This one of my home brews is of a style that I have definite plans to brew again at some point.  That is partly because I think I can do much better, but mostly because it is a style that I really enjoy drinking and especially in the summer months.  Just this week I was chatting with a guy visiting from California that gave me some really good tips on brewing a Saison, right down to the yeast he would suggest using.  Having that random conversation seems to be a message to me that I need to take another shot at it sooner than later.  I may never end of with something nearly as good as Hennepin, but I would like to keep trying.

Now on to the last of my home brew reviews for now . . .

Brewery: Blueprint Brewing (Winter Park, FL)

Name: Sai What?!

Style: Saison

ABV: 5.92% (+/-)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in my (now without stem) Ommegang glass.  Definitely the first and perhaps the only beer that I brew that will have an interrobang in the name.

Aroma: Mildly sweet (honey and citrus), fruity aroma with a low level of spice.

Appearance: Orange/honey in color.  Slight white head that quickly dissipates with some trail.  Somewhat hazy though rising bubbles are (barely) visible.

Flavor: Nice (somewhat sugary) sweetness up front with a very low hop bitterness and some light citrusy (lemon) notes.  Low herbal character in back (toward finish) with some slight dryness at the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with moderate to low levels of carbonation.  Smooth and slightly crisp.

Overall Impressions: Not bad as my first try at the style and certainly good enough to give it another attempt.  I would like it to have some more carbonation and perhaps I will experiment with different yeast on the next try.  Better after it warms just a bit.

Grade: B-(ish)

4813797152 f5110f63ec Blueprint Brewing   Sai What?!

Blueprint Brewing - Sai What?!

4813796988 289791464e Blueprint Brewing   Sai What?!

A little closer now

The “B Notes” are so much fun that I am back with another entry and actually a two for one.  I always have a folded scrap of paper in my pocket to take notes on and I am happy those scribbles have a place to live now.

If you missed the introduction of the new page check out the very first entry and the description by clicking on the dropdown under the “Tasting Notes” page above.

Now on to the first for today . . .

Brewery: The Bruery (Placentia, CA)

Name: Trade Winds Tripel

Style: Belgian Tripel

ABV: 8.00%

Location: Redlight Redlight – Teege at the bar

Tasting Notes:

  • Orange(ish) copper in color with a slight white head.
  • Sweet, slightly spicy aroma
  • Honey-like sweetness up front with nice herbal notes and a little bit of fruity flavor after.
  • Nice crispness and dryness at the finish
  • Slight warmth noticeable after it warms a bit.
4865452883 ecabbb0f7f The Bruery Trade Winds and CCB Guava Grove

The Bruery - Trade Winds Tripel

And now the second . . .

Brewery: Cigar City Brewing (Tampa, FL)

Name: Guava Grove

Style: Saison (perhaps Fruit Beer)

ABV: 8.00%

Location: Redlight Redlight – Teege at the bar

Tasting Notes:

  • Slightly cloudy/hazy orange to copper color having a frothy white head with good retention.
  • Sweetly sour aroma (slightly acetic?)
  • Somewhat tart up front with the ripened fruit flavor after (guava of course, though I am not familiar with that flavor).
  • Grows nicely on the palate as I drink (second sip and on).
  • Oddly addictive.
4866069714 980eb245fb The Bruery Trade Winds and CCB Guava Grove

Cigar City Brewing - Guava Grove (with DFH Palo Santo Marron to the left)

Very soon I actually have to go through my reviews and figure out when I will be through the ones that I lost the photos for.  On the other hand, with no visual here it makes for a bit of a scavenger hunt for those of you looking to find these beers based on my reviews.

This is a fairly well known and well liked brew (at least) among the people that I am around on a regular basis.  That may have had some influence in setting high expectations for when I finally sat down to evaluate it at home.  It is not that it is even close to one that I don’t like, but I do think that I enjoy it much less than some of my friends (and probably a lot of people out there).

On to the show . . .

Brewery: Unibroue (Quebec, Canada)

Name: La Fin Du Monde

Style: Belgian Tripel

ABV: 9.0%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the wine fridge (51 degrees +/-) and served in my Ommegang glass (tulip-like).

Aroma: A fairly slight aroma overall with a spicy hop nose (coriander and floral notes?) and a very light maltiness.

