The Brewery: Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY)
The Brew: Take The Black Stout
Availability: Bottles, draft (limited)
ABV: 7.0%
Rating: 8/10
Location: Home
Found: Nathaniel Square Corner Store
The Story? Like many, my partners and I are fans of Game of Thrones, enough so where if you brand a series of beer after it, we're probably going to want to buy all of them. Iron Throne was subtle, clean, and bit unremarkable initially, but its beauty bloomed with the richness of grains of paradise, which shown through as we headed towards the dredge of the bottle.
Initially, I thought I missed the boat on Take The Black as locally, it sold out. Luckily, I stumbled across a handful of bottles remaining in my adventures in Rochester. This one is brewed with licorice root and star anise.
The Beer? Take The Black pours out with a deep, dark brown body and light brown head. The nose is rich and offers an herbal coolness, along with roasted qualities and distinct milk notes.
I'd recommend letting this one settle a moment after pouring, there's a high, Champagne-level of carbonation present - too much for my palate, where it physically explodes the beer in your mouth before enjoying the full taste experience.
After letting the carbonation calm, the depth and complexity of this brew are revealed. It begins with a mild sweetness, a slight sting of anise in the finish, and an herbal exhale that reveal ester notes.
Smooth and creamy gives way to a growing dryness with chocolate; evolving further into bitter anise and clean hops, with a distinct spice heat. The finish was a stand out for me - herbal with biscuit notes that slowly dries and bitters.
Recommended for adventurous enthusiasts. I'd be interested to see how this one ages to see if the carbonation settles out at all, which was the main pitfall for me. Not your average stout by far and major points for creativity and balance of very complex flavors.
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