Ovni Ale
St. Paul Brewing
- From:
- St. Paul Brewing
- Minnesota, United States
- Style:
- French Bière de Garde
Ranked #59 - ABV:
- 7.1%
- Score:
- 85
Ranked #29,744 - Avg:
- 3.74 | pDev: 15.78%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 32
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Oct 06, 2021
- Added:
- Aug 04, 2008
- Wants:
- 5
- Gots:
- 6
SCORE
85
Very Good
85
Very Good
In 1902, one hundred feet of the Eiffel Tower had to be replaced after it was struck by an electrical discharge. Many believe the source of that surge was from a passing flying saucer. Ovni (flying saucer in French) Ale commemorates the great craftsmanship that went into repairing the tower. This French style biere de garde is made with the finest imported malt and hops. This beer has a substantial malt character with a mild hop bitterness. Ovni Ale pairs well with bouillabaisse, wild game and pasta.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota
4.19/5 rDev +12%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.19/5 rDev +12%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from 16oz can into glass. Stamped on can bottom for canning date is smudged but sometime in '2018'.
Clear, deep amber colored body. One finger, off white head settles to creamy cap and ring. Any lacing tends to slide back into body.
Very earthy aroma, with close to a smoky aspect. Lots of toasted malts, like toasted bread with a little burn.
Toasted malts in the taste are slightly darker (with a hint of smoke) than those in the aroma. Earthy hops, with some bitterness. Slight fruity esters, with a slightly sweet flavor. Alcohol comes in late.
Medium to full mouth feel. Okay to good carbonation. Has rather a short taste profile.
Better than expected for style. Kind of flat overall but this is in keeping with a earthy, slightly sweet taste profile that is heavy with malts. Thicker mouth feel is a welcome bonus. Well made beer.
Jun 26, 2018Clear, deep amber colored body. One finger, off white head settles to creamy cap and ring. Any lacing tends to slide back into body.
Very earthy aroma, with close to a smoky aspect. Lots of toasted malts, like toasted bread with a little burn.
Toasted malts in the taste are slightly darker (with a hint of smoke) than those in the aroma. Earthy hops, with some bitterness. Slight fruity esters, with a slightly sweet flavor. Alcohol comes in late.
Medium to full mouth feel. Okay to good carbonation. Has rather a short taste profile.
Better than expected for style. Kind of flat overall but this is in keeping with a earthy, slightly sweet taste profile that is heavy with malts. Thicker mouth feel is a welcome bonus. Well made beer.
Reviewed by NilocRellim from Minnesota
3.73/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.73/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pours a clear, tan/brown colour. Smells like roasted malts, lager yeast, crisp, and a little sweet. Tastes slightly sweet upfront, roasted malts, hay, slight char, medium-bodied, and a bitter-dry finish.
Apr 27, 2018
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado
3.75/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
a super tasty and drinkable pint of beer, but a little off in terms of what i think of in the biere de garde style. its real pale for one, showing a little red at best, but with a real pretty inch and a half of khaki foam from the tap. the flavor is great here, nice and rich on the malt base, but still plenty dry, with a nutty quality to the grain and a nice grassy old world kind of hop flare at the end. whats missing here for me is the yeast. this is a style i normally associate with being yeast driven, and this one really isnt. maybe not flavorless, but more of a bready english complexion than anything rustic, belgian, french, or wild. thats a real drawback for me, but i still really like the beer, it just feels like a take on the style designed to be a little more approachable to most folks. i miss the yeast frankly, but they got the other parts right on. i havent had a lot of beer from these guys, so this was a fun one to try and very well made indeed. i think its a little safe without any interesting yeast going on, but its real drinkable for its strength and a wonderful companion to a nice greasy cheeseburger!
Jul 16, 2016
Rated by ParnellJoseph1138 from Minnesota
3.78/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.78/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
The malt and hop combination provide an interesting and complex taste profile
Jun 30, 2015
Rated by CraigP83 from Minnesota
3.34/5 rDev -10.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.34/5 rDev -10.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Brown but yet clear almost like tanic water in appearance. The taste was carmel with faint hops. Really thought it was just kind of bland.
Apr 28, 2015
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota
4.25/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A: Brilliant dark amber to chestnut under a lightly tanned white foam cap that grips the side of the glass providing thick lines of lace.
S: Spice with some traces of over ripe fruit.
T: Rich malts, light grain flavors, hints of chocolate, spice, earthy hop finish.
F: Medium body, the carbonation is soft but medium to medium high.
O: a well made biere de Garde that is not quite Belgian but is pretty damn close.
Apr 08, 2015S: Spice with some traces of over ripe fruit.
T: Rich malts, light grain flavors, hints of chocolate, spice, earthy hop finish.
F: Medium body, the carbonation is soft but medium to medium high.
O: a well made biere de Garde that is not quite Belgian but is pretty damn close.
Reviewed by rockernino from California
2.72/5 rDev -27.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
2.72/5 rDev -27.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Really didn't enjoy this beer. Something in the flavor profile was so harsh that it really detracted from the malt characteristics. Aroma was fine, but the taste was just not good. I can't really put my finger on what it tasted like (bad water coming through??), but this just wasn't good at all.
Mar 03, 2015
Reviewed by alphagnome from Iowa
4.16/5 rDev +11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.16/5 rDev +11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Appearance:
Incredibly clear, deep bronze body. Fluffy, bone white head hangs around for a minute before fading away to a simple ring around the glass. Light lacing and carbonation.
Aroma:
Piercing sweetness hits upfront, but there is plenty going on here! Toffee, toasted malts, brown sugar, raisins and other dark fruits. This one definitely pleases the nose!
Taste:
The sweetness is present here too, but brings some light grassy hop bitterness with it to balance things out.. and I love it! Tart cherries, burnt biscuits, and plenty of malty goodness. That second one might seem weird (and it does) but it works here! Notes of figs and caramel sneak in every now and then. Light, burnt character on the finish with a bit of alcohol presence.
Mouthfeel:
Plenty of bubbly and on the lighter side of medium bodied. Semi-sweet finish.
Overall:
I have thoroughly enjoyed everything I have had from this small brewery located in Saint Paul, and Ovni Ale is no exception; it's great! Easy to drink, plenty of character, and refreshing. If you find yourself in Minnesota, do yourself a favor and seek this one (and any Flat Earth beer for that matter) out, you won't be disappointed!
Jan 25, 2014Incredibly clear, deep bronze body. Fluffy, bone white head hangs around for a minute before fading away to a simple ring around the glass. Light lacing and carbonation.
Aroma:
Piercing sweetness hits upfront, but there is plenty going on here! Toffee, toasted malts, brown sugar, raisins and other dark fruits. This one definitely pleases the nose!
Taste:
The sweetness is present here too, but brings some light grassy hop bitterness with it to balance things out.. and I love it! Tart cherries, burnt biscuits, and plenty of malty goodness. That second one might seem weird (and it does) but it works here! Notes of figs and caramel sneak in every now and then. Light, burnt character on the finish with a bit of alcohol presence.
Mouthfeel:
Plenty of bubbly and on the lighter side of medium bodied. Semi-sweet finish.
Overall:
I have thoroughly enjoyed everything I have had from this small brewery located in Saint Paul, and Ovni Ale is no exception; it's great! Easy to drink, plenty of character, and refreshing. If you find yourself in Minnesota, do yourself a favor and seek this one (and any Flat Earth beer for that matter) out, you won't be disappointed!
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!