The final season of Game of Thrones may be a few months gone, but that doesn’t mean we can’t look back and remember the good times we had in Westeros.
Brewery Ommegang has released the 15th and final beer from their multi-year deal with HBO to bring us libations fitting of the Seven Kingdoms. The final beer is called My Watch Has Ended, and there couldn’t be a more fitting name.
From Ommegang’s press release:
My Watch Has Ended is brewed with two-row base malt, specialty grains such as oat flakes and chocolate malt, plus maple syrup and fenugreek, an herb with a maple-like aroma and flavor. Hopped with Hallertau Magnum and Styrian Golding varietals and fermented with an English ale yeast, with aromas of sweet maple and caramelized sugar, the beer pours a rich mahogany. Notes of cocoa and toffee and a smooth, velvety mouthfeel finish dry, with gently smoldering roast.
My Watch Has Ended is 8% ABV and makes a superb match for rare, grilled steak. The char pairs with the roasted malt while maple notes play off the sweetness in the meat. The beer is also a fine candidate for sipping before the fireplace as winter arrives.
If that isn’t enough to get your mouth watering, popping open the champagne-style bottle will. When I started pouring, I was immediately met with an oaky, cherry aroma that reminded me of amaretto. A closer smell also brings out those promised toffee notes.
The beer hits your mouth with delicious, desserty flavors similar to a good stout but without the heaviness. The toffee and cocoa notes linger long after you’ve finished. It’s an Imperial Brown Ale that feels like the capable little brother of a porter. The color certainly reflects the long, dark nights that the Night’s Watch might have endured, but it’s a lot more inviting.
As noted, this beer feels like a fitting end to a long journey. It’s definitely one that you want to drink last and let it linger after a nice steak.
Additionally, you’ll definitely want to keep the bottle around as a keepsake. The label has the sigils of your favorite Westerosi houses, with House Targaryen as the centerpiece.
My Watch Has Ended from Brewery Ommegang definitely lives up to its namesake. The beer is dark and full of flavors.