Ommegang Game of Thrones Take the Black Stout

November 8th, 2013 by Scott in Other Beer Reviews

Winter is coming.

For those of you who are fans of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series and its television adaptation Game of Thrones, Ommegang recently released the second in a series of ales inspired by the medieval series. The first was Iron Throne Blonde Ale, and its release was rather limited. Ommegang produced a lot more for this edition, called Take the Black Stout, and I managed to grab a couple of bottles.

I don’t normally subscribe to HBO, but as part of a deal with my television provider I had three months of HBO for free and I decided to take a look at Game of Thrones. I thought it was really good and decided to read the books first and then when I was past where I was in the TV shows I started watching them again. Both the books and the shows can get a bit complicated at times because there are so many people, but the story is quite interesting.

Take the Black is, well, black. A deep dark black that light cannot penetrate. A large tan head rises up from the inky liquid. Roasted coffee, licorice, caramel, and chocolate scents rise up. Similar tastes emerge when taking a sip; the roasted taste lingers for quite a while. It’s 7% ABV so it’s not a super strong beer but it fits in rather well. Medium carbonation in a thick liquid.

Ommegang’s already announced the next beer in the lineup; Fire and Blood Red Ale will arrive in spring 2014 to coincide with the Game of Thrones season four premiere. It will be brewed with ancho chiles to represent Daenerys’ fiery dragons. In the meantime, Take the Black should still be around in stores; I picked up an extra bottle just Wednesday. Join the night’s watch to protect Westeros!

One final note: Jenn and Pat are in Walt Disney World this weekend for the Wine & Dine Half-Marathon. Keep an eye on Twitter and Instagram as they’re sharing some of their beverages with us!