Ommegang Three Philosophers

750 ml corked and caged bottle 2008 vintage poured a clear reddish brown with a lasting creamy tan head with excellent lacing. Aromas of cherry, toffee, carmel, wood, light vanilla and light spice. Palate was full bodied and smooth. Flavors of cherry, cocoa, carmel, toffee, light vanilla and a hint of spice with a smooth lingering bittersweet finish.

If beer came direct from heaven, this is what it would taste like. (...at least on even days of the week; on odd days it would be Speedway Stout.) Lovely rich sweetness with caramel and slight molasses with strong dark fruit, along with a cherry sourness from the 2% kriek. This is so rich and tasty. Fantastic yeast flavor with tiny champagne-like bubbles. This yeast is very similar to Lost Abbey’s Judgement Day yeast. I simply love this beer...

A beautiful-looking beer that pours a deep red with a creamy white head. Aroma is sweet, with faint cherries and alcohol. Flavor is astringent, with notes of caramel malt and sweet fruits. The alcohol is readily apparent and really gets to you. I have to agree with the poster below me who called this a "mess". It’s like they tried to blend several different flavors, but didn’t really succeed. It’s respectable, but I just can’t buy in to this beer’s high rating.

This well-respected beer is delicious, refreshing, fruity, aley (if that’s a word), and boozy (in a good way) all at once. In the tradition of those Trappists, I can smell Belgium when I breathe in that sweet, boozy, rich beer flavor!

A deep brown core that is clearly lighter on the outside with a very thin tan head. Aromas were of plum, raisin and an herbal spiciness. The palate showed a balanced and restrained sweetness with a nice mix of dry and bitter hops added in. This seems to need some age.