Endless Beer: Ommegang Valar Morghulis
ABV: 8%
“When confronted with the most feared saying in Valyrian, take a sip and choose your words wisely.”
We’ve all been waiting for the October release of the latest Ommegang Game of Thrones series. Now that we’ve all been able to find it somewhere, drink it up and converse about the series and what to expect next, we can talk about the beer! There are a lot of cool beer series out there, but I think Ommegang and Game of Thrones wins with most creative and true to the style (of the books and the beer). The creativity in determining what kind of beer, the label art, and even the marketing message is impressive. I’ve had each series but this is the first time I’ve had the brew after reading four of the books. I gotta tell ya, the excitement in receiving this sample from Ommegang can’t compete with many things.
Fun fact: the Valar Morghulis Dubbel was chosen by the people in a facebook poll. If you don’t know (how dare you?), Valar Morghulis means “all men must die” and to say it is foreboding would be an understatement. One of my favorite characters – Arya Stark is given a two-headed coin by a man that is able to change his appearance and also just happened to kick ass on a number occasions in the book. For two kick ass characters to be represented, the beer must do the same – kick some ass. The poll participants chose a Dubbel as the style of the beer and Ommegang went to town to create a Dubbel that lives up to its name. In knowing the ABV was at 8%, my expectations were for a boozy taste with sweet malts and to get some strong yeasty characteristics. On to the tasting profile!
Ommegang Game of Thrones Series: Valar Morghulis
- Appearance: Somewhere between a dark ruby red and a chestnut color (close to the color of dark BLOOD)
- Aroma: Slight toasty smell with sweet, sweet notes of caramel and candy with some spices.
- Taste: Caramel notes with subtle biscuit flavors throughout. Pleasant bitterness with sweet, fruity finish.
- Mouthfeel: While the ABV is high, it finishes pleasantly light and dry – crisp finish that leaves you craving more.
- Overall: A great variation of a dubbel ale that is amp’d up with sweet malty flavors that even remind me of a sweet candy. Fruity undertones come through in a very light way. Booze doesn’t overpower the brew. The beer is very tasty and this is a bomber bottle that is easy to finish on your own.
ES Rating: 4.25/5 suds
Endless Pairings:
- Entrees: Pot roast with sweet potato puree and grilled asparagus, Pan Seared Rib Eye Marinated in fresh herbs with roasted cauliflower and sauteed green beans
- Cheeses: Maytag Blue and Drunken Goat Cheese with crisp apple slices, honey, toasted baguette, figs, and candied walnuts
- Desserts: Chocolate Cheesecake, Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownies
- Cigars: Drew Estate Java, Padron Maduro
