Family Belgian Ale Style Dark Belgian Ale
Country USA (NY) ABV 8.5%
Producer Brewery Ommegang (Duvel)
Price $$$ Packaging 12oz/355ml, 25.6oz/750ml bottle
Characteristics Malty, strong, unusual, yeasty

Overview Ommegang was founded in 1997 on a former hop farm outside Cooperstown, New York—home of the baseball hall of fame—brewing Belgian-style ales. Just six years later, they were purchased by the Belgian brewery Duvel Moortgat, which strikes us as the highest compliment a Belgian brewer can pay to an American.

Flavors and aromas Our tasters pulled cider, licorice, English-character malt, and alcohol out of the nose. Esters are restrained. The palate is full and fruity, with dark caramelized sugars, prune and raisin notes, and a hint of port wine. Mild bitterness and alcohol keep the lingering finish dry. One taster wrote that it “smells like the set of a Peter Greenway film.”