Day 130 / May 10, 2011
Brewey Ommegang / Cooperstown, NY
A | NG | P | G | VG | O |
So the hipster cashier at the Westover Market in Arlington seemed jealous when I was buying this bottle of Ommegang Hennepin Farmhouse Saison. “Dude, enjoy that beer – it’s like my favorite.”
What do you know? Dude was right! And over 1700 beer drinkers with opinions on Beeradvocate.com seem to agree, giving it an average score of A-.
This beer is crisp and refreshing – and complex and flavorful at the same time. Like Saison Dupont, it is bottled conditioned, but it doesn’t seem to have as much carbonation as that beer (which is a good thing).
But be forewarned, while this is an excellent, highly drinkable beer, it does pack a high alcohol content (7.7%). So while I’m sitting here at home polishing off a 750ml bottle by myself (my wife sampled it, liked it, but she already has her wine for the night), I would suggest that you split a bottle with a friend – a very good friend. They will definitely thank you for it. And fortunately, Hennepin is available year-round, unlike most other saisons.
By the way, according to the label, Father Hennepin was the Belgian missionary who discovered Niagara Falls. Imagine that scenario, little old missionary, just tooling down the river in his canoe. Gradually, he notices that he’s making pretty good time. And then… how do you say, “Oh crap!” in Flemish??
I almost gave this beer an Outstanding, but while it was very good, I felt the Ommegang Rare Vos was just that much better. Note to self: A visit to Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown is in order for this year.
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