Appearance: Light golden color.  Three finger white head with a champagne-like head and a laced trail.  Pretty clear with many small rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Slight spiciness with some fruit notes (somewhat lemony) on a mild, malty background.  Overall is just shy of being sweet and has some very slight notes of alcohol.  Slightly dry finish with some phenolic notes.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light in body with high carbonation.  Somewhat creamy and effervescent / champagne-like on the palate.

Overall Impressions: The higher alcohol content is not too obvious and balanced in well with the overall flavor profile (a bit deceiving when drinking).  Good, not great for me but in line with others of the same style.   

Grade: B to B+

Look for a mostly black label with the name of the beer in white lettering wrapped around an illuminated map of Quebec and you will find it no problem.

After the frustration that was bottling my Pomegranate Hefeweizen, I was not exactly looking forward to doing the same with the Saison so soon after.  The good thing was that even though I was not equipped to keg it just yet, I did save quite a few of the 22 ounce bottles for the occasion.  Filling fewer bottles is at least one step in the right direction for this part of the process.  That and it seemed that a Saison deserved something more than a plain old 12 once bottle to live in.

4554036649 3848ec62a1 Saison Bottling

More large bottles makes for less work.

Now on to the bottling details of this one . . .

As usual, there are not too many additional details to share with the bottling process (especially when nothing goes wrong), but if you have more interest in how it happens check out the video for the Blueberry Chocolate Stout bottling.  There was nothing to add at bottling this time, but that video will give you the gist of it.

4554669706 cd9cf18d12 Saison Bottling

Always seems to be a different color coming through the siphon.

As usual I boiled ¾ cup of corn sugar in 2 cups of water, cooled it, then added it to the bottling bucket before racking the beer over.  This was all after rinsing the sanitized bottles and bottling equipment and allowing them to air-dry a bit.  Having more 22 ounce bottles in the mix made for fewer bottles overall and therefore slightly less work this time.

The final hydrometer reading left it with a specific gravity of about 1.0132 which was just about spot on to where it should have been and gave it a final ABV of roughly 5.92%.  That number was very slightly down from when it was racked to secondary fermentation, but I never consider my readings exact.

4554669852 aa82e8a08c Saison Bottling

Starting to learn from previous messes.

The taste and aroma did not change much from the sample I tried before racking to secondary.  It had some banana in the aroma with just a bit of spice.  It was light and incredibly easy drinking with some notes of lemon and some slight bitterness toward the finish.  I am pretty confident that this will turn out very well when finally carbonated.

Next up as I wait to sample this one will be racking and eventually bottling the Black Ale that has already been brewed.

4554669902 29de1a1aa4 Saison Bottling

Nothing to do now but wait.

Cousin Adam got a bottle of the Saison before its official release and I think that he will get to it before I actually review it.  Regardless, stay tuned for the official review!

If I had to pick one of the three segments of my brewing posts as the least interesting it would probably be the racking done in part two.  Now I say that since there is not too much to share with it being a pretty simple and quick process, especially when there are no additions to be made.  With that said, it is more interesting to me since it is the first taste I get after the yeast has done work for a week.  Until I figure out a way to better share that part of the experience you will just have to settle for a few of the details of this batch to keep you up to date on the progress.

4540096367 a6844d6f41 Racking A Belgian

The hard work is done.

If you are interested in a visual example of the racking process take a look at Part 2 of the Pomegranate Hefeweizen or maybe go way back to Part 2 of the Pumpkin Ale.

So the (in progress) Belgian Saison came in with a specific gravity of about 1.013 at the time of transfer that, for once in my relatively short brewing career, was spot on to what was expected of the recipe.  With a current ABV of approximately 5.95% it is slightly lower than originally desired though as expected with a slightly low original gravity.

4540729262 c8ba829e6f Racking A Belgian

Time to just sit back and watch.

4540729364 d2bc429632 Racking A Belgian

Back to the bathtub.

The sample (that I always drink after the hydrometer reading is done) had a bit of a banana aroma with a hint of spice.  It was light and incredibly easy drinking with notes of lemon and some bitterness towards the finish.  I thought it was quite nice overall (even at room temperature and flat) and cannot wait to taste it when carbonated.

4540729188 76a91dc81d Racking A Belgian

A beautiful sight.

So now it is back in the bathtub to clarify in secondary for a week or so before bottling (for which I have saved a bunch of 22 oz bottles).

Until then . . .

