Abbey Ale
Brewery Ommegang

Ricelikesbeer from Colorado

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I love the authenticity of Ommegang ales. They are as authentic/classic as it gets. I'm not sure how many yeast strains they use in their lineup, but they seem to really pull off yeast-centric beers that showcase all of the typical spice an fruitiness of an authentic Belgian strain, without an overly heavy handed usage of specialty malts like many American breweries tend to do. Their spicing is subtle and complimentary as well, which shows their knowledge and expertise in a major way. Had to review their flagship beer as it is a classic in my mind too.

L: Pour is extremely carbonated! glad to see this, it works and is very appropriate for the style. I recommend a wide mouth glass and a slow pour. Color is deep brown/burgundy with reddish highlight and off white fluffy head. clarity is decent but not completely transparent. Little to no yeast sediment.

S: Nice estery-spice combo. aroma of sweet malts and estery yeast character is present. A bit of booze is there too.

T: Extremly flavorful and wonderfully balanced on the palate. There is plenty of dark fruit, estery sweetness, a bit of caramel malt character that is not overwhelming, and spice too. Very complex and and changes as it warms. you can easily quaff this but it is great to sip on and ponder.

F: light, medium body. the high carbonation helps with the smoothness and drinkability.

O: I really don't know of many better "dubbels" out there, American or Belgian. It is rare that I can say this outdoes many Belgian examples. This would be a good one to lay down for verticles, but it is great fresh. Well done Ommegang!

Jan 25, 2017

jmasher85 from Maryland

4.23/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Unquestionably a great beer, but I have to say that it ages surprisingly poorly for a Belgian-style dubbel on lees. After a year and a half in my cellar, it takes on a slightly cloying, barleywine-like sweetness that tamps down the complexity of the fresher version of this brew. In both old and new bottles, flavors of brown sugar, licorice, strawberries, and other fruity, malty flavors are abundant. It definitely qualifies as the meal-in-a-bottle that a hearty Belgian ale is supposed to be, but leave it around too long and it's more of a rich dessert. Still great, but I prefer it a bit smoother, less sticky.

Feb 23, 2016

spacecake9 from Illinois

4.44/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoying this in my Ommegang goblet...
A - Pours a dark reddish brown with 1/2" head of tight bubbles that settles quickly to a tan cap.
S - Aroma is not as strong as you might expect or hope for. A little bit of dark fruit perhaps.
T - Maybe some wine, definitely dark cherry notes. A little bit of spice too.
M - Medium mouth feel and very carbonated.
O - This might be my favorite of the Ommegang offerings. Very enjoyable and reasonably priced. Do yourself a favor and let this one warm up - don't drink it straight out of the fridge.

Jan 13, 2015

Todd from California

4.3/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: A beautiful 750ml. bottle with tips on pouring, drinking, and where to find the brewery. The front label also had a brief, but revealing. description of the liquid within. "Ommegang is a Belgian-style Abbey Ale- top fermented and bottle conditioned, yielding a rich, fruity, aromatic, burgundian brew."

Appearance: Rich and dark, with an extremely healthy head comprised of tiny bubbles.

Smell: Malty and sweet with hints of caramelized sugars and honey. Slightly fruity and deep to the nose.

Taste: Complex malt richness and fruit flavours, with hints of spice and a smooth body of dark sweetness. Semi-champagne style carbonation led to it finishing slightly dry and yet again ... more sweetness.

Notes: This is a victory for American Belgian Ale lovers. With a price point of about $5 for a 750ml. bottle, as opposed to the typical $7-$12 for imports, it makes for a very affordable treat.

Feb 18, 1998

Pundit_of_Potability from Indiana

4.76/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Whenever I want an affordable, great-tasting Belgian style ale, and I have already had my fill of Three Philosophers for the week, I can always rely on its lighter (yet still fruity) cousin, the Abby Ale. I can nurse a bottle of this in a Duvel tulip for hours. Ommegang just knows what the hell they're doing. Period.

Nov 19, 2016

viking77 from Louisiana

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Had the first of my four-pack after exercising..not a good idea. This is a beer that is best sipped slowly. Beautiful orange-brown color. Scent of raisins, taste is wonderful. Cherries, plum, alcohol. Terrific beer to savor on a winters night.

Jan 18, 2018

MoreBeer4me from New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Boom! Fantastic Abbey with just the right amount of snap and everything else. Decent value as well. Malty, sweet, bitter, creamy, beautiful and satisfying. One of my favorite brews to enjoy later at night. Winner...Winner...Chicken Dinner! Try some!

Sep 13, 2018

goodsuds from Missouri

4.62/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Wow. This is an awesome beer. I love Abbey style ales and this has got to be in the top 5 I've ever had.

