Why we picked it: Because Ommegang makes delicious cool beers, but this is an interesting step outside of the normal Belgian-style beers. Too tempting not to include in 24 days of beer.
What Ommegang has to say: !For the next few months, there will be plenty of snow-filled woods by which to stop and ponder in Ommegang’s Upstate New York, Cooperstown home. It only seemed fitting therefore to seek inspiration from Robert Frost’s famous poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” when name-storming monikers for the brewery’s new winter-warmer seasonal. Lovely, Dark and Deep, an oatmeal stout, is set to reach retail in early November.
“Winter is lengthy in Upstate New York and we wanted to brew a beer that we could enjoy throughout the long, cold months,” says Mike McManus, Ommegang’s Innovation Manager. “Lovely, Dark, and Deep not only reflects well the nature of our winters here, but also the beer. At 5.3% ABV the second follows easily after the first, while the chocolate, roast, and coffee characters provide enough to explore. It should be perfect during, or after, a day of winter fun.”
Lovely, Dark and Deep pours deep black with a tan, creamy mousse-like head. Aromas of roasted malt and coffee with cream, coupled with subtle notes of chocolate and dark fruit from Ommegang’s house yeast prevail. Flavors of rich chocolate milk, and coffee and cream are impeccably balanced with restrained sweetness and hints of roastiness. The finish is silky smooth with a medium to full body.
Brewed with a rich blend of malts including chocolate malt, midnight wheat, and flaked oats, and given a small addition of lactose, Lovely, Dark and Deep has a hint of sweetness and a smooth body. The beer is hopped with Bravo and Styrian Golding hops and Ommegang’s signature house yeast is used in both primary and secondary fermentation.
Lovely, Dark and Deep is the perfect beer to pair with a light meal by a hot, crackling fire on a cold winter’s night. Cozy up and watch the flames while you pair sips with aged cheddar, a hunk of dark bread with natural sweetness like pumpernickel, and slices of cold meats, like rare roast beef, with stone ground mustard. Or even, with some roasted chestnuts. Four-packs of 12 oz. bottles and draft will be available across Ommegang’s 43-state distribution area (I love this press release!)
ABV: 5.5%
IBU: 0
Fun Fact: Ommegang or Ommeganck (Dutch: "walk around" (the church, village or city), Dutch pronunciation:[ˈɔməˌɣɑŋ]) is the generic name for various medieval pageants celebrated in what is now Belgium, in the Netherlands, and in northern France.
Fun Fact II: You are not allowed to look up Lovely, Dark and Deep on the Chuck E. Cheese wifi. That's probably a good thing.
I liked this beer!! This is my 2nd favorite...I like the full bodied taste of this beer.
ReplyDeleteCommenting on yesterday’s and today’s, since they’re both oatmeal stouts:
ReplyDeleteIf I owned a brewery, I would be tempted to sell a beer with a really high alcohol content and call it “No Pants”. Probably just as well that I don’t.
Anyway, I feel like yesterday’s oatmeal stout was better than today’s.
Definitely the worst Ommegang I've ever had. I had such high hopes. Tasted really boozy and as Ro said, "like it had liqueur in it". Not good at all. In the battle of the Oatmeal Stouts, this is a distant second. I still need to combine one of my many weekends in Rochester with a trip to Cooperstown. As a huge baseball fan, I would say 2 hours at the hall of fame and 4 hours at the Ommegang Brewery. Solid day.
ReplyDeleteSorry, forgot to rate. 2 out of 5 Christy Matthewsons.
DeleteThe name says it all. I really like this beer. Coming in at 5.4%, you really have to pay attention to the serving temperature. I had mine too cold, and it tastes a little hollow. Once it warms to 50, the malt characteristic comes out and it is, well, lovely.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping tomorrow's isn't another stout. Or Scotch ale. I liked yesterday's a lot better than today's. I also had part of a New Belgium Coffee Stout today after using some for a recipe, and that one was also much better than the Ommegang. 3.5 snowflakes for the Snowpants and 2 for the Ommegang.
ReplyDeleteI was drinking this one with Sam while watching RedZone and watching my fantasy football dreams slowly slip away. Perhaps it was the need to numb the pain of getting crushed by ,DeAndre Hopkins but I generally liked this one a bit more than the Snow Pants. Its counterintuitive as it's 0 IBUs, which I am normally seeking. Still not a fav, but generally appreciated it. 2.5 DeAndres.
ReplyDeleteSort of disappointed given Ommegang usually (in my view) produces awesome beer. I liked Snow Pants much better. About the only thing that could redeem this beer for me is if it can cure ACL injuries by pouring it on the affected area. I give it 2 Nick Foles.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Cooperstown. But when I do I'll pass on the Lovely Dark and Deep. 1.5 Abner Doubledays.
ReplyDelete