Ommegang Three Philosophers

Rich and complex, this tour de force is a glorious blend of elegant Belgian-style quadruple ale and authentic Belgian kriek, its malty depth and gentle sweetness enhanced by sparkling carbonation and a serendipitous touch of cherry.

Pouring a mysterious chestnut brown, Three Philosophers is the perfect beer for leisurely sipping and quiet contemplation.

The meaning of life? Even if you don’t quite get there, this beer is sure to sweeten the journey.

3.8

2593 reviews

Cooperstown, United States

Community reviews

4.1 12oz bottle from Fred Meyer, Portland, OR and drunk on 10/10/2010. A really good beer. Rich aroma of dates, orange peel, spices, esters and dark malt. That hint of cherries really coming through. Smooth and super rich.

3.4 Good but has a sweet aftertaste

4.1 Not my favorite style but really wanted to try. Impressive. Not usually a fan of kreik but credit to the brewers as this is a great and complex beer. Taste is the dark plums and fruits with a light tart from the cherry. Verrrrry nice

3.4 Can. Amber- reddish in color with a two finger head. Spicey aroma. Taste is a spicey Belgium flavor. Up

4.7 Experience the opportunity to sip east coast heritage through a European lense. A beer that fits like a cashmere cardigan. A refined beverage that's perfect for those fireside nights of conversation, before fireside mornings of chatter. Has all the flavors you'd want to pour on your oatmeal just stacked up over sweet malt. Absolutely delicious. I was perusing my local grocer and just happened to walk into this philosophy class back in 2007. It was the first beer I had that opened my mind to world that is good beer. A wonderful lecture, I was engrossed in my lesson and my thoughts were ever present and expanding. These three philosophers give a wonderful introductory course on fine brews. Come in and sit down for a taste, you won't be disappointed. My high rating may be influenced by my nostalgia. But this is still a wonderful beer. Best to pair with it self, good company, and a sweet smoke, tobacco or otherwise.

3.8 Bottle pour from Total Wine & More, Burlington. Appearance is lightly hazy (mist of fine sediment) orange-red with tons of sparkle, 2-finger width foamy beige head with decent retention and trace lacing. Aroma is sweet and tart cherry, Belgian yeast, caramel apple, candied sugar. Taste is strong sweet cherry over tart, caramel, brown sugar, and candied fruit. Mouthfeel is light-to-medium bodied with frothy texture, pleasant esophageal alcohol warmth, average carbonation and dry, finish as taste. Overall, a nice, sweet beer for a winter holiday evening.

3.6 75cl fles. Bruin bier met rode gloed en crème kleurig schuim. Geur: licht zoet, melasse, gedroogd fruit, vijgen, rozijnen. Smaak: zoet, ietwat zurig, licht bitter, gedroogd fruit, karamel, dadel, rozijn. Volmondig. Matige koolzuurprikkel. Afdronk: alcohol verwarmend, licht zoet, gedroogd fruit.

4.0 Brewery Ommengang’s Three Philosophers 9.7% ABV 19 IBU. This Belgian Quadruple Ale pours a nutty cherry brown color slightly opaque due to the carbonation streaming up the glass it’s top with a thin tan colored head that dissipates almost immediately. The aroma is of Belgian yeast intertwined with tart cherry and toffee notes the tartness of the cherries balance the sweet aroma of the malt nicely. The flavor is rich and complex subtle cherry flavor mixed with malt hints of dark fruit like dates ripe figs plums of dark cherries also prunes or raisins there’s also some brown sugar and molasses flavors it almost comes across as a barrel aged quadruple in that you get a little bit of brandy or some type of barrel aged alcohol notes it all finishes with a slight bitterness which is welcomed to balance out what would be a overly sweet beer if it wasn’t there. 4/5

4.0 Proefglas van 75cl-fles op Gents Bierfestival. U: Hazelnootbruin met een rode schijn en een écru schuimkraag. G: Veel rozijnen, beetje melkchocolade, vijgen en melasse. S: Zeer zoet met wat bitterheid. Dadels, rozijnen, vijgen, melasse en karamel. Alcoholwarmte. M: Volmondig met een lichte carbonatie.

3.9 Malt dominated, sweet bread, caramel, cherry is subdued, wild, tart. Raisins. Hops and bitterness low. Alcohol apparent. Nice sweet/tart combination. Fairly complex. An excellent beer.

