramel as well as notes of plantain and bubblegum. The spices lead the finish along with hints of tobacco, citrusy/earthy hops and potpourri.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, crisp and dry.

Overall
This is obviously in the same family as Hennepin. Similar taste profile, but more malty. Very balanced and just an excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 18:48:44 | More by justintcoons

kylehay2004

Florida

3.35/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2 finger frothy head with excellent lacing on a cloudy orange with amber and brown hues body. Dark fruit, yeast, some citrus, caramel malts. this one is really bland actually. Flavor is the mosty unidimensional with some herbal and bland barley up front moving to orange peel citrus otherwise nothing else. Light to medium body and moderate to high carbonation. I was expecting a lot from this one and it was very disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 14:03:57 | More by kylehay2004