Ommegang Three Philosophers Quadrupel Ale

Appearance

Nice big oatmeal-colored head sits on top of a dark red and murky brew.  The head dies after a few minutes.

Smell

Definite malts, dark cherry, bready and wild yeast are all right up front. This beer has a wonderfully exciting nose to it and is getting me excited.  Toasted wood and banana are also strong scents. Get this in my belly!

Taste

Wow! This is a really big and really damn good quad that’s not for beginners.  Made in the traditional Belgian style (albeit with the blend), this is complex and multi-layered, there’s no cherry up front (the beer is brewed with 2% cherry kriek), but the raisins, toasted malts, and banana are all right there.  It’s sweeter tasting than smelling in almost a burned caramel sort of way. Really good stuff.  Definitely a boozy beer with no real attempt at hiding the alcohol.  The cherry comes through towards the end and finishes well.

ABV/Price

Three Philosphers is brewed at the Ommegang brewery in Cooperstown, New York.  I picked it up from my local beer purveyor (Corti Bros) for $8 for a 750mL.  Nicely corked with a champagne-like cage, this beer deserves proper glassware.  The ABV is 9.7% for this beauty and it’s worth every penny and calorie.

Overall

I’ll be drinking this again, especially at such a reasonable price. This is a hearty and big beer that deserves respect.