Beer Thursdays

I wanted to title this something like "a post that isn't about stouts", but I feel like that joke was old before it was ever told in the first place.

I have to admit that I like having a night of the week that I often have a beer on. It's not locked in by any means, but it's often something to look forward to. I get to think about what beer I want to try in a given week, but it's also something to look forward to, and for me it's a reward that reminds me that the week is almost over.

Obviously many people drink several days a week, and I certainly do from time to time drink a few times during the week. But that's usually sharing a few beers with friends, or going out to a bar to be social. This is the enjoyment of sitting down, and taking the time to really taste and observe a beer.

I like to pair this with watching TV, as I'm already relaxed and in a good mood, and cracking open a delicious beer only adds to this. Conveniently, two of my favorite shows are on Thursday nights. The total experience is just really relaxing, which is nice. What about you, my faithful readers, do you have an evening you set aside, or do you prefer to test and taste as you go, whenever the opportunity occurs?

Anyway, this isn't just about me rambling. This Thursday I had the good fortune to still have a few bottles of Ommegang, specifically their Hennepin Saison. I'd heard excellent reviews of this beer, but was a bit wary as I've heard it's one of their hoppier beers.

It pours a very pale yellow, looking almost like water at first before settling in to a light golden color. The head is ivory white and thick. I actually swiped off a bit of the head, and found it thick as bubble bath (I can't think of a straighter analogy, sorry), and very bitter.

The smell was similar, light and crisp, hints of what might be floral scents? The taste though was really impressive. It was cool and refreshing, but full of light sweet fruits like pear. It had some hoppy bitterness, but it was very balanced and did a good job of rounding out the flavor and not overwhelming everything else. There were also some floral notes with some grains and citrus in the background as well.

Overall a really tasty beer. Not my favorite, as I'm still not a hoppy beer guy, but easily one of the better hoppy beers that I've tried. Suffice to say that I'd be happy to drink it again, but I might not seek it out. If you enjoy hops, give this one a try for sure.