Ommegang Game of Thrones Take the Black Stout

It's been a while since the last post!  We've finally gotten through the moving process and are (sort of) unpacked.... ish.  Today we're enjoying a Take the Black Stout, Ommegang's second in their Game of Thrones series.  We're big nerds, so as soon as we saw this we bought it.  Some time in the fall, I enjoyed their Iron Throne on tap at the Lizardville in Copley and loved it, so I was initially quite excited about Take the Black when I picked it up - until someone said it tasted like black licorice.  I was instantly afraid, I can't stand the stuff.  I don't even like jaeger or absinthe!  As such, this bottle has been sitting around aging for about six months, waiting for the faithful day that I man up and have a taste.  Well, we have a friend over who likes black licorice so now I can get rid of it if I need to!

Beer: Take the Black Stout

Brewery: Ommegang
Style: Stout
ABV: 7.0%

Glass: Snifter

Appearance: Pours a thick, dark, opaque black with a frothy tan head a good two inches high.  Really lovely looking brew, the deepness of the black is beautifully accented by the snifter.

Aroma:   Aroma is malty and sweet, with definite tones of toasted malts and a slight sweetness that is suggestive of apples that could be crystal malt.

Body & Texture: Medium bodied, thinner than I would have expected but not so thin as to distract from the style.  Carbonation is very present but not heavy.  Small bubbles.

Taste: My fears have not been confirmed at all - there is definitely no huge licorice flavor here, and thank goodness because this is a delicious brew!  I can see where the "licorice" description comes from - there is a definite bitterness from the malt that combines with sweet caramel tones to produce something that could be described as "licorice" but in my mind it sticks as more of a toasted caramel and coffee flavor.

Overall: 4.5/5  I was really surprised with this beer, and now I'm starting to wonder why so many are still left on the shelves!  This is one really delicious brew, an excellent balance of bitter and caramel flavors.  I would like to taste a fresher bottle to compare, but after drinking this I would recommend bottle aging your Take the Black for at least six months because it really brings out the subtle lines between the sweet and bitter tones.