The intensity of my home brewing seems to be at one end of the spectrum or the other, with no real middle ground.  When I take a break from it I do not brew at all for months, but when I decide to brew I do a handful of brews in a relatively short period of time.  As I continued with the run of new styles for me, the next one up was a Belgian Saison, which should be a nice beer to have around for the upcoming summer season.

The video from the first part of the Pomegranate Hefeweizen is a good reference for this one as well since the initial setup is much the same.  Even though I am doing a different style, the actual brewing process really does not change a lot.

4523207470 87be68cba6 Brewing A Belgian

The grains as they come.

As with every batch, I do my very best to ensure that everything used for my brewing has been sanitized to the best of my ability before getting started.  With that, I again brought 2.5 gallons of water to about 160 degrees and put the following into the grain bag:

  • 1.75 lb Belgian Pilsner Malt
  • .5 lb White Wheat
  • .5 lb Flaked Wheat
  • .5 lb Aromatic Malt

The grains were then soaked for 45 minutes while maintaining the temperature at about 155 degrees.  I need to refine my methods a bit to better maintain that temperature, but I am generally close enough to not lose too much sleep over it.  The grain bag was then pulled out and I poured 2 quarts of 170 degree water over it to ensure all of the grainy goodness was not lost. I removed the pot from the heat and then added:

  • 3.5 lb Wheat Extract
  • 3.5 lb Extra Pale Extract
4523207610 0088781d03 Brewing A Belgian

Little green nuggets

Once the malt extract was stirred in, the pot went back on the heat until there was a good rolling (controlled) boil.  I set the timer for 60 minutes and then it was time for:

  • Bittering hops – 2 oz Tradition
  • Flavoring hops – No hops this time, though 2 Tbls. (+/-) Fresh Lemon Zest and .5 oz Crushed Paradise Seeds were added (last 15 minutes of the boil).
  • Aroma hops – 1 oz Crystal (last 5 minutes)
4522572903 fd2d1177fc Brewing A Belgian

Adding lemon zest was new for me.

4523207280 9b988ebfc3 Brewing A Belgian

As was adding Paradise Seeds

After the 60 minutes of boiling I was able to get everything pretty quickly down close to 80 degrees, though I again struggled with the last few degrees.  The room temperature in my house this time of year hovers around 80 as the windows are open to the outdoor air and breeze quite a bit, so getting liquid cooled to below that is a bit of a struggle sometimes.  Even with that I think that I have all of the bugs worked out of my method, so it should not be a problem next time.  That or I could build the wort chiller instead of continuing to put it off.  I think if I keep writing it down maybe I will eventually get to it.

4523207128 41914fbdd3 Brewing A Belgian

Some of what is left after straining.

4523207416 74eb0094a2 Brewing A Belgian

Throwing in some extra beasties this time.

When the temperature was at roughly 84 degrees (with water added to about 5.25 gallons) I pitched in the bloomed SafBrew T58 dry yeast that I was using for the recipe.  Since the specific gravity was to be pretty high (and higher than I have ever brewed), I went with the two packets of yeast that were recommended in the recipe.  The yeast was bloomed by adding both packets to 2 cups of warm water and letting it sit for 15 minutes.  I then boiled 2 tsp. of sugar in a small amount of water, cooled the mixture, added it to the yeast, and again covered it as I continued with the boiling step of brewing.  The airlock was bubbling away within hours, so all should be well.

The original specific gravity came in at approximately 1.0584, which was a bit lower than expected.  That is typical for me and I suspect maybe I am topping it off to a bit more than the 5.25 gallons that I am aiming for which would water down the mix some.  I will let this one sit for a bit more than a week to let all of that yeast do its work before racking it to secondary.

Stay tuned . . .

Everyone drifts off in thought of other things on occasion.  I probably do it more than the average person or at least more than I should.  Today, I have decided to share some of the daydreaming I did the over the last few days since it was all about beer and brewing.

I figured that I could not really hurt myself with a rake, so I was able to let my mind process other things while cleaning up the yard for spring.  My mind would have been in another place as I raked leaves anyway, but the fact that I had brewing supplies on the way certainly gave me something to focus on.  Welcome to the obsessive part of my brain.

4251936343 7e59f944f6 Thoughts of Brewing

I can already smell the grains

It has been a few months since I have last brewed anything at home, so I have been anxious to get back into it.  Now that my reserves have been depleted and I have more than enough empty bottles, I am ready to jump back in.  After putting (too) much thought into it I decided that the next three batches will be:

  • Black Ale – Inspired by the imperial version I had at the FBG Beerfest
  • Hefeweizen – In response to requests by multiple parties and as a good base for fruit experimentation.
  • Saison – My first Belgian and to have ready by summer.  I missed brewing in time for a spring seasonal and would like to get on track for future seasons.

