“Ommegang Abbey ale is directly influenced by the patience and wisdom of the Trappists, who ever seek divine union – a pretty high standard for an ale, but a good one, we think. Deep burgundy colour, rich and malty. Enjoy with savoury dishes, rich cheeses and almost every dessert.”
There is a small piece of text on this bottle which prompted us to do a bit of research. It states “part of the Duvel family of fine Belgian ales”. It is true, Ommegang is owned by Duvel Moortgat. All the more reason for this to be a standout beer. Uncaged, uncorked then served in to a beer tulip. The dark mahogany pour manages to arouse a modest finger of lightly tanned foam. The head is retained well, eventually reducing to a fine layer with a thick halo around the edges. Wet, streaky lacing is being omitted. Very rich, decadent and creamy on the nose. A moreish complexity throws up wafts of dark nutty chocolate, fruit cake, apple pie, licorice, raisin, toffee, spice and mocha. A soft stinging scent of alcohol does creep in but it’s disguised extremely well. This is one remarkable aroma. The texture of this beer is creamy with mild levels of Co2. The 8.2% ABV is hidden so well it’s almost untraceable in flavour. Definitely on the fuller bodied end of the scale. There isn’t so much a progression of flavours here, more an array of rich and heavy impressions of caramelised pears, plums, raisin, toffee, licorice and alcohol that move in and intensify as the flavours go through the motions. Excellent length too, a kind of aged red wine oakiness lingers on the back end just to make everything more complex. What an amazing beer this is. One that would go hand in hand with red meat, cheeses and a roaring fire. Phenomenal!