Ommegang Brewery - Game of Thrones "Take The Black" Stout

I'm back, everybody! Yeah, I slacked off from updating here for a long, long while. Yeah, time to play catch-up... so let's get started!

I've never heard of a beer made from a licensed property, so a Game of Thrones beer is rather novel (bdum-ksh). From the label: "A stout as dark as the winters that once engulfed Westeros. As robust as the men who swear their oaths at the Weirwood tree. Chocolate & caramel sweetness are balanced by hop bitterness. Roasty, woodsy notes, and an earthy finish. Pour slowly to not disturb yeast sediment, but with vigor to make a luxurious head and free the bouquet."

Let's test that theory. I paid ten bucks for this thing, it better be worth it. The bottle has a cork top, so you may as well finish it once you open it. Ooooh fancy, it pops just like champagne. Happy New Year, Westeros!

Following the instructions from the label, pouring slow but steady, you still get a rather thick head, that bubbles irregularly. First impression, it tastes like cocoa, not chocolate. There's a floral quality to it, a fruity banana sweetness, but it's not sugary at all. The label says "ale brewed with star anise and licorice root." Yes, the anise would explain the floral taste and aroma. I've tasted anise-flavored tea, and I can detect the anise and licorice in the flavor right away. The hops also comes through, in a subtle way like double- and triple-hopped IPAs, but unlike those I can't really pick up on any caramel-y flavor except in the finish. And just barely, at that. It also doesn't smell like any stout I've had before, which is not a bad thing, just interesting. Also says it's 7% alcohol per volume. Yes. Oooooh yes.

Now, it has a  rather clean finish for a stout. The cocoa doesn't linger like say Guiness. Here's a fun fact, it gets a little thicker as it approaches room temperature, and becomes more creamy in body and taste. While pouring it cold is reasonable, letting it warm up gives it an interesting consistency that doesn't really detract from the experience.

As novelty beers go (there's such a thing?), it's really good. Ommegang definitely took care to produce a high quality brew for the Game of Thrones property, that says good things about their commitment as a brewery to their products. Is it worth the ten bucks I spent?  Honestly, not really. Go ahead and give it a try, pick up a bottle for a gift, a themed party, convention, or just to say you did. But at the price they're asking, I can't imagine anyone stocking up on this.