Ommegang Three Philosophers

Brewed by Brewery Ommegang (Moortgat)
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Cooperstown, New York USA

Bottle. [thank you, SecretSanta]
Pours deep mahogany with dark red edges, a big, frothy, off-white head on top. Wonderful duration and nice lacing. Great aroma with good overripe grapes, raisins, plums, very light roasted tones and a lingering cherry tone as well. Medium carbonation, great mouthfeel. Flavour is wonderfully complex, light cherry tartness hits me first, then that fruity yeastiness with some wonderfully balanced chocolate notes in the finish. Surprisingly dry, actually. And the alcohol is not felt at all! Gimme more!

From my review @ cvillebeergeek.blogspot.com.

Appearance: Deep, dark reddish brown slightly cloudy pour. Three finger head dissipates fairly quickly and makes a weak effort at lacing, leaving some thin wisps just above the surface of the beer that do not stick around very long. This looks typical for a quadrupel, but uninteresting. 3.0/5.0.

Aroma: The aroma is primarily rich malts... toffee, brown sugar and caramel. The yeast imparts notes of green apple and banana. I THINK I can smell the cherries slightly, but it may be just because I’m looking for them. The aroma is rich, pleasant and typical of a quadrupel. 4.0/5.0.

Taste: Much more on the tart side than I expected. Sour cherry and funk from the lambic are definitely showing up. Some toffee and chocolate notes appear at the front and back of the tongue. I feel like the tartness is overpowering the other flavors somewhat, but this is still tasty. 3.5/5.0.

Mouthfeel: There is a slight alcohol warmth, and the beer is pretty tart. It is pleasant, though, and shouldn’t scare off those that haven’t been exposed to the more sour beer styles. 4.0/5.0.

Drinkability: Any 9.8% ABV 750 mL bottle is a big commitment. This is a complex beer... smooth and tart, fruity and malty. It inspires thought, and in that regard I suppose it lives up to its name. 4.0/5.0

Overall: 3.60/5.00. Interesting beer. Pleasant and thought-provoking. Even at only 2%, the kriek makes its presence known. While tart, this is not a beer that will scare off beginners. If it’s that tart at 2%, imagine a pure kriek! Not the best quadrupel around, but at $6.99 for a 750 mL bottle (at Whole Foods Market... Chris says they/we are the cheapest), you can’t beat the price. This one is definitely worth a try.

Unbelievably smooth for 9.8%. Definite hint of bananas upon a deep whiff and an undertone of cherries throughout the sip. Finishes a little malty and definitely draws you into another swig.

Beautiful dark brown brew with a fine head, a great Belgian style ale, but the cherry flavor is a bit over the top for me.

pours dark amber with medium head that leaves some lacing. aroma is cherries and yeast, with a little banana. very dry and tart flavor. alcohol is very present, warm as it goes down, pleasant. this is a good bottle for either a hot summer night or a cold winter night.

Light thin ruby caramel color with a light tan head. Nose like a tripel lots of spiciness and earthiness. Taste is strong spices and noticeable alcohol. The light cherry notes are overpowered by the stinging alcohol finish. I was unimpressed.

Light reddish carmel color with nice head. Aroma of dark fruit, light molasses, and lightly roasted malts with a hint of sharp alcohol and, no kidding, a hint of fresh broccoli and sugar snap peas. Flavor complex with all of above plus some acidic sour, along with bitter hops and a touch of smoke. Brief, sweet aftertaste morphs into a lingering sour which is a bitter over done. Is it the cherries?

Poured to give a nice brownish red color with a thick foamy head. Aroma is malty. Some hints of cherry and vanilla. Taste is a subtle cherry sour with a malt sweetness. Very drinkable quad.