Since I have only two primary and two secondary fermenters, this presents a planning challenge for me.  I have learned lessons from having all the equipment tied up in the past and would like to make it easy on myself this time.  That and I need to plan out what to sanitize now, what I can wait on, etc.

4303195447 da572d10e1 Thoughts of Brewing

The empty bottles are waiting

Starting off I have to decide which one I brew first.  My initial thought was the Black Ale, but that presents a few problems.  I have plans to add some bourbon and vanilla to the secondary fermenter for that one and let it sit there a bit longer than normal (for me) before bottling.  So that would tie up a piece of equipment for more time meaning that I would have to wait to brew at least one of the others for a while.  Also it will be a pretty strong flavor and I don’t know that I want a Hefeweizen going into the fermenter after it.  Of course it would be cleaned and sanitized, but I am slightly neurotic like that.

OK, so what about one of the other two going first?  I have (at he very least) tentative plans to incorporate a new type of fruit (for me) into at least one of those batches, if not both.  That could very well mean that I split the batches after primary fermentation to get some fruit beer and some of the original, unaltered style.  So either way that would tie up both secondary fermenters for some time making the order of things more difficult to coordinate efficiently.

4213237659 47b99e1aaa Thoughts of Brewing

Splitting batches will be after primary this time.

With all of that under consideration, if the fruit component that I intend to use does not arrive or is not made available right away maybe the Black Ale wins by default?  Or maybe I just brew the Saison and forget about any fruit going into that one?  I suppose I could even go ahead with the Hefeweizen without the fruit.

4285320996 cb8bf88982 Thoughts of Brewing

Might need a replacement bottling wand to be safe.

I know I shouldn’t put this much thought into it, but I do.  Or at least when I have hours of yard work to do and plenty of time to daydream of more enjoyable activities!

After yesterday’s beer news I was pleasantly surprised to get the opportunity to enjoy a few Sam Adams Noble Pils drafts last night at the Celebration Town Tavern.  I really didn’t think I would get an opportunity to try it that soon.  It may be a bit strange to have enjoyed a spring seasonal in January, but it was good enough that I will have to reconsider my personal ranking of the Sam Adams seasonal lineup.  Combining that with meeting some extremely nice people, getting a tour of the beer cooler, and having some of the best clam chowder and onion rings in Florida (or anywhere for that matter), it was a really excellent evening.  A big thank you to Bill and Susan for your hospitality!

Oh yeah, I have a beer review for Friday to get to.  I am not sure if I would have picked this one for myself, but I am glad The Wife brought it home for me to try.  It is one of those different, but in a good way beers.

Brewery: Kerkom Brewery (Belgium)

Name: Bink Bloesem (Belgian Ale with pear syrup and honey)

Style: Fruit Beer

ABV: 7.1%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the wine fridge and served in a mug.  $4.99 for 11.2 oz.

Aroma: Mild malt aroma with some sweetness (honey?) and fruitiness, but no specific fruit nose.  Slight yeastiness and some alcohol in back.

Appearance: Brown with strong garnet highlights.  Two plus finger, beige head with moderate retention that does not leave a trail.  Seems clear (very dark and unable to see through).

Flavor: Malty with some sweetness.  A hint of honey is there, but I would not be able to blindly identify which fruit without the label.  Good balance with a finish that lingers a bit with the slightest hint of bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium body and a good amount of carbonation that gives some bite.  Slight warmth toward finish.

Overall Impressions: Very enjoyable and I might not immediately pin it as a fruit beer in a blind tasting (no overwhelming fruit flavors).  The bit of warmth balances well with everything else.  Good beer, but small amount for the price.

Grade: B+

3774876597 65ed59b2eb Kerkom Brewery   Bink Bloesem

Kerkom Brewery - Bink Bloesem

If I had known that in getting through my backlog I would be doing such a concentration of Ommegang reviews lately I might have just dedicated the entire month of January to them.  I would have needed to grab a few others to fill out the lineup of evaluations, but that would certainly not have been a bad thing.  With that thought, I think February may just have to be dedicated to a brewery or kick off something different for the site.  Stay tuned!