L - Poured from a 750ml bottle into a tulip I get a 1 finger pillowy head. The color is a deep brown, very cloudy when held to the light, especially if you pour any dregs. Minimal lacing.

S - The smell is very pleasant; fresh bread, sweet malt, dark fruits, slight banana. I may detect the slightest bit of clove in the nose but it may just be my brain tricking me; it's pretty faint if it's there. Nothing particularly interesting.

T - The taste starts with big bready sweet malt, dark fruits, molasses, finishing on a perfect amount of bitterness and a hint of banana. The taste is very clean for a dubbel. I don't really detect any clove or bubblegum from the yeast beyond the slight banana in the finish. I actually enjoy what some may consider a lack of yeast character. In my opinion it makes the flavor of the malt and the hop bitterness more apparent and actually makes a more rounded flavor, start to finish. I believe it to be a very good dubbel to give to someone who's not fond of big banana and clove bombs.

M - This has a fairly full, soft mouthfeel despite being very carbonated. I like the carbonation level being what it is, but it may be off putting for some. I think serving temperature will really affect the mouthfeel though because of the carbonation. I threw this in the fridge for a day and took it out for about 20 minutes before I opened it so it was closer to 50*F when I first poured it.

O - As I said above, this is an awesome beer. One of the best dubbels I've ever had, rivaling the best trappist ales from Belgium. Very well done and extremely enjoyable. The more subtle yeast character in this beer make it unique in that I can really pick out more nuances from the malt.

May 01, 2017

EMH73 from New York

4.31/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a very slightly cloudy reddish-brown with a one inch tan head that left little lacing. Smells and tastes of caramel, sweet malts, Belgian yeast, dark fruits, spices and toffee. Light to medium bodied, well carbonated, smooth mouth feel.

Mar 22, 2017

jjamadorphd from Florida

4.07/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This was one of those brews that simply was a pleasure from beginning to end...

A copperish colored brew with a hazy look and a weak tan foam to top it off. The smell was nice blend of yeast, bread, and even a touch of cinnamon...maybe. Anyway, I found this to be very smooth, slightly creamy though carbonated as it was. The taste had hints of caramel, and just enough maltiness to balance out the flavor. For being a boozy beer it doesn't have the overwhelming taste of alcohol that some of the other brews in this category put out. This makes the beer well blended and outstanding in my book.

Dec 22, 2017

AMBNT_notes from Maryland

5/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I don't think I have ever given a beer a 5/5, but this beer absolutely deserves it. I believe that it is not a stretch to say that this is the best beer I have ever had in my life. I can't think of words to adequately describe this beer

Oct 29, 2016

MaximalC from Illinois

4.16/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours an opaque bronze with burnt orange highlights and a a good finger's worth of fine khaki foam--just beautiful to behold. Rich aroma smells of molasses, prunes, cherries, clove, coriander, brown sugar, toasted bread, and a hint of alcohol.

The bold and complex flavor profile features molasses, toasted bread, cherry, and plenty of tangy, vigorous yeast. The spices and robust carbonation do more than enough to balance the malty backbone. The yeast presence pushes the envelope a bit, but manages to remain just under control. The mouthfeel is lush, vibrant, and a solid complement to the taste.

Overall, this is a bold and flavorful brew that isn't as decidedly sweet as most of its peers. Its balance and gorgeous presentation make it one of my preferred dubbels, even though it isn't an archetypal representation of the style.

Oct 07, 2014

jkblr from Indiana

4.24/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle bb June 2020 poured into a Ommegang signature glass at fridge temp 8.2% ABV. The beer pours slightly hazy light brown with khaki head. Very little retention and no lacing. The aroma is typical dried fruit (raisin etc) along with sweet bread. The taste is barely tart & semisweet fruit at first settling into a dark bready yeasty finish. Mouthfeel is medium to thin bodied, well carbonated with a prickly feel (would most likely smooth out as it approaches it bb date). The finish is semisweet, but not in an objectionable way, offset by the tartness and carbonation. Overall, very good.

Dec 06, 2017

MinerBob from Oklahoma

4.27/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

For a high point beer this is extremely smooth. Pours a deep brown tea color. The smell has wheat, grape, raisin slightly sour flavor. A little more carbonated than I like but still smooth swallow and little aftertaste. A really good dubbel.

Mar 10, 2017

WV_Homebrewer from West Virginia

4.85/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured hazy chestnut color with big head. It smells wonderfully fruity with hints of raisons, plums and other dark fruits. The taste is fantastic malty and yeasty as should be. Great mouth feel and the favorite in my rotation right now.

