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.