Obamagang Inauguration Ale
Brewery Ommegang

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From:
Brewery Ommegang
 
New York, United States
Style:
Belgian Dark Ale
ABV:
6.2%
Score:
89
Avg:
3.97 | pDev: 8.56%
Reviews:
65
Ratings:
70
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 08, 2015
Added:
Jan 18, 2009
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  3
Also known as Inauguration Ale 2009 & Ale 2009

Brewed in 2009 for the occasion of the Presidential Inauguration, Ale 2009 was brewed as a draft-only ale, similar to a stout but hinting at a porter. At 6.2% and full fo robust roasted malt and chocolate flavors, the ale was fortifying and highly drinkable. Brewed with Ommegang's house yeast and with a touch of Belgian Kriek, an underlying fruitiness added to its full-bodied and robust celebratory character.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by almychristopher:
Photo of almychristopher
Reviewed by almychristopher from New York

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
this beer pours a dark brown color with a tan head that fades to patchy lacing through the session. the aroma brings a nice sweet fruit, and roasted malt smell, the ommegang yeast plays nicely with the dark malts. the taste follows with the sweet malt and cherry like fruit esters making it near a dessert in a glass. the medium body and good co2 make it a very drinkable beer.
Sep 14, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.66 by MellFire from New York

Jul 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by wrightst from Maryland

Sep 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by DrBier from Pennsylvania

Jul 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by JxExM from New York

Apr 27, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by Edwaka01 from New York

Dec 27, 2011
Photo of Thorpe429
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Reviewed from notes. On tap at the Bavarian Lodge.

Pours a very dark brown with a light, thin tan head and some good lacing. The nose brings quite a bit of roast alongside some darker fruits, chocolate, and hints of coffee. The taste is really a nice combination of dry, roasted malt and a bit of semi-dark sweetened fruit. Mouthfeel is nice with a medium body and good carbonation. Drinks very well, and is a few of this style that I've had.
Oct 19, 2010
Photo of pzrhsau
Reviewed by pzrhsau from District of Columbia

4.17/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Sampled at the Capital Ale House in Richmond, VA. At first, I thought my eyes were deceiving me, but I could not pass this brew up.
Appearance: This beer pours a very rich dark brown with a lighter cream colored head.
Smell: Subtle notes of chocolate and a strong malt scent almost like bread.
Taste: Very sweet chocolate flavor with some coffee bean feel at the end. The beer very well layered with the flavors of the different malt.
Mouthfeel and Drinkability: Good carbonation and solid weight to it. Surprising brew but a great idea from the brewers at Ommegang.
Jan 19, 2010
Photo of drabmuh
Reviewed by drabmuh from Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On draft at a local beer bar. This beer, obviously a play on words, is named for the Inauguration of President Barrack Obama and for the brewery Ommegang. Very clear everyone.

Beer is black and thick, brown at the corners of the glass. Some lacing left on the glass as the head falls away. This beer has a full head.

The aroma is almost all roast with a hint of a fruity ester.

The flavor is a complex mixture of chocolate, some kind of cherry flavors, and strong roast / bitterness from the chocolate and roasted grains. Strong coffee late flavor (not aftertaste). Beer is a little thin and has a lactic / citric sourness to it (again with the cherries). Drinkability OK so is mouthfeel.
Jan 05, 2010
Photo of billab914
Reviewed by billab914 from Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
One of Churchkey's rare drafts tapped for New Years Eve. Had this one right after finishing my CBS snifter. Poured nearly black with a thin tan covering that clung to the sides.

Aroma is very interesting, it's like a stout and Kreik mixed. it has the chocolate and roasted aromas I expect from a stout but also a strong sour cherry aroma as well.

Taste was very interesting and delicious as well. As with the nose it tasted like a stout and a Kreik mixed. Roasted grains and chocolate up front and then it finishes with a strong sour cherry kreik flavor.

Mouthfeel followed more of the stout category, medium to full bodied with moderate to low carbonation. Drinkability was good, I enjoyed the one I had very much.

Overall it was a very delicious and interesting beer. The best thing I could compare it to that I have had was Bell's cherry stout if they used sour cherry juice instead of sweet. I like the mix though would buy a similar beer again.
Dec 31, 2009
Photo of mcann2pu
Reviewed by mcann2pu from Delaware

3.51/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance - dark, with a bit less than a finger's worth of fair tan head,

Smell - the smell was mostly of malt, but some cocoa came through as well, maybe even some fruit,

Taste - cocoa, malt, has a sweeter aftertaste then many stouts,

Mouth feel - a lighter mouthfeel then expected,

Drinkability - the lighter feel adds to the drinkability of this beer for me, overall not a bad beer and I'm glad I had the chance to taste this one,
Nov 05, 2009
Photo of TopherRI
Reviewed by TopherRI from Rhode Island

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Although i did not vote for Obama, this brew was truly a treat. Ommegang did a fantastic job with their combonation. The brew tasted slightly hot, but overall had a very smooth and palatable feel. If possible, I highly recommend taking a trip to Ommegang's brewery to try this.
Oct 27, 2009
Photo of bminor7
Reviewed by bminor7 from New York

3.97/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at Ommefest, 9/12/2009. Served in a plastic cup. Oh well!