Brewery: Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY)

Name: Rare Vos

Style: Belgian Pale Ale

ABV: 6.5%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the wine fridge and served in my Ommegang glass (tulip-like).  $5.99 for 1pt. 9.4oz.

Aroma: Slightly sweet malty aroma with a bit of citrus present.  Some spiciness in the background.

Appearance: Light copper to amber in color.  Four finger, cream color head with large, quickly dissipating bubbles that leave some trail. Very clear with visible rising bubbles.

Flavor: Smooth malty flavor with light spiciness.  Some (orange zest-like) fruit flavor.  Slightly dry finish with a hint of hoppy bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with very noticeable carbonation that gives some early bite.  Smooth and very drinkable with the slightest hint of warmth.

Overall Impressions: Very easy drinking and perhaps a bit lighter in body than some other Belgians tried recently.  A bit higher in alcohol than typical for style (4.8-5.5% via BJCP).  Quite good and probably is only graded this low because my palate favors other Ommegang brews.

Grade: B to B+ range

3775686622 2de3dbd5bd Brewery Ommegang   Rare Vos

Brewery Ommegang - Rare Vos

Even before starting my written beer evaluations I knew that this one was one of my favorites.  When asked about which beers I enjoyed most, this was the one that I generally responded with.  The strange part is that I couldn’t explain exactly why I like it so much and even after my official review I cannot put my finger on it.  I can only say that you should try it for yourself if you haven’t had a chance to already and if for some reason you don’t like it, send the leftovers to me!

Brewery: Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY)

Name: Three Philosophers

Style: Belgian Specialty Ale (Quadrupel – 98% Ale & 2% Ale with cherries)

ABV: 9.8%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in my Ommegang glass.

Aroma: Medium malt aroma with a good amount of hops.  Dark fruit nose with low alcohol noticeable.

Appearance: Medium brown color with a slight red hue.  Solid beige/reddish head with excellent retention and a good trail.  Clear with tiny bubbles visible rising in center of glass.

Flavor: Excellent (pretty complex) malty flavor with low hop notes. Slight dark fruit (cherry) flavors and a low to medium alcohol warmth at the finish.

Mouthfeel: Extremely smooth with a good amount of carbonation.  Excellent hold at finish with the slightest sourness.

Overall Impressions: Generally one of my favorites and it only gets better as it warms.  Fantastic for relaxation as it drinks like a wine (in a way).  Would be excellent paired with food.

Grade: A (or better)

Brewery Ommegang - Three Philosophers

Brewery Ommegang - Three Philosophers

If you missed out on the reasoning behind all of the Dogfish reviews to come and what “The Orbbies” are (see logo at right), check out yesterday’s post!

As I recently mentioned to The Brother-in-law, this was the first Dogfish beer that I remember having some years ago after just moving to Florida.  My memory is of this beer really opening my eyes to a whole new world of craft brews.  At the time, I was somewhat blown away by the flavor, but as I tried more and more Dogfish beers I found out that it was pretty tame by comparison.  My overall grade for the beer back then would have likely been slightly higher than today, but I still regard it as a very good beer that you should get if you are looking to try something new.

Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, Delaware)

Name: Raison D’Etre

Style: Belgian Dark Strong Ale

ABV: 8.0%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a goblet.  $1.99 for 12oz.

Aroma: Malty, sweet aroma that is brown sugar or molasses-like.  Strong dark fruit notes (raisins in this case)

Appearance: Deep copper to brown color.  One finger, light tan head that quickly dissipates with some trail.  Very clear with some visible rising bubbles.

Flavor: Malty with a slight sweetness underneath.  No noticeable hops, tipping the overall balance to the malt side.  Somewhat dry at finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with pretty high carbonation having a slight bite.  Some noticeable warmth.  Slightly smooth on the palate.

Overall Impressions: Flavor is similar to aroma, though not as full.  Better as it warms closer to room temperature.  Nice slow-drinking beer.

Grade: B+(ish)

The cap (sorry about the shadow)

The cap (sorry about the shadow)

Dogfish Head - Raison DEtre

Dogfish Head - Raison D'Etre

It seems that I try fewer Belgian style beers lately as I concentrate (at least somewhat) on American breweries, but this one made it on the roster in the early stages of reviews.  Even though I would prefer beers from Ommegang or Allagash to Leffe Blond, it is a decent Belgian Ale.  I suppose it is somewhat comparable to a Blue Moon (I said somewhat).  What I do know is that it tastes much better when enjoyed on the Champs-Elysees in Paris that out of the bottle at home in Florida.

