Brewery Ommegang Three Eyed Raven Review

Name: Brewery Ommegang Three-Eyed Raven
Style: Saison
ABV: 7.2%

Two years ago when I first started this blog, the very first beer I reviewed was the Iron Throne Blonde Ale from Brewery Ommegang. Since that review, they have gone on to make four additional beers in the Game of Thrones Series with this being the 5th one. I give to you the Three-Eyed Raven, which is described by Ommegang as a Dark Saison.

I would explain the meaning behind the name but.......well let's just say I would spend more time trying to explain the name rather than the actual beer itself. My advice in this case would be to watch the show. Speaking of which.....

In my very first review, I made the statement that one day I would get myself into the show. Well, that happened and now I'm hooked on the show. So when I saw this on the shelves last week, I just had to try this out.

Appearance - Black with a slight brown tinge on the bottom of the glass with no visible carbonation to speak of. The signature foamy head that I've come to expect from Ommegang, which takes on a khaki-color, is here and with it is some very abundant lacing.

Aroma - Some potent Belgian yeasts & clove spiciness on the front of the nose paired with some roasted barley and chocolate notes. I'm also picking up on some moderate floral hoppiness and a light plum-like scent.

Taste - Belgian Yeasts and cloves are the strong aspects of the flavor here, but the roasted barley & chocolate malts play a big role in balancing out the overall flavor with the moderate floral hoppiness rounding things out at the back of the palate. The Belgian yeasts in particular also linger throughout the flavor and provide some much needed support overall.

I'm a bit saddened to see that this is only a one-time offering from Ommegang because I found this to be a very robust and flavorful beer. Plus it isn't too often that you see a dark saison save for an offering from a couple of major breweries, let alone one that is as well balanced as this one. In the meantime, one can only hope that this will be rebranded in the near future as a regular offering.

Brewery Ommegang Three-Eyed Raven - 9/10

Brewery Ommegang Fleur De Houblon Review

Name: Brewery Ommegang Fleur De Houblon
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
ABV: 6.8%

With the exception of their Iron Throne Blonde Ale, I have never had anything that is a limited release or a seasonal from Brewery Ommegang. In fact, up until now, I didn't even know they did seasonal releases but thanks to the Keyport Growler Fill Station (and Wikipedia), I now know that this is not the case.

Coming from a growler, I give you Ommegang's Fleur De Houblon: A Belgian Pale Ale that just so happens to be the brewery's Summer Seasonal; The name, Fleur De Houblin, is French for "Hop Flowers." I have never had any of Ommegang's beers on tap, let alone, from a growler and I'll be honest, I never thought I'd ever have anything from the brewery in a growler.

Fleur De Houblon pours a fairly clear yellow color with some fizzy carbonation rising to the top of the glass. The head, while quite foamy, did not produce that trademark voluminous head upon pouring that I'm used to seeing from most Ommegang beers. I suspect that the reason for this is because it's from a tap line and not a bottle.

The aroma possess a pretty solid Belgian yeastiness to it with a nice floral and piney hop scent. I'm also picking up on some cloves, spices, some light lemon zest and sweet maltiness which sit at the back of the nose.

The flavor carries over some aspects of the nose, certainly in regards to the Belgian Yeasts with the cloves hanging off of that. The hop profile is pretty vibrant and is a mostly even split between Floral & Resin Hops with the latter comprising mainly of the aftertaste. The malty backbone is best described as moderate at best but does provide some needed balance to the flavor itself.

The palate possess a fairly heavy body and there is also some moderate carbonation in here too. There's also a bit of a light thickness in here too.

Fleur De Houblon is a very good Belgian Pale Ale. It may not break the mold in terms of style but the vibrant flavor is more than enough to justify the purchase, whether you're getting it in a growler or a bottle.

Brewery Ommegang Fleur De Houblon - 8.5/10 

Brewery Ommegang Hennepin Review

Name: Brewery Ommegang Hennepin
Style: Saison
ABV: 7.7%

It's been a while since I've reviewed a Brewery Ommegang beer, as in over a year ago, so I've decided to make up for that with a review of their Hennepin Saison Ale. I had this beer a few years ago but they have changed the label since I've last had it.

The beer is named after Father Louis Hennepin, a Catholic Missionary from Belgium who was one of the first explorers of the interior of the United States. On a side note, the city of Minneapolis, which is where I'm originally from, is located in Hennepin County which was also named after Louis Hennepin. In fact the area in which Minneapolis is located was one of the areas that Louis Hennepin charted out.

Hennepin pours a hazy yellow color with a very foamy head typically found in most Ommegang beers. The lacing is rather soapy and the visible carbonation is fairly moderate.

The aroma starts out with some healthy Belgian yeasts, along with spices, grassiness, pale & pils malts.

The flavor is fairly identical to the nose but there is less of a focus on the grassiness and more on the Belgian yeasty aspect.

The palate is fairly moderate in terms of body with some moderate carbonation. It's fairly easy to bring with the carbonation bringing out some of the flavor.

Overall, I found Hennepin to be a very good representation of the Saison style. Definitely worth picking up if you get the chance.

Brewery Ommegang Hennepin - 8.5/10

Brewery Ommegang Iron Throne Blonde Ale Review

For my first review, I thought I would do something special. So I've decided to start out with Iron Throne Blonde Ale from Brewery Ommegang; Though I suspect people are more likely to call this "The Game of Thrones Beer".

Now I must confess I have never seen Game of Thrones, but I would very much like to! The most I really know about the series is from the "Winter is Coming" meme, and that's pretty much it. So far it hasn't made it's way to Netflix so I may be forced to buy the DVD or wait it out until it magically appears in my Netflix Instant Queue. Knowing how protective HBO is of their properties, I may have to settle for the former.

Anyways, on to the beer. To start out it has the typically insanely fluffy & retentive head that is typical in every Brewery Ommegang beer I've had so far. As for the beer itself, it's a cloudy orange color with some mild carbonation. The lacing, as expected, is plentiful here.

On the nose, I'm getting some Biscuit/Yeast notes, along with some mild cloves, spices with a ginger like characteristic and floral hop notes. Smells like a Hefeweizen mixed with a Blonde Ale.

Interesting flavor as there is a Strong Yeast flavor on the front while a piney hop flavor rests more on the back of the palate. Along with that are some mild ginger and clove notes. The Aftertaste is a bit resiny but surprisingly dry at the same time.

As far as the palate goes, it's a bit too strong for my liking as far as carbonation goes. It feels crisp but the carbonation feels a bit too strong considering the flavor and I personally would've like to have seen a more subdued carbonation profile.

Overall, there are some issues with the palate but that shouldn't be a deterrent from what is otherwise a good beer! I'm sure loyal fans of the show will drink this up (no pun intended) and with good reason, it is a good beer that is worth checking out!

Brewery Ommegang Iron Throne Blonde Ale - 8/10