Ommegang Bière de Mars is a Belgian-style amber ale with a bit of magical space dust woven in – Brettanomyces bruxellensis, a wild-yeast used in the secondary fermentation. The Brett imparts added tartness, a bit of zing and some farmhouse funkiness. Also dry-hopped, this new ale continues our exploration of using Brett for secondary fermentation in limited-release beers.
Bière de Mars reveals a copper-amber body and a frothy white head that builds, clings and stays. Aromas are of malt and grain, clove, fruit and a bit of funk. Flavors are full-bodied with delicate malty sweetness, followed by spicy, peppery yeastiness and Brett-induced funk. Hopping is subtly bitter and aromatic, bumped up a bit by dry-hopping. The finish is dry and gently lingering. At 6.5% ABV, Bière de Mars offers easy quaffing; it also pairs nicely with spicy foods such as barbecue. BeerAdvocate.com users give an overall rating of Very Good. Ratebeer.com users rate it at 95%.
A spring 2009 Yankee Brewing News tasting panel sampled new releases from a range of craft breweries and wrote this about Ommegang Bière de Mars: “A spicy nose that smells fabulous, similar to bière de garde. The panel loved the smooth flavor and perfect carbonation. There were lots of “oohs” and “ahhs” for this one. Extremely drinkable, not too sweet and finishes dry. Best beer of the evening.”
