Valar dohaeris. All men must serve, and this beer serves a serious pour. Part of Brewery Ommegang’s Game of Thrones series, Valar Dohaeris is a Belgian-style tripel that stands on its own well beyond the novelty of the label. It might be the best beer to come out of the entire collaboration.

The basics

• Brewery: Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY)
• Style: Belgian Tripel
• ABV: 9.0%

What to expect

Valar Dohaeris pours a beautiful copper-tinted gold with a full, fluffy white head and lively carbonation. It is brewed with pilsner malt, wheat, oats, and flaked barley, hopped with noble hops, and sweetened with Belgian candi sugar.

The aroma leads with sweet grain and honey, then opens into apple, pear, and cracked pepper from Ommegang’s expressive house yeast. On the palate the candi sugar gives a bright initial sweetness that the yeast quickly balances with spice and a dry, effervescent finish. Vanilla and subtle caramel drift through without ever getting heavy. At 9% the strength is remarkably well hidden, which is either impressive or dangerous depending on your night.

Our rating

8.8/10

Rated by Alex (8.8), one of his highest scores, and it is easy to see why. This is a genuinely excellent tripel that happens to have a dragon-adjacent name. If you find a bottle, buy it. The series is long done, so what is out there is what there is.