Collaborations

When a well-respected American brewery collaborates with a legendary European brewery, the results should probably be good.  I recently went to Cork in Westmont, NJ where two such tag-teams are on tap: Gnomegang, the Ommegang/La Chouffe partnership, and the Sierra Nevada/Ovila Abbey Dubbel.

Some of my first impressions:

Ovila Dubbel

Ovila seems to be caught between a session and sexy Belgian, and I don't find it to be either.  Maybe I'm one of those people who "like craft beer too much" but I'm not that impressed by Ovila on tap. Flavor is a good thing, dag-nabit, and this brew doesn't have the flavor I'm looking for. The Gnomegang collaboration seems to me to be a better success, offering the best of both worlds: rich body, silky mouthfeel, and hops that stand up for themselves, compliments of Ommegang's American take on the Belgian tradition. Enter La Chouffe with the light candi sweetness and playful citrus. 

Gnomegang Tap at Cork

Gnomegang