A Gang of Ommegang

There are a few sounds that grab my attention more than the “click-clack” of a woman’s heels down the sidewalk. The champagne “pop” of a big bottle bottle of Ommegang is one of them. It’s a pop of impending goodness. Get your hands on this stuff. You owe it to yourself.

Ommegang Hennepin and Abbey Ale

It’s been a little while since I’ve been able to kick back on a Sunday and enjoy a couple of tasty beverages while watching football. Given the hiatus, I departed my normal six-pack routine in favor of a couple of interesting “big boy” bottles both from Cooperstown, NY brewery – Ommegang. First up.. The Hennepin…

Ommegang Hennepin

I didn’t realize this was a pale ale. Hennepin is actually a classic Belgian “saison” beer. A “saison” is a old school pale ale from the French speaking regions of Belgium that originally had a low alcohol content. Today’s brews bolster a much higher alcohol with Hennepin pushing 8% but it didn’t wreck the flavor at all. As a matter of taste, however, this beer tastes more like a cross between Blue Moon and Hoegaarden than it does a traditional pale ale (it’s even cloudy like a wheat beer).  I rarely “fruit” my beer but I tossed in a slice of lemon for shits and giggles and it actually accentuated the flavor nicely. Proof again that you shouldn’t mistake this as a traditional pale ale.

Ommegang Abbey Ale

There’s tasty goodness… and then there’s really tasty goodness. If you like the darker Duvel’s you’ll love this brew. The boys up in Cooperstown really have nailed that old world favor. Admittedly, I tagged this after (directly after) the Hennepin AND I left it in fridge a little too long. I like my beer really cold but didn’t plan on drinking this one at the near freezing point. It really should be a cool beer, not a cold beer to really be appreciated. Still, the flavor carried well and it was an enjoyable brew to the end.

Ommegang Brewery
Hennepin & Abbey Ale
Cooperstown, New York

Filed by Mr. Joshua at December 7th, 2009 under I like cold beverages