Brewery Ommegang - Ommegang XV

For the Third Beer of Christmas, Cooperstown, New York, gave me a Belgian gift.  I mean sure, why not? If Belgium can deliver gifts from Scotland, why can't central New York state pick up where Belgium left off?

Brewery Ommegang
Ommegang XV

As a fan of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series as well as HBO's Game of Thrones television series, when I saw Ommegang's Iron Throne blonde ale and Take the Black stout, I had to buy them. They were good, but still seemed more publicity oriented than excellent beer oriented. When I saw their 15th Anniversary Ale sitting on the shelf, especially in that snazzy can, I knew it was time for another Ommegang.

This Belgian-American (that's the politically correct term, right?) offering produced a beautiful deep brown and opaque glass with a thick head of large, fluffy bubbles. The foam receded to a ring around the edge of the glass and scattered bubbles on the surface that looked like thin clouds on a windy late spring day.

The aroma is thick and malty. Roasted malts full of dates, brown sugar, and spice are evident along with a backdrop of yeast. This seems pretty typical of most dark, Belgian ales I've had.

The sweet spiciness of a Belgian is the predominant taste. The carbonation gives a nice crisp tingling on the tongue that chases down throat.  It's a similar sensation to having a little touch of wasabi (don't worry, it doesn't taste like wasabi). The hop bittering comes through stronger in the aftertaste than with the initial drink. It's strong and warming and left me with a nice glow.

This might be my favorite quadrupel of all time. It's too bad that it's nearly $18 per bottle. Although, if you compare that to a nice bottle of wine, it's not that expensive. I'll just have to decide if I want to share the bottles with my lovely wife (who was asking how much this was and justifying it as no more pricey than wine).

Stats

Ommegang XV Can

Brewer: Brewery Ommegang
Location: Cooperstown, New York
Website: http://www.Ommegang.com
Style: Quadrupel
Alcohol Content: 9.6% ABV
Interesting Note: Brewery Ommegang is owned by Duvel Moortgat Brewery which will be featured again for the Tenth Beer of Christmas with Duvel.