Brewery Ommegang has always made some of my favorite beers, so I always jump at the opportunity to feature a new beer from them on the WILK Friday BeerBuzz. Brewery Ommegang was started in 1997 on a 134-acre former hop farm in Cooperstown, NY. Known for it’s deep aquifer water, this was the perfect location for the first farmstead brewery built in the US in over 100-years.
Now owned by Belgian brewing giant Duvel, Brewery Ommegang now joins the family of other traditional farmhouse breweries like Maredsous, d’Achouffe & Liefmans. Based purely on the sheer amount of interesting new brews we’ve seen from Ommegang in the past several years, I’d say this growth is a testament to the positive effects Duvel has had on the brewery.
With roots in northeastern PA, former Lion Brewery brewmaster, Phil Leinhart has really found a brewmaster-home with Brewery Ommegang. Phil joined us a few years back to sample Hennepin, and of course he even has his silhouette on the bottle of one of my favorites from Ommegang….3 Philosophers. Still regarded as one of our all-time BeerBuzz favorites, 3 Philosophers is a beer I always keep in my beer-cellar.
As we progress into the fall season, I thought it would be appropriate to feature a seasonally-suitable beer. In fine BeerBuzz tradition, I of course decided NOT to feature an Oktoberfest or Pumpkin beer yet, instead opting for a harvest ale….sort of. 
Ommegang Scythe & Sickle celebrates the harvest, however it doesn’t celebrate it in the way most beer lovers would expect. Rather than celebrating the hop harvest, Scythe & Sickle actually celebrates the harvest of everything BUT hops. Scythe & Sickle uses barley, oats, wheat and rye in a multi-grain celebration of not just the harvest, but the farmers themselves.
As Ommegang says, “Farming is about precision, timing and care” and they brewed their harvest beer to share those same qualities. Scythe & Sickle is well balanced with a creamy and smooth mouthfeel. The grain imparts a slightly sweet character and yes there are hops on board…but they’re subtle and delicate…again just enough to balance the strong malty backbone. All in all a very nice beer, and one I know you’ll enjoy.
Be sure to get out and celebrate the harvest season for yourself with a Brewery Ommegang Scythe & Sickle.
Thank you to Nancy, John & Kyle for yet another
fun Friday.
The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together.As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE.
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Brewery Ommegang celebrating harvest time with Scythe & Sickle, a little bit sweet, a little bit rye, a little bit toasty, and as you'd expect from Ommegang, more than a little bit delicious!
ReplyDeleteAnd we found out that Ommegang means marching around? I think that's what we found out. I always get distracted after I hear someone mention Antwerp.
Thanks Bil from MyBeerBuzz.com and thank you for listening!
Best,
John
webster@wilknewsradio.com
Holy Beans! I really learned something on the show today. I love the funny FACTS you come up with and I thought I knew beer. Cheers to Bil!
ReplyDeleteEric
I love the Miracle Making statue. I didn't know that and I've been to Antwerp. OK 'll try the beer.
ReplyDeleteJeremy
I thought I may have had this last year and I liked it. Of course to be sure I will have to sample it again. Ryan W
ReplyDeleteWas this beer in big bottles? Jen
ReplyDeleteJen..it was packaged in 12oz bottles.
ReplyDeleteI always give WILK credit for turning me on to 3 Philosophers. I love it so much. I'll try this one but you didn't seem as thrilled as 3 Phil. Did I mis-read? Kary
ReplyDeleteKary I'd say your read was accurate. 3 Philosophers is probably one of my all-time top 5 beers, so it's a very high bar for Scythe & Sickle to jump.
ReplyDeleteWas it spicy? Chris
ReplyDeleteTRhe Rye malt does add some spicy character but I'd call it more roasty than Spicy CHris
ReplyDeleteYou always start my Friday on the right foot. Very funny as always and I shall now find my own miracle making statue to make beer.
ReplyDeleteKevin
What is that face Nancy is making in the video?
ReplyDeleteCarl
Good question Carl. Perhaps she's checking t make sure she got the absolute last drop of beer out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a fun show today. I learned and sampled along with you (no work today for me). I like that beer and I didn't know where Ommegang came from so cool.
ReplyDeleteKrista
Is this beer available locally in NEPA?
ReplyDeleteAnna
Yes Anna. I bout this 4-Pack at Krugel's Georgetown Deli & Beer next to the BIG COW!
ReplyDeleteI buy Ommegang 3 Philosophers every time we shop at Wegmans. I blame you Bil.
ReplyDeleteThanks you,
Aaron
Guilty as charged Aaron!
ReplyDeleteYou're Welcome
I think I always heard "Sith" not seyeth.
ReplyDeleteJax
Me too Jax...but on-line they tell me it's "S EYE TH"
ReplyDeleteThe show was funny today. I swear you guys drink before it. Shauna
ReplyDeletePerhaps just a sip...
ReplyDeleteWHOA Sam Adams Rebel IPA! and new Ithaca Beers! Huzzah! j
ReplyDeleteThanks J
ReplyDeleteI like it better when the beer you have on the radio is the same as the tasting beer at Georgetown Deli that night. I like hearing about the beer from how you describe it then tasting it right away. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteJim
Thanks Jim. We try when possible to coordinate that but it's usually pretty difficult. Very often the tastings aren't planned until much later than we're booking guests and show. We DO try to take every opportunity to pair them up when we can so we'll always try.
ReplyDeleteI swear I just laughed for 15-mins straight watching the video. Sooo funny today.
ReplyDeleteJo K
Thanks Jo....today was a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your beers news. Yous should do that more often. Win
ReplyDeleteThanks Win. We do have beer news prepared for every show and I do enjoy doing it. Some times it's a big breaking news....sometimes not so much. When we have a guest, we try to devote the entire show to them and we skip most of the beer news unless it's really big. When we don't have a guest, we usually do a lot more news. We've been having a lot of guests all year, but I am trying to leave some open dates in the future. Of course you can always fnd the latest craft beer news @ mybeerbuzz.com
ReplyDelete