4.3 Bottle. Dark bronze, light brown with a ring of head. Candy sugar, plums aroma. Sweet raisins, soft malts. Sweeter raisin bread flavor. Warming tasty quad with no bold flavors but balanced and tasty.

3.3 Nice solid Belgian Quad. Bready and raisin notes with a low hop profile and yeasty finish. Nice color and weight.

4.0 Ruby red color poured with a thin off-white head. It has cherry and some Belgian spice notes. Smooth, well balanced.

3.8 Hazy chestnut colour, thin creamy head. Aroma of bread and dried fruit. Rich taste of chocolate, cherries and alcohol coming through. Full body, moderate carbonation,a job very well done.

3.2 Pours cloudy brown with a bubbly creme head. Aroma of bread and spices. Taste includes malt, dark fruit and spice. Palate is extremely complex, cherries, dark earth notes, intense spice, apparent ABV and lemongrass are all noticeable. Incredible and intricately crafted, somewhat drinkable.

3.6 Bottle from Beer Republic. Hazy very dark brown with a beige head. Aroma is sweet, malty, caramel, dried fruit and a little alcohol. Flavor is very sweet and moderate bitter. Sweet and light bitter finish with warming alcohol. Oily. 231118

4.0 Dark fruits with some chocolate deliver a delicious beer. Very solid body with complex flavors and low carbonation. Burned sugar with a long lasting aftertaste. This beer delivers on all fronts. A classic!

3.0 A style too malty, spicy and frankly too much alcohol for my taste. More of a sipping beer to nurse by a fire on a cold winters night.

4.0 Bottle from LCBO A: figs, dates, alcohol light molasses, raisins, plum. App: clear reddish brown with small white head. T/p: med to full body with sweet finish of short to average long duration. Moderate carbonation. O: brilliantly crafted with nice complex aroma alcohol is well hidden to make the drinking experience even better.

3.8 Pours dark brown with a small beige head. Aroma is plum, raisin and slight cherry. Taste is dark fruits, raisins, touch of chocolate and sweet malts. Nice little sipper.

3.6 6 October 2018. At Modeste Bierfestival, Antwerp. Cheers to Anke & Elke! Clear brown, reddish, with a dissipating, yet lasting, thin, beige head; little lacing. Aroma of plum, pear syrup, caramel, red apple, red jam, cookie dough, raisin, 'carré confiture'. Taste is medium to heavy malty sweet, caramelly yet fruity in jam & raisin too, in that way somewhat sour; light to medium herbal bitter, tea-like with faint spicy licorice, already warming up. Dryish, herbal hoppy finish, lingering caramel, warming coffee liqueur alcohol. Medium body, oily/syrupy texture, lively carbonation. Good stuff, smooth, some ageing would make it even better.

4.1 Sunday, October 28, 2018 7:56 PM 1 pint 9.4 fluid ounces/750 mL bottle poured to wine glass Sight: dark amber, medium off white foam, hazy Smell: very good fragrant, fruity, nice aroma Taste: very good, balance - medium to high bitterness Mouthfeel: very good, long follow through, bitter after taste Overall: excellent beer, repeat, look for yes

4.1 Bottle at home. Burgundy brown ale, creamy offwhite head. Sweet and quite boozy quadrupel with chocolate, toffee, dried fruit, molasses, clove, herbal, dry, medium bitter, with nice nuanced cherry bonbon/kriek fruit and very light acidity really adding complexity. Good body and medium-high carbonation. Really matches the great Belgian trappists and adds to that.

4.1 12 oz. dark cherry pour with tan foam. Good retention. Spicy aroma of clove, ginger and sweet brown sugar. Initial palate hits you with mild cherry and spices. A lot of complexity in the middle of the palate: notes of molasses, caramel, maple syrup, dried fruits, plum. Full bodied and rich on the tongue. This beer imparts a large amount of spice, but the 2% cherry kriek becomes largely undetectable over time. Raisin sweetness and complexity grows over time, and a pleasant warming sensation lingers. A well done beer.

3.5 Thank you! Sampled large bottle @ Modeste 2018. Dark brown, creamy mocha head. Nose is sweet sugar, thin, jam, quite BE but basic BE, bit too thin, caramel,… Bit too fizzy, should be richer given the ABV, figs, sugar, candy, low soap, thin soap, not that of an impressive BE but does the trick. Okay but not great, def expected more given the reputation.

3.2 Couleur orange ambre, trouble, petit col brunâtre s'évanouissant rapidement