COOPERSTOWN, NY – The cheerful gnomes of Belgian farmstead Brasserie d ‘Achouffe dropped by the Brewery Ommegang farmstead brewery in the summer of 2010.
They brought with them a typically gnomic idea: why not co-create a totally new beer to bridge both farmsteads across the Atlantic Ocean? The beer happily evolved through multiple pilot brews and tastings, resulting in a strong Belgian Golden Ale using Chouffe yeast in the primary fermentation and Ommegang yeast in the secondary. The lushly fruity and spicy yeast is a signature found in every Chouffe beer, and the combination of their yeast, our brewing skills, and our own yeast yielded a unique, flavorful, and aromatic dose of brewing magic. The beer was deemed a big success by Chouffe gnomes and Ommegang alike, was christened Gnomegang, and went into commercial production as a Limited Edition Ommegang ale for sale beginning in the second quarter of 2011.
In appearance, Gnomegang is a rich, translucent gold, with a big, fluffy white head. The high-carbonation is readily apparent. The nose focuses on distinctive clove aromas, combined with yeasty fruitiness typical of Chouffe beers. Flavors include ripe fruit, clove, light caramel, non-cloying candy sweetness, smooth maltiness, and well-balanced hopping. Mouthfeel offers a big, round body with full, fine carbonation. The finish is dry and warming, lingering gracefully.
Gnomegang is available in 750ML corked bottles and 1/6 barrels. It is available all across the US, and ships beginning early March for sales beginning late March to early April. A limited number of bottle samples are available for review by e-mail request to larry@ommegang.com.
Gnomegang Specs:
Style: Belgian-style Strong Blonde Ale
Malts: Pilsner, Carapils, Flaked Oats, flaked Red Wheat, Special B
Hops: two Saaz varieties, hopped 3 times
Spices: none
Sugar: yes
Yeast: Chouffe yeast in primary fermentation, Ommegang yeast in bottle conditioning
OG: 19.9 o Plato
FG: 2.9 o Plato
ABV: 9.5% abv
IBU: 19
750 ml bottle: Bottle-conditioned with Ommegang house yeast
1/6 bbl keg: Forced-carbonation