Hello everyone.  For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be sipping on the Ommegang BPA (Belgian-style Pale Ale) by Brewery Ommegang located in Cooperstown, New York.

We all know about Brewery Ommegang, however I don’t know much about this particular beer, so I’m just going to get right to it and see what kind of info I can find on the website, ommegang.com.

This fine pale ale offers citrus and tropical aromatics coming from a well balanced – yet ample – hop character.  It uses our own Belgian yeast, five malts, two hops, and plenty of patience.  Finishing touches include dry-hopping with Cascade hops, and warm cellaring.

Let’s give it a taste.

This brew comes in a 25.4 oz. bottle and it has an ABV of 6.2%.

The beer poured a hazy, pale orange to gold color.  The head was off white, sized very well, smooth and a tad sudsy.  The retention time was only average I thought, however it left behind some decent lacing.

The nose brought forth a very, very nice dose of fruity citrus.  Tropical fruits and maybe a little bit of apple, but the primary fruit was orange in my opinion.  Some solid bready notes with that every present Belgian yeast.  Some peppery spice added a nice compliment to some floral aspects.  Towards the end I thought I got a hint or two of grapefruit also.  Well balanced, even and not too overpowering on the fragrance.

The taste was very fruity, floral and lively as well.  The peppery spice seemed to be a bit more relaxed than I thought it might be, while the sweet orange citrus, apples, Belgian yeast and toasted biscuits helped to define the overall flavor profile.  The bitterness was easily manageable, yet it maintained a sturdy “tickle”.  Again, a very solid and worthwhile taste with this one.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied.  Quite lively, but smooth, snappy and refreshing.  A medium to aggressive carbonation added some prickly goodness while the peppery spice did bring forth a slight bite at the back end.  A good deal of flavor was left behind on the palate after each sip.

Overall, I thought that this brew was very good.  It really went well on this humid evening here in Kentucky.  It had plenty of the proper flavorings and aromas of a Belgian-styled pale ale without ever becoming so complicated that it was bothersome to drink.  The ease at which I was able to digest it was rather scary.  I would definitely like to pick it up again sometime this Summer to enjoy around the BBQ.  I wouldn’t hesitate a bit to tell a friend to give the Ommegang BPA a try.  I think it could be enjoyed by experienced craft beer drinkers as well as those who may not be as well versed.  If you’ve had it…. what did you think?  Did you enjoy it?  Be sure to leave me a comment and tell me your opinion.

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone.  I really appreciate the support.

Score:  4.0 out of 5
Grade:  B+