When in France . . .

When in France . . .

Brewery: Abbaye de Leffe S.A. (Belgium)

Name: Leffe Blond

Style: Belgian Blond Ale

ABV: 6.6%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in my Ommegang (tulip-like) glass.

Aroma: Light, spicy hop aroma with a subtle yeast nose.  Somewhat like the aroma of a pilsner or other lighter styles of beer.

Appearance: Deep gold color.  Three finger (plus), off-white head with excellent retention leaving some trail.  Crystal clear with many visible bubbles rising.

Flavor: Smooth with some sweetness and light, spicy notes.  Medium hop flavor with some alcohol toward the finish.  Well balanced overall.

Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation with some warmth in the background.  Medium to light body and somewhat creamy.

Overall Impressions: Subtle (in flavor) Belgian ale.  Very easy drinking and is a good Belgian style beer if the intent is to drink more than a few.  Not my favorite Belgian, but OK.

Grade: B (towards a B+)

Abbaye de Leffe S.A. - Leffe Blond

Abbaye de Leffe S.A. - Leffe Blond

The time left to enter the giveaway announced on Monday is running out quickly.  If new entries trickle in before midnight I will throw them in the lottery, but that will be the cut off.  My dogs (or at least one of them) will be picking the two winners tomorrow morning, which should make for a very interesting video addition to the post announcing the lucky two.

The second of The Wife’s randomly selected reviews for this week is another from Shmaltz Brewing Co.  I was certainly not disappointed that I would be able to revisit another of their very good brews.  This one is from their HE’BREW line of beers that are, perhaps, slightly more traditional than their Coney Island counterparts.  As I have said before the labels and the names will get you to try the first one, but the product inside the bottle will keep you coming back.

Brewery: Shmaltz Brewing Co. (Saratoga Springs, NY – based in San Francisco, CA)

Name: Rejewvenator Harvest to Harvest Ale – Year of the Date (uses date concentrate)

Style: Half Doppelbock and half Belgian Dubbel

ABV: 7.8%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pilsner glass.  $4.99 for 1pt. 6oz.

Aroma: Deep maltiness with no real hop aroma.  Dark fruit noticeable (I would have guessed fig or something similar).  Somewhat brown sugar-like character.

Appearance: Dark (deep) amber color with some ruby.  Four plus finger, light caramel color head that is very creamy and persistent.  Legs and trail are left on glass.  Clear with bubble visible along glass.

Flavor: Rich maltiness with some toasty/roasted flavor.  Fruit flavor (date concentrate) is not really noticeable.  Finishes somewhat dry.  Balance is heavy to malt with a hint of estery hop flavor in back.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body.  Very smooth and somewhat creamy.  Some warmth noticeable.  Medium carbonation (providing a very slight sharpness) that lessens as it sits.

Overall Impressions: Quite enjoyable overall.  Strong flavors, but they seems to work well together.  Warmth is well balanced into the mix.

Grade: A-

Rejewvenator - Year of the Date

Rejewvenator - Year of the Date

This is one of my favorite breweries.  I suppose it is in part that the brewery’s location is close to where I grew up, but it’s mostly because they specialize in really good Belgian-style ales.  As it says on my Ommegang glass, it is “Where brewing is an art and partaking is a passion.”

Brewery: Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY)

Name: Hennepin

Style: Belgian Ale (Saison)

ABV: 7.7%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in my Ommegang glass (almost a tulip)

Aroma: Not a huge aroma overall.  Low hop nose with some citrus (orange) and a hint of spice (coriander?).  Maybe even a faint floral note?

Appearance: Golden in color with a yellowish-orange tint.  Very tall, white head with good retention (slow dissipation) that leaves some trail on the glass.  Somewhat cloudy, but rising bubbles are still visible.

Flavor: Crisp citrusy hop flavor with some spice notes (seems to be ginger).  Maybe a bit of light maltiness and yeast flavor present?  Very slight bit of alcohol in background.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a very enjoyable, smooth finish that doesn’t linger too long.  Enough carbonation to feel it on your tongue.

Overall Impressions: There is quite a bit going on here that I cannot quite put into words (this was one of my early reviews).  Very refreshing Belgian that is not too heavy.  Gets better as it warms a bit.  I could and would drink this beer everyday.

Grade: A to A+

Brewery Ommegang - Hennepin

Brewery Ommegang - Hennepin

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