Aug 04, 2015

flgimp from Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Very active pour and immediate foamy head. Two fingers khaki colored head decent lacing of glass while drinking. Color is dark reddish and cloudy. Smell is malty, fruity. Taste is very unique and complex. Upfront tropical fruits orange peel and pine then sweet toffee. Malts and spice come thru as well as warming alcohol. Mouth is medium. Feel is smooth with just the right amount of carbonation. Definitely a first class dubbel.

Apr 29, 2017

Popsinc from Canada (ON)

3.78/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown pour with a rich tan head. Nice liveliness and lacing. The nose mildly sweet with hints of prune and fig and there is an evident pinch of spice in the mix as well. The taste starts lightly earthy and build up towards a semi sweetness that includes dull black licorice, molasses and prune/raisin. On the finish there also seems to be a tart woodiness that creeps in ever so slightly. A good mouthfeel that is lively and medium bodied. A subtle version of a strong dark Belgian that does a good job in remaining well balanced without being over the top.

Mar 27, 2004

ncbrewerbun from North Carolina

4.44/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First time I've had this beer from a 12 oz. bottle. I've had it in the 750 ml before.

Pours a clear (until you get to the slurry on the bottom) brown/reddish color.

There's a lot going on in the aroma. It's a beer you can smell for awhile and you keep catching different things. I got fruit -- mainly raisin and some plumb -- along with malt and a hint of caramel.

Matching the complexity in the aroma is the taste. There is plum, raisin and malt all smoothly balanced...As it slides down you get a warmth from the alcohol.

A treat of a beer.

Nov 07, 2004

geetlord from Florida

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured a dark amber with a thick head. It smelled of dark roasted grains and yeasts. The taste is very dark and "chewy" it has a great feel in the mouth. It tastes like thick dark breads, My roommate compared it to a roast beef sandwich. I find this to be an excelent beer and will definatly go looking for it again.

Sep 25, 2006

sethmeister from New Hampshire

4.2/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into Chimay chalice.

Clear dark red brown with ruby highlights and a tight tan colored cap which fizzes and falls quickly.

Sour pungent odor: tart green apples, grapes, yeasty funk

Taste is intense and complex. Green apples, pears, grapes. Doughy and bready; warm. A hint of molasses. Spiced; anise, cloves, black pepper. Fruity yet dry. Lots going on.

Mouth is crisply carbonated and dry with a slight warming in the throat.

Drinkability is quite good.

An excellent Dubbel.

Sep 08, 2009

bump8628 from Oklahoma

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clear brown with nice ruby highlights and two fingers of light tan head that hangs around for awhile.

Aroma has a definite plum character mixed in with some cinnamon/vanilla spice. Some bready and caramely malt peeks through along with barely perceptible alcohol.

The taste has a nice dark fruit/plum character along with some sweet caramel malts. The Belgian yeast contributes some pleasant spiciness and fruitiness. A mild ethanol burn comes in right at the end.

Finishes with a touch of sweetness. A nice American brewed Belgian-style ale.

Sep 30, 2009

jampics2 from Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

May 22, 2013

smallbatchbrewer from North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Tan 1 inch head with roasted caramel color

S- Sweet fruits, yeasty bread, malty caramel

T- Caramel/honey with a touch of bread from the yeast they use. I'm also picking up a little banana

M- Effervescent and warming, I am also getting something here that is rather tart on the finish

D- It's a tough one here, I wanted to give this one a higher drinkability rating but given its sweetness and being as heavy as it is, I just couldn't make it through more than one. I'm actually pretty happy I didn't go for the magnum bottle

Oct 01, 2009

dcx10music from New York

4.56/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A - Dark mahogany with hints of dark red or even purple depending on the lighting. Minimal head and virtually no lacing.

S - It seems to go back and forth between a few different scents, most notably dark chocolate, molasses and raisins.

T - Really rich and satisfying. It combines all three prominent scents and mixes them together into warm, embracing goodness.

M - A slight tingle on the tongue quickly gives way to a thick, smooth, creamy consistency. In a word, decadent.

D - Relatively high ABV + overall intensity and richness = only one bottle a night for me. It's great while it goes down, though.

Notes - An instant classic. Traditional and bold at the same time. Pairs really well with food, as well. I try to keep a few of these guys around at all times.

Nov 11, 2010

Outchillen from Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had a 750 bottle for $7.99

Dark reddish borwn with tan head, had slight aroma of figs and candi sugar
Taste of belgian candi sugar, lightly sweet, full bodied, taste a bit boozy almost like a beer with some whiskey in it, heavy mouthfeel
I am a big fan of ommegang, and this style beers, but this wasnt my favorite dubbel

Mar 28, 2011