Tag: Brewery Ommegang

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Die or Serve

750 MLSeven Kingdoms labels Jan 13 2016
The latest Brewery Ommegang Game of Thrones release is now slated for October (probably to coincide with the DVD release). Valar Dohaeris is a companion to the previously released Valar Morghulis. So you have All Men Must Serve to go along with the ominous, All Men Must Die.

Here are the new beers stats:
“Valar Dohaeris is 9% ABV, brewed with pils, wheat and oats, flaked barley, and hopped with noble hops. It pours a beautiful copper-tinted hue with a full, fluffy white head. Sweet grain and honey are prevalent in the aroma. The flavor opens with a bright sweetness thanks to the Belgian candi sugar used in brewing. The finish is moderately dry and effervescent with just a hint of Belgian yeast character.”

The last two beers in this series (which is more prolific than R.R.) have only been so-so to me, so I am hoping the new one will be a return to form.

You can buy the duo of Valar’s in a collectible gift pack which also includes a commemorative glass as well. Suggested retail price is $9.99 for the individual bottles and $22.99 for the gift pack.
No spoilers, since I have not binge watched the latest GoT series.

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Into the….

The siren call of the IPA is luring even the most Belgian-y of breweries with Monkish getting a huge response to their one-off cans of hoppy goodness and now Brewery Ommegang is following up their Nirvana IPA with a new Double IPA, the Great Beyond.

From the brewery’s statistics division, “Nirvana debuted almost exactly one-year ago throughout the brewery’s northeast backyard of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. In only 12 months, as reported by IRI in NY Food data, Nirvana is already the #3 selling NY-IPA. Overall, it is the #13 selling IPA 6-pack despite having weighted distribution well below 50%.” Basically, it is flying off shelves in New York.

Great Beyond weighs in at a hefty 8.8% ABV with 83 IBUs. It is “brewed with pilsner and Munich 20 malts, along with additions of flaked oats, and dextrose, Great Beyond has a beautifully smooth mouthfeel. Hopping is done throughout the brewing process with a blend of Columbus, Cascade, Centennial, Mosaic, Calypso, and Mandarina Bavaria hops, and the beer is fermented with American ale yeast.”
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Every Last Kingdom

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A bit confusing, but for Season 6 of the HBO series Game of Thrones, Brewery Ommegang is releasing Seven Kingdoms, a hoppy wheat beer.

Described thusly, “Seven Kingdoms is a marriage of a traditional Belgian-style wheat and a hop-forward American ale – but unlike so many of the marriages on the show, the resulting hoppy wheat is pleasant, playful and inspired. Seven Kingdoms harmoniously weds citrusy and herbal American hops, with wheaty maltiness and moderate bitterness.”

I still would like to see an altbier or Gratzer style done. Maybe that will come later.

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Throne Redux

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The latest season of Game of Thrones is over which means repeats for those fanatics. Which includes beer fanatics. Brewery Ommegang is re-releasing the first two offerings in the brewery’s Game of Thrones Series.

Returning are Irone Throne, the blonde ale and the stout, Take the Black all in one handy pack with a Game of Thrones glass.  You can probably foresee like Melisandre that the other two beers will probably come back as well.

You will find both beer on draft in September, along with 750ml bottles and gift sets. ERP, $22.99.

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Review – Valar Morghulis from Brewery Ommegang

With news that HBO might offer non-subscribers the chance to stream the channel in the possible works, I just might not be as harsh on this latest Game of Thrones offering from Brewery Ommegang.

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All kidding aside about the reclusive pay channel, this is the first GoT beer without a gimmicky ingredient. I say gimmicky without sarcasm too. Crazy ingredients are all well and good, but it is refreshing to see a straight-up Abbey Dubbel becoming an installment of this series.

The VM pours a dark red color and in every sensory category is quintessentially Abbey Dubbel. There is a lovely bit of spice in the beer reminiscent of the Hefeweizen profile with clove and banana mixed with a richer fig type taste and some burnt caramel. It also is both sticky on the palate while also being crisp initially.

I also like the touch of having the cork emblazoned with Valar Dohaeris (All Men Must Serve). It makes up for the somewhat hazy focused coin on the label that doesn’t work for me design wise.

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And if you like this beer, other top rated Dubbels are:
Westmalle Dubbel and Lost Abbey’s Lost and Found.

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Valar Morghulis

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The 4th beer in the collaboration between HBO’s Game of Thrones and Ommegang goes by the fan voted name Valar Morghulis Which in the lands of Westeros means “all men must die.” Brewery Ommegang conducted a Facebook poll in late December for the name which also determined the style of the new beer – “an Abbey Dubbel – which is perfectly represented by the “two-headed” coin which will adorn the labels.”

More from the press release, (edited to avoid way too much geekery about House Stark) “Valar Morghulis is brewed with pilsner and other specialty malts and hopped with Apollo and Hallertau Spalt Select hops. The hue is deep amber-brown with a persistent, creamy, off-white head. Aromas include caramel, toffee, ripe fruit, banana and slightly burnt sugar. The taste is well-balanced with rich malty sweetness, caramel and sugar, and just a touch of bitterness to balance. The finish is surprisingly dry and light on the tongue, belying the aroma and initial taste.

“The Dubbel is one of the most recognized beer styles in Belgium and this is a very tasty version of that style,” said Mike McManus, Ommegang Innovation Manager. “Valar Morghulis is a complex beer, much like the stories surrounding the phrase.”

The label art will feature the two-headed coin, given to Arya Stark by Jaqen H’ghar, one of the “Faceless Men of Braavos” – legendary assassins with the ability to change their appearance at will. Each cork will be fire-branded with “Valar Dohaeris,” which is the traditional response phrase to “Valar Morghulis” meaning “all men must serve.”

Valar Morghulis will be available at retail in fall of this year.”