2009 Release Schedule: Ommegang

Again, wicked excited for this stuff. I hotly anticipate their cave-aged releases every year (and am aging some Three Philosophers as we speak to see how it compares with their stuff). Rare Vos was my first venture into American-brewed Belgian styles, and Three Philosophers was the first time I ever got unintentionally obliterated without feeling it. (But oh how I felt it the next morning...)

Great press release from these guys. Here's what I got in the newsletter:

BREWERY OMMEGANG 2009 SPECIALTY BEER RELEASE CALENDAR

Wherein, Ommegang makes a 2009 resolution: To get our act together and give out the news you need well ahead of the game.

(Cooperstown, New York) In years past Ommegang released our specialty beers on a schedule seemingly based on every other random time period. With ongoing growth, the challenge of the guessing game has worn off. For 2009 we've committed to a schedule designed to keep everyone informed well in advance of releasing specialty beers. Let us know what you think, if you so desire, and remember to take frequent breaks from the demanding job of journalism to enjoy a fine beer. Happy 2009.

Inauguration Ale (a.k.a. Obamagang)
January - February
6.2% ABV - Draft only

The TTB won't let us call the beer Obamagang on the keg label. So it will be known legally as Inauguration Ale 2009, but the tap handles will be more...um...direct. The style lies between a porter and stout, with a bit of Kriek and a touch of chocolate blended in. It will be on draft only, beginning with the inauguration - in limited areas including DC, NYC, Syracuse, Philly, Chicago and Boston. We will donate a percentage of sales to charities in the respective cities where the beer is sold, and we've asked our distributors to match our donations and pick the local charities. (Also please note that the beer is not an endorsement of Obama.)

Ommegang Biere de Mars
January - March
6.5% ABV - 750 ml bottle only

Belgian-style amber with Brettanomyces in the secondary fermentation, and also dry-hopped, making Biere de Mars amber ale with a bit of extra zing, extra tartness, and a touch of farmhouse funk. The original batch was brewed in the summer of 2008 for sale only at the brewery, but the response has been great, so here it comes for all.

Ommegang Rouge Flemish Red Ale
April - June
5.5% ABV - Draft only

Authentic Flemish Sour Red Ale. Brewed with our Belgian partner Bockor Brewery and imported to the US. The beer is spontaneously fermented, and then refermented and aged at least 18 months in French oak casks. It's an unblended "Grand Cru- style" Flemish Sour Red Ale. Available on draft only, and an amazingly pleasurable drink.

Ommegeddon Funkhouse Ale
June - August
8% ABV - 750 ML bottle only

Ommegeddon is an 8% ABV Belgian-style ale with a wild twist - a dose of Brettanomyces yeast and a blast of dry hopping. It's a strong blonde ale with a sharp citrus flavor that, like other Ommegang ales, has a dry finish. Its dryness and funkiness begat the name of Ommegeddon. This will be the fourth official brewing of the beer and we expect it to continue to evolve.

Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence
September - November
7.0% - Draft and 750 ML bottle

Since the 2007 - 10th Anniversary Edition - of Chocolate Indulgence Stout, our brewstaff and Department of All Things New and Delicious have been conducting research and experiments to further develop the character of the beer. (We tend to never sleep when it comes to fine-tuning the flavor and character of our beers.) We feel that the just-released 2008 batch has been honed to sublime levels of chocolaty / malty / decadent goodness - and that the 2009 brew will break some other new ground.

Ommegang Christmas/Noel/Winter Beer
November - December

It's never too early to start thinking of next Christmas. The final name, ABV and packaging are under wraps for now, but the beer will - probably - fit somewhere in the range of a high-gravity Belgian-style winter warmer, with an Ommegang twist. (Feel free to send ideas, recommendations and samples of Noel beers you love. We promise to use for educational purposes only.)

Brewery Ommegang opened in 1997 to craft-brew fine Belgian-style ales. The brewery creates five ales year-round as well as a range of seasonal and specialty ales. The beers have won national following by connoisseurs of fine beer and are distributed in over 40 states. Ommegang production and sales continue to grow rapidly and the company is in the process of significant physical expansion to meet growing demand. The brewery is located on a 136-acre farmstead in Cooperstown, New York and offers free daily tours and tastings, as well as a well-stocked brewery store and an online store. Ommegang is open every day of the year except for Christmas Eve day, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, and New Year's Day. For more info, 1-800-544-1809, or visit http://www.ommegang.com