Ommegang Abbey Ale

“The most profound joy has more of gravity than of gaiety in it.”
– Michel Eyquem De Montaigne (from the Ommegang label)

Ommegang’s Dubbel is called, simply, Ommegang Abbey Ale. It was the brewery’s first beer and, as you make have guessed, namesake. But that simple name belies a rich and deliciously complex beer that would stack up favorably against any true Belgian Dubbel.

And though this won’t make the news channels, I’m also pleased to report this Dubbel gives me the first opportunity to use my Ommegang chalice with an Ommegang beer!

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Ommegang Hennepin

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
– Marcel Proust (from the Hennepin label)

Having recently discovered saisons, I’ve been looking forward to trying Ommegang’s take on the style with Hennepin.

Let’s start with the introduction to Hennepin listed on the Ommegang website:

As you pour this rich golden ale into your glass, consider your surroundings. Are you in a restaurant? Outside on the deck? Is it hot and humid? Cold and brisk? Take a drink. Feel the way Hennepin is bright and lively in your mouth with a warming mix of spicy gingersnap and citrusy hops. Refreshing. Relaxing. It’s true: no matter where you are, Hennepin is the perfect ale for all seasons.

My 12 ounce bottle poured a pale, yellow-gold and very hazy beer that filled the top of my tulip glass with white foam. Hennepin’s aroma reminded me of a witbier — citrus, wheat, spice (coriander and more), and a honey-like sweetness. There seemed to be none of the wet-leather, sweaty horse aroma I though you’d find in saisons. As I drank, hints of that wild aroma eventually emerged but it would be missed if you weren’t looking for horseblankets.

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Ommegang Rare Vos

“A morsel of genuine history is a thing so rare as to be always valuable.”
–Thomas Jefferson (from the Rare Vos label)

Ommegang week continues with Rare Vos, a Belgian-style Amber Ale.

According to the label:

Rare Vos is Flemish for “Sly Fox” and the name of one of Brussels’ great cafés. It is also the name of our cunning Belgian-style Amber, which sports a mellow, fruity character and an elusive spiciness.

My 12 oz bottle of Rare Vos poured a very pretty sunset red-orange color, creating a pillowy, white head redolent with a yeasty, fruity, floral aroma and a hit of clove-like spice — easily the best smelling amber ale I’ve had all year! This beer is so unlike the other ambers, it makes me question the label’s “Amber Ale” designation.

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Ommegang Witte

“He who has provoked the shaft of wit, cannot complain that he smarts from it.”
– Samuel Johnson (from the Ommegang Witte label)

Today I begin a series of Ommegang beers — for the next few days I’ll be going through some of the most popular creations of this Belgian-inspired brewery in Cooperstown, NY.

I discovered Brewery Ommegang after developing an affinity for Duvel a few years ago — Duvel purchased Ommegang and leverages the the American brewery for distribution here in the U.S., so I decided to try a few of the 750 ml Ommegang bottles that accompany Duvel on shelves.

For this beer-a-day challenge, I managed to find 12 oz Ommegang bottles — so as much as I’d enjoy the bigger bottles, each beer in this week’s Ommegang series will be the single serving variety.

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Big Daddy IPA

Prohibition has long since been repealed, so the only password you’ll need to access tonight’s beer is the birth date on your driver’s license. Even so, I can definitively report those peephole eyes on the bottle neck can make you paranoid.

Especially when you open the fridge for a midnight snack — Big Brother has the night off, so Big Daddy is watching!

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers is the second largest brewery in San Francisco (behind Anchor), and they’ve created a fairly easy-going, hoppy brew with Big Daddy IPA.

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Last Consumed:

My wife and I usually select a Christmas Tree during the weekend after Thanksgiving, and we were thrilled to discover the farm down the road from us is selling trees this year. She and I stopped by the farm while walking our Boston Terrier, Caesar, who helped us sniff out a good one. After my wife and I dithered over the best tree for several minutes, Caesar weighed in with his selection by lifting his leg on a plump Fraser Fir.

I hope that means he liked it.

The tree went up on my shoulder, I carried it home (drawing chuckles from several people driving by), and our Christmas season officially began. We’ve been listening to Christmas music, drinking hot chocolate, and generally sickening all humbugs spying through our windows.

So it should come as no surprise that I’ve selected the “Hoppy Christmas Ale” from Belgium’s Brewery De Ranke. The beer — Père Noël (imported by Shelton Brothers) — intimates the reason for Father Christmas’ jolly cheeks and rosy nose; the label depicts Santa embracing the frothy, 7% ABV Strong Pale Ale.

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