Brewery Ommegang Seven Kingdoms
I’m not sure how many Game of Thrones beers (six, I believe) Brewery Ommegang has brewed for HBO, but I know that I’ve had two of them previously — the capable Take the Black Stout and the excellent Valar Morghulis. Seven Kingdoms, a 6.9% ABV Belgian-style witbier, is sort of in the middle of those two brews and is crafted with a potent concoction of five hop varieties to meet the “hoppy wheat ale” descriptor on the label.
Bravo, Centennial, Citra, Cascade, and Columbus hops combine with pilsner malt, wheat, and oats to create a refreshing blend of grass, grain, citrus zest and herbal notes. Distant spices and lightly toasted bread are also in the mix as Seven Kingdoms surges to a brief swell of hop bitterness that fades smoothly. As that bite dissipates, the Belgian yeast lingers gently in the lightly drying finish.
Seven Kingdoms wasn’t my favorite of the Game of Thrones beers I’ve happened across, but it’s lively, almost prickly, mouthfeel and refreshing nature certainly hit the spot. The hop presence here is strong, but not palate-wrecking by any means and sends a good bit of citrus and grass gliding across the tongue. I can see this one — if released again — doing quite well in the heat of Summer.