From the label, this is described as a hybrid of a farmhouse ale, or saison, and a dark beer "a delectable blend that both deceives and thrills the senses." Interesting claim. It first went on sale in April of this year, around the premiere of Season 5 for the series. Here's a little history about the saison. Farmhouse ales were pale ales, originating from Belgium, that were brewed during the winter for summertime consumption. Brewing in the colder months was common before there were such things as a refrigeration, to prevent spoilage of the fermenting batch from the summer heat and bacterial contamination. Those early batches were low in alcohol content, intended more for refreshment than intoxication, but as brewing technologies improved the ABV increased to as high as 8%.
Now, there's different types of dark beers, such as dark lagers, porters, brown ales and doppelbocks. The darker the beer, the more earthy the flavor and the thicker the head. These generally have more of a coffee bean or nutty character, with varying hints of sweetness and cocoa or vanilla, and a somewhat dry finish. They also typically, but not always, have a higher alcohol content than the pale ales; it seems to depend on the quantity and quality of the yeast used in the fermentation process. In my humble, less-then-professional opinion, this dark saison has qualities similiar to a porter and a doppelbock. I'd judge that Ommegang used brown and dark malts in place of the traditional lighter ones in the brewing process.
It's recommended to drink a farmhouse ale from a tulip glass, so I used my souvenir tulip glass from Pat O'Brien's. The label includes serving instructions, like pouring it slowly into your glass of choice to avoid disturbing the bottom-settling yeast. On first pour it has a thick, meringue-like head, that faded slowly. The body was a semi-clear brown in color, like a fresh pot of coffee. Mmmm, coffee sounds good right now (it's morning as I write this, a little early for a cold one). It's effervescent, there's a carbonated fizzy sensation in the middle. The bouquet has similarities to hefeweizen in my opinion, spices and possibly cloves, and even bananas. No doubt this is from the yeast. It's no wheat beer, so no citrus notes, and it's bolder than a hefeweizen at that. It's a full body at first, that almost tropical blend of banana and clove and malt on the tongue with a hint of hops for a kick. But it's also lighter than it looks, so don't be fooled. Just because it looks like a stout, doesn't mean it'll feel like a stout. It finishes clean and dry, drier and crisper than most dark brews while cold but less so as it warms. Forewarning, the yeast will become more noticeable as it warms up. Remember, higher yeast content means higher ABV. With an ABV of 7.2%, this brew will hit you like an uppercut.
In summation, I quite enjoyed this. Like the "Taking The Black" brew, it's not really a beer for casual drinking, unless you can drop the cash on a case of this. I would certainly advocate drinking this anytime, not just in the summer. Fortunately, there's still plenty of "Three Eyed Raven" available at retail stores, and with Ommegang bringing back other brews in their Game of Thrones series, it's not likely to run out anytime soon. So check it out, bring it to a viewing party for the Season 6 premiere to toast Jon Snow's return or whatever. Speaking of return, I oughta try the "Iron Throne" ale now that it's been re-released. But that's for another time. Till next time, I'm Daver, and the bar is closed.
(I really oughta work on that closing line.)
