Underwhelmed by Ommegong?

[Caffinehog]

OK, I LOVE a good Belgian beer... But I am positively underwhelmed by Ommegong's offerings. Is it just me, or does there stuff just not stand up to real Belgian beers?

[wortchillergoal]

I enjoy their products. Could this be one of those beers for you? I mean as example, I do not like PU. I can drink Budvar all day but PU does nothing for me but seems to be held as the gold standard of pilsners. Fret does not like Moose Drool. It seems to have a strong approval rating from a large number of brown drinkers though. Perhaps Ommegang's products are like these examples for you.

[BluesHarp]

I can't really vote here...first of all, there are too many styles that qualify as "Belgian" beers.
I have not had anything domestic that can compare to a Westy 12 or a Rochefort 10, but I am very fond of Ommegangs beers - Three Philosophers, Hennepin, and Rare Vos have not disappointed me in the least.
I feel they are all very worthy entrants in their respective classes.

[studentofbeer]

i definitely voted ommegang is teh b0mbz0r.

i think they make great beers. i enjoy every one of their offerings. fine, not every beer stands up to a comparison with the best of belgium, but they all are really good.

i especially love hennepin and 3 philosophers. i think you could do a saison tasting and pour hennepin and there is no way someone would pick it out as being any less than a variety of belgian saisons. just had a bottle last night actually. yum!

ommegang itself is a nice drink, and i haven't spent enough time with rare vos to say. also, i've never tried the wit. but overall they are probably one of my favorite breweries in america, and i think they make a very tasty product for a pretty good price.

[Caffinehog]

Originally posted by wortchillergoal
It seems to have a strong approval rating from a large number of brown drinkers though. Perhaps Ommegang's products are like these examples for you.

Despite liking both malty and hoppy beers, I've never really liked brown ales. Maybe this is why I don't like these.

Originally posted by BluesHarp
, but I am very fond of Ommegangs beers - Three Philosophers, Hennepin, and Rare Vos have not disappointed me in the least.

I try drinking these, and I just don't get any satisfaction from them. They seem to lack depth and complexity, at least to my pallete. It must be just me, because I get more out of drinking a can of Natural Light.

[threecb]

Funny thing is, Ommegang is owned by Moortgat, brewers of Duvel. They pretty much follow traditional Belgian brewing practices. Probably moreso than Unibroue or Allagash. Open fermenters, cave aging and the like.

If you don't dig it, that's cool. But I think they do a nice job with the styles. I'm not a huge belgian drinker, but I dig Hennepin and Rare Vos. The witte was pretty solid, too.

[wortchillergoal]

Originally posted by threecb
Funny thing is, Ommegang is owned by Moortgat, brewers of Duvel.

When they first started doing business, they were not owned by Moortgat. I don't know if Moortgat changed anything when they purchased it. I don't believe they did as I see no big taste difference.

[newportstorm]

Here's an interview with Ommegang's brewmaster, Randy Thiel. From 2003, but a good read:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/news/stories_read/500/

Cheers!

[threecb]

I don't think they changed anything, either. I know that they were impressed with Ommegang's setup, and it helped them get a foothold in the States. Anyone know if they brew any of the Duvel over here?

[MeridianFC]

I think the Ommegang beers are solid, but not spectacular. I prefer the Unibroue for North American interpretation of Belgian sepcialty brew. Allagash, the white specifically, also comes to mind as a solid NorthAm Belgian style brew.

[gallowd7]

I'm not a huge fan of the Ommegang, but Hennepin is one of my favorites. I have even tried the BYO clone with great failure.

Anyway, on my two trips to Cooperstown my wife and I have toured the brewery. The first time was just after they openned on a 4 degree day! Great big fire in the lobby and very friendly brewers/tourguides. Nothing changed the second time through.

I think any beer tastes better when you can see the process as intimately as Ommegang offers. If only that would work on my wife with scotch!

[wild]

So far, I've enjoyed the available offerings from Ommegang.

Wild

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by threecb
I'm not a huge belgian drinker

I prefer the Lambics (excepting Lindemans) to Dubbles and Triples.

[robofunk]

i've always enjoyed ommegang and its potions. and the brewery is a wonderful place to visit any time of year...

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by wortchillergoal
.... Fret does not like Moose Drool. It seems to have a strong approval rating from a large number of brown drinkers though. To be totally fair, I really haven't found a brown ale that I'm a big fan of.... which is a darn shame because they look and sound so good!

[chazwicke]

We sampled a few decent ones on our trip. Great Barrington and believe it or not, one at Framington John Harvard.