Ommegang Three Philosophers

Pours a deep, murky light-brown. Aroma has subtle hints of fruit, mainly cherries and bananas, with some sweet bready undertones. Big Quadrupel taste, although not as complex as some. Flavor is dried dark fruits, a touch of cherry and nuts at first with a lot of banana and yeast on the finish. Maybe slight hints of caramel. Certainly a tasty beverage, but I’ve yet to have a Quad touch the Roc 10. Still waiting for that elusive Westy 12.

Decent lightly fruity aroma. Appearance is dark brownish red and hazy. Flavor seems a bit yeasty. Medium-full mouthfeel. Not terrible. Had better.

Bottle. Pours dark red. Aroma is cherry and alcohol which carries through in the flavor. My impression is that this tastes like cough syrup. Might have to try it again sometime.

Pours a dark amber and having an off white head. Aromas of bannanas, cherry, spices, wheat, and a note of hops. The flavor is sweet all around. Some of the aromas carry to the flavor, those being the bannana (but lightly), spices, cherry (more noticeable towards the end), and wheat. Other notes of caramel and a touch of liquorice. The alcohol is slightly noticeable but mostly well hidden. i would of given this a 9 for flavor if there was no alcohol noticed. A very well balenced Quadrupel and a very good tasting beer!

Another year-round staple and fine American example of Belgian brewing from the brewers at Ommegang. This time I am presented with their Three Philosophers, a Belgian quad, or quadrupel, with a bit of a different twist. Brewed with dark cherries, Three Philosophers combines the rich complexity of a Belgian quad with the sweet yet tart succulence of a Belgian kriek, or cherry beer. Only so much is made each year, so each batch has the year in which it was brewed and then bottled from. Today I get to partake of a 2008 Three Philosophers and sate the philosopher in me.
A huge head chides me to pour my Three Philosophers slowly so as to not waste her pomp and prominence, and at the same time to savor her seductive amber brown body as it slowly fills my glass. Not as dark as a traditional quadrupel, this is but one unique aspect of this brew and a beautiful reminder of the cherry which lies within. Her head slowly settles into a soft off-white blanket with a tinge of pink. Of course, with a head such as her head, brussels lace sticks all over the sides like a spider web of brewing intrigue. I can definitely smell the rich dark cherries along with sweet caramelized sugars and a tart sour nip. Caramel, nuts, and some dark fruits round out the nose. Her body is sweet, clean and smooth with a light sour puckering effect after the initial sweet impression. Mildly effervescent, I can definitely taste the cherries right away. Holding it all together is a full and subtle palate of caramel malts, nuts, dark fruits and a growing warmth from the high ABV. Sweet and tart, clean, smooth and succulent with rich dark fruits, nutty malts, and a pleasing finish. About the only improvement I can think of is a bit more of a fuller body. For a quadrupel, even considering the kriek aspect, it feels and tastes a bit too thin.
I can definitely appreciate Three Philosophers for what it is and what Ommegang has done with this particular quadrupel. It isn’t a quad I would quaff when in the mood for a traditional quadrupel, but when the mood strikes for something of a different twist, Three Philosophers can definitely fill the bill.

Bottle. Pours a hazy copper with an energetic tan head that departs far too soon. Plentiful aromas of cherries, wine, brandy and freshly baked bread. Thick and malty with a hint of cherries (a little less than I was optimistically expecting from the 2% cherry beer mix).

Monster quad. Dark fruit and roast in the nose (baked bread character). Flavors of raisins and plums as well as dark roast malt, slight banana and a tiny bit of citrus. Has a sort of leathery character to it. Great brew.

2007 Bottle Brewery Ommegang are realy good at interpert belgian beers. This one is blended with 2% Kriek which gives an interesting touch