"The most profound joy has more of gravity than of gaiety in it." - Ommengang label
The opening - resounding pop from the corked bottle. The pour was easy - on the label the beer is listed as "part of the Duvel family of fine ales" - not sure I agree with that assesment - Duvel isn't a double nor is Corsendonk or Judas, etc... so, I'm going to disagree - someone please correct me if I am wrong by calling them out!
The pour - as noticed in the picture (30 seconds after pour) the head is okay - not extensive which also does not fall in line with a Duvel style beer - more like Chimay but the head is still not as significant.
The smell - minimal - the label says to serve at 50deg but it was in the fridge - probably a little colder than 50deg.
The color - dark with an amber and brown hint.
Carbonation - good - very good carbonation which creates a lighter taste; of course, I just finished drinking my own poorly conditioned pilsener that lacks good carbonation.
The taste - hints of caramel, an aftertaste of coffee - a strong coffee; its tasty with most of the taste at the front end and a hint of bitterness on the outtake... of course, I'm a beer drinker - not a beer taster - so I don't have the skillz necessary to properly explain what I'm tasting! So there it is...
Grade - 7/10 - I lik-eh!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Ommegang Abbey Ale - Belgian style dubbel
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3 comments:
I'll take the contrarian route. On the left side of the bottle below a description of the brew, I take...
"part of the Duvel family of fine ales"
...to mean that Ommegang has a more human relationship to Duvel. I don't think that this is an indication of it's style or flavor. The front of the bottle states "Ommegant Abbey Ale is a Belgian-style Abbey Dubbel".
Obviously, this'll take some research.
My rating: 55/100. I feel that the carbonation is pretty low for a Dubbel and the taste is a bit sharp. Instead of a nice meandering walk through a multitude of flavors a la Westveletern, Rocherfort, St Berardus, etc; Ommegang gives you a sharp shift from mildly sweet to a thin taste of alcohol. In my opinion it lacks the robustness character and diversity of flavor you find in other Dubbel's.
Caveat: I am suffering from allergies currently so my sinus's are no longer mine. I got absolutely nothing from trying to actually smell the beer just after the pour so my judgment might be a bit suspect.
Don't sass me!
Hi. Came across your blog via Google alerts for Ommegang. Nice page, by the way. I work for Ommegang and would like to clear up the Duvel-confusion. Ommegang Brewery is owned 100% by Duvel Moortgat NV. Hence the "family" reference. I enjoyed your notes, and we are delighted you "lik-eh!"
Cheers!
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