Ovni Ale
St. Paul Brewing

Ovni AleOvni Ale
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From:
St. Paul Brewing
 
Minnesota, United States
Style:
Bière de Garde
ABV:
7.1%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.74 | pDev: 15.78%
Reviews:
32
Ratings:
55
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 06, 2021
Added:
Aug 04, 2008
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  6
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.
Ratings by brewdoc75:
Photo of brewdoc75
Reviewed by brewdoc75 from South Dakota

4.33/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
I had this on tap at Acadia.

Served in a Chimay chalice this brew looks phenomenal. Dark redish amber w/ plum tones. A fluffy white head rides above. The aromas were good. Definitely a malty brew w/ some various fruits. I get a mellow fruitiness at first followed by a strong raisen/prune aroma. The hops are really quite floral and only slightly there. The flavor is full of malty goodness. There is an evident sweet flavor of the malts as it hits the tongue. The fruitiness follows this with a definitive raisen flavor. The rest of the beer reminds me of a great wine. Almost riesling like. The hops are only there in subtlety. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and crisp.

I must say that this is a great beer. I've never experienced this style before, but I definitely would like to experience it again and again. It is definiely "wine-like," which would make this a great beer for those of you who like the grape. The beer is delightfully complex and my review can not due much justice to the flavors. A must try from a great brewery.
Aug 16, 2008
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.84 by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota

Oct 06, 2021
Photo of MonDak_Joe1953
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
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, 2018
Photo of NilocRellim
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
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
Photo of StonedTrippin
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
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: 3.78 by iRun2Beer from Minnesota

Aug 21, 2015
Photo of ParnellJoseph1138
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
The malt and hop combination provide an interesting and complex taste profile
Jun 30, 2015
 
Rated: 3.69 by Skellbop from New York

Jun 23, 2015
 
Rated: 3.33 by BigAl18 from Minnesota

Jun 04, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by MattMorin from Illinois

May 04, 2015
Photo of CraigP83
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
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
Photo of pat61
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
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, 2015
 
Rated: 3.12 by cl3 from Wisconsin

Apr 04, 2015
Photo of rockernino
Reviewed by rockernino from California

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
 
Rated: 3.5 by kmanjohnson from California

Jan 10, 2015
 
Rated: 3.56 by Tyecko from Minnesota

Dec 07, 2014
 
Rated: 2.25 by kraticus41 from Minnesota

Oct 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4.24 by ScottM123

Sep 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by mdtolic from Minnesota

Jul 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by xmorgan from California

May 16, 2014
Ovni Ale from St. Paul Brewing
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 55 ratings