Straight off, this beer reminds me of Biere de Mars. Color and scent are close, but it's obvious Ommegang made a purposeful distinction. Obamagang has much stronger notes of coffee, chocolate and malty fruit, the latter of which is a hallmark of Ommegang beers. Pours with a nice foamy head. Mouthfeel is fairly light for a stout, which makes it much more refreshing. Hard to find this beer anywhere but Ommegang events, but do your best to get to the brewery to try it!
Sep 28, 2009
Photo of WesWes
Reviewed by WesWes from New York

3.83/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to almychristopher for this one:

It pours a dark brown/black color with a thick and creamy tan head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a nice mix of American and Belgian. It's got a nice roasted/chocolate malt scent along with some dark fruit character and a fruity yeast aroma. The taste is much the same. It is a complex brew with loads of roasted malt character and a solid dark fruit/cherry presence. The yeast adds a wonderful finish with lots of fruit flavors. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a really nice stout. It's got that Belgian character that really puts a different spin on an old favorite.
Sep 13, 2009
Photo of MVotter
Reviewed by MVotter from New York

4.38/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I had the pleasure of tasting this one with one of the tour guides at the Ommegang Brewery (8.10.09).

The appearance of the Obamagang Inauguration Ale was deep mahogany, with a thick tan head.

The smell was coffee, cocoa and malts.

The taste paralleled the aroma; started with coffee notes, roasted malts and finished slightly sweeter a la cocoa.

The mouthfeel was medium to heavy, with plenty of carbonation.

Great drinkability ... absolutely delicious stout.

The guide/associate would not divulge whether or not the brewery had any intention of turning this recipe into one of Ommegang's future offerings (maybe under a different name, hehe).

Delicious.
Aug 19, 2009
Photo of yesyouam
Reviewed by yesyouam from New York

3.95/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Ommegang Inauguration Ale (Obamagang) is a hazy brown ale with a thin, dense brown sugar-colored head. The retention and lacing is very good. It smells like chocolate and coffee, a little leafy and sweet, like molasses. It's medium bodied with a mineral texture. The finish is a little astringent. It tastes quite chocolaty and it's well balanced with a pretty green hop bitterness. It's a good, sturdy stout.

[Sampled at the 2009 Flower City Brewers' Fest at Frontier Field, Rochester, NY]
Aug 17, 2009
Photo of Slatetank
Reviewed by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
I had this on tap at BCTC '09 served in a Duvel Tulip chilled. I enjoyed another pint later while watching Across the Universe on the lawn by the tasting tent projected on an inflated screen.

A - Dark chocolate brown w/ thick tan head that creates a copius amount of lace

S - Dark cherry cocoa and bready yeast w/ a hint of cinnamon in the nose

M - Rich, creamy feel w/ slight sour and dark chocolate bitter essence. The toasted malt presence is there w/ a spiced and moderately full feel, slight bitterness in the finish with roasted notes throughout.

T Dark fruit and toasted malt flavors combine w/ a gentle cocoa flavor. The yeast flavor is vinous and spiced w/ hints of dark cherry adding complexity to the roasted mildly nutty malt flavor. The malt has a dry roasted quality w/ gentle alcohol in the background. The ale finishes slighly sweet with Belgian yeast and roasted malt flavor.

D - A rich porter with malt full in the taste and light cherry accent makes of a pleasing, very fresh and complex flavor.
Aug 04, 2009
Photo of akorsak
Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served at BCTC. A chocolate cherry porter-esque beer.

A: The ale is a dark caramel chocolate color with a half a finger of white head.

S: The aroma is heavy with chocolate. The cherry, while evident, isn't as dominant.

T: The chocolate again drives the flavor, sweet with a mere sprinkling of cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate. Cherries are a nice compliment, a sweet and sour flavor that stands up against the chocolate. Dark roasted malts add a full flavor that supports the chocolate.

M: The ale is flavorful but not full. As a result, the chocolate and cherry both have time to register. A decent ale.

D: The ale is light enough, and a twist on Ommegang's normal line-up, that I was content to have multiple glasses.
Aug 03, 2009
Photo of adamette
Reviewed by adamette from Ohio

2.6/5  rDev -34.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
On tap at Fat Heads in North Olmsted, Ohio a few hours ago. Review from notes. Poured into a clean, clear glass.

A Creamy light brown head over a dark dark mahogany body that is not black but really, really dark. Some lacing as well on the glass after repeated sips.

S Dark roast malt, some chocolate notes. Interesting and inviting.

T Dark roast malt, some kind of cherry (could it be the Kriek?) and maybe some chocolate in there too. The taste is way too busy, trying to be too much and the taste suffers.

M Big beer with creamy smoothness, not well hidden alcohol and big chocolate and other tart tastes all serve to dirve up the mouthfeel which is not to my liking.

D Not drinkable. I did not finish my pint.

Notes: You will have to look far and wide to find a bigger fan of Brewery Ommegang beers. I have visited the brewery, took the tour, have (almost) all of the proper glassware, the T-shirt, you name it. It was with great anticipation that I approached this "new" beer for 2009. My respect for Brewery Ommegang really was reduced with this beer. At first this beer is attractive and ambitious, attempting to be all things to all people, a savior of sorts, but in the end it fails.
Jul 24, 2009
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Reviewed by GatorBeerNerd from Georgia

3.78/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12 oz draft pour into a goblet at the Taco Mac Alpharetta location.

A: Pours a nice dark brown with interesting purple tinted highlights. The head was a purple tinted tan. It loses a bit for retention and lacing, but it gains points for originality.

S: I assume the serving was a bit too cold because I couldn't pick up anything in the aroma without a vigorous swirl in the glass. Finally some chocolate notes started to open up.

T: The chocolate flavor pretty much dominates the taste. There is a fruity after taste, but it doesn't really taste like cherries as I would expect since its blended with a kriek lambic.

M: Nice medium body with an excellent in mouth carbonation level. Nice smooth creaminess in the mouth due to the carbonation.

D: The odd fruity after taste makes me go a bit slower than expected for the ABV.
Jun 11, 2009
Obamagang Inauguration Ale from Brewery Ommegang
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 70 ratings