Rare Vos (Amber Ale) - Brewery Ommegang

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

mzwolinski

California

4.18/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

An Amber ale, very well carbonated with a thick and creamy head. The aroma is slightly sour, orange-like and fruity. As it warms it develops a malty richness. Very nice. Taste starts with a big malty sweetness, followed by some darker fruits (fig perhaps) and spices. Somewhat dry, sour finish, with a mildly sweet aftertaste. Quite drinkable, even if not quite up to the standards of the brewery's namesake beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2002 20:52:37 | More by mzwolinski

tigerpaws

South Carolina

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

Another winner from Brewery Ommegang! Pours a nice cloudy amber with a frothy tan head. The aroma is a mixture of fruits, spices and malt. The taste IMO was somewhere between an Ommegang and Hennipin, less fruity the the O and not as hoppy as the H. It was more of a malt taste with hints of subtle hops and fruit/spice flavor. This beer is a very drinkable brew which can be enjoyed with food, but I prefer to sit back and just enjoy it by itself as I relax................CHEERS

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2002 06:10:36 | More by tigerpaws

BeerAngel

Texas

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

Pours a slightly hazy orange color with a massive 3 finger off white head with staying power. The smell is that of a slight yeast with fruity esters and a touch of spice. The taste is a very well balance with spices, slight fruit, and light hops with yeast in the background. It does not have a sticky mouthfeel like a lot of Belgian-style brews I've had. This is one fine tasting Belgian-style brew! Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2002 16:52:30 | More by BeerAngel

ADR

Pennsylvania

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

Hazy brown/nutmeg color, head dies down to a side-clinging trace after a while...slight yeast aromas, quite a bit of spiced apples going on in the smell. Coating mouthfeel, sense of fruitiness ranging toward apple and peaches with a simulation of an estery feel. Attenuates mid mouth with an astringent (straying to sour) close and a somewhat dryish finish. Impressed with Ommegang again, to my tastes, a good beer that's not quite as good as their flagship brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2002 09:13:06 | More by ADR

Jordan

California

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

Fruity nose of apple, currant, passion fruit, a little musk. Champagne-like carbonation activity. Mildly sweet, slightly sour, turning peppery in the finish. Well balanced, but I'm inclined to say the hopiness is most assertive, undoubtedly in the finish. Enjoyed best around 60 degrees F.

A good beer by my standards, however less refined than what I would expect from the grand masters at Ommegang.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2002 21:44:36 | More by Jordan

Murph

Arizona

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

Pours a cloudy peach/orange color with a slightly fizzy head that leaves an excellent lace all the way down the glass. Slightly tart smell with some apples, peaches, and other lighter fruits. Great starting fruitiness that has a nice refreshing tartness to it with some definite apple, raisin, orange zest, and some sweet candy flavors as well. The sweet fruitiness is offset nicely by just enough earthy noble hop flavors. The brew is slightly effervescant across the tongue and also rather smooth as well. This is one very drinkable brew regardless of the time of year. They just don't seem to know how to make anything that isn't excellent at this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2002 11:51:52 | More by Murph

Bighuge

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer is a blazing orange and has thick, meringue-like topping that is well retained. Some fruity and yeasty tones are evident on the nose. Almost a bit of a musty smell as well. Light to medium body. Carbonation seems just right. Very mellow and drinkable beer. Some light notes of wood and smoke. Also get fruits (Grapes?) and bready yeastiness. Some hebal qualities seem to surface as well. No hint of alcohol on my buds. Nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2002 20:07:35 | More by Bighuge

zerk

California

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

This is one of my favorite "value for my beer dollar" brews. A complex, and very drinkable Belgian-style ale for $4.50 per 750ml? I almost feel like I'm stealing from the liquor store.

Cloudy orange/amber with a persistant foam. The lace on this beer has staying power, and leaves a trail all down the glass. Floral and spicy in aroma, with clove and maybe pepper notes. The flavor is malty sweet and spicy, with a pleasant hop bitterness at the end. Medium to full body, with wonderfully balanced flavors.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2002 09:09:34 | More by zerk

mickeymac

California

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

It's a very nice golden-orange with a fluffy white head that leaves lace all the way down the glass. The smell is subtly spicy. The taste is also a bit spicy, but quite mellow and understated. It goes down like silk and is very drinkable. I enjoyed this the most of Ommegang's offerings.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2002 19:50:25 | More by mickeymac