Archive for the ‘Brewery Ommegang’ tag
Friday Beer Snob: Ommegang Three Philosphers 2008
Brewery Ommegang’s Three Philosopher’s 2008
Brewed By: Brewery Ommegang
Brewed In: Cooperstown, NY
ABV: 9.8%
Type: Belgian-style Ale with Kriek (cherry lambic)
What They Say: Cynics can’t believe it, Epicures hail it a sensation, and Pythagoreans just can’t add up what makes this luscious blend of rich malty ale and cherry lambic so delightful. It might be the flavor of dark chocolate and cherry cordials; it could be the way it acquires wisdom and grace in the cellar. Maybe it’s a conundrum. What’s your theory?
The essence of wonder is a unique and masterful blend of strong malty ale and authentic Belgian Kriek. Our philosophers deduce that this powerful marriage of cherries, roasted malts, and dark chocolate will only achieve more wisdom and coherence as it broods in the dark recesses of your cellar.
Website: Relatively generic. The newish big thing is to have rotating images beneath a your navigation bar. I don’t love it, really, but it’s inoffensive. But, give me an easy, clear navigation bar at the top and whatever you do underneath it is your business. Also, points for having a the ability the buy their beer online. Probably important if you’re heading to Cooperstown and want to know what you’re getting in to.
Why I Picked It: This was actually a Valentine’s Day gift that sat in the refrigerator until recently. I was going to take it out and drink it in May but instead held off a couple more months so I could coincide the review with Hall of Fame Weekend in Cooperstown. I tip this beer in honor of Rickey. Sadly, I was very close to finally getting to this brewery when PLR and I went to the Finger Lakes back in May. Cooperstown is between Syracuse and Albany, but it’s impossible to understand how soul-sucking driving in Western/Central New York can be. Everything is hours from everything else and the Thruway warps your mind. By the time we’d driven for roughly seventeen hours, we decided to just go home.
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Presentation (5): When I used to work at Price Chopper renting VHS tapes and plotting the death of the public, there was a rack of Ommegang bombers near my department. One of the bottles was Hennepin Ale which I had to purchase because The Big Show and myself lived in a dorm with the same name at Siena. I’ve always loved Ommegang’s bottles. I love that they’re corked. I love the lion logo branded into the cork. I love the gold foil thing that holds the cork in. I love that they date the year on the bottle in bold lettering for aging purposes. I love that the zeroes in 2008 are branded Os. If I had a complaint about the Three Philosopher’s Bottle, it’s the boring white label. 4
Originality (5): Whenever a brewery mixes Beer X with Beer Y and tries to make something good out of it, I always give them credit. Chocolate and cherry is a pretty common pairing, though. 4
Body (10): The reddish color of this beer hints at the huge amount of malts and cherry. It manages to pull off a thin body coats the tongue. It’s very carbonated — which one can expect with a quadrupel. Oddly, the crazy amount of carbonation leads to almost no head. This doesn’t bother me because I find the whole “head” thing overrated, but there’s nothing there. 7
Taste (10): To note: I’m not a huge fan of cherry lambics — I generally think they’re way too sweet — so this beer’s claim of a cherry lambic blend had me on my heels. However, apparently a hint of cherry is OK when blended with dark, bitter chocolate malts. There’s a blast of yeast upon first opening and the odor follows through in the glass. The yeasty taste always lingers in the background underneath the bigger flavors, but stays noticeable. A little dry for my tastes, but the flavor is a home run. 9
Efficiency (10): Brutally, dangerously, and gloriously efficient. The excellent flavors and high ABV is not accompanied by an overpowering taste. One bottle is plenty for an evening and it’s accompanied by a surprisingly reasonable price. It comes in at just around $10 here so I’ll presume it’s a bit less everywhere else. 10
Versatility (10): A couple of problems here. It’s super strong — really more of a wine or a port. It’s not a “sit down and watch a Mets game” beer. I’m also pretty sure I didn’t decant it correctly. I only had a white wine glass available so that’s what I used. However, the super strongness and huge flavor kills the versatility, but its ability to be used as a dessert port, an apertif, or a dinner drink props it back up. 5
Total Score: 39 (of 50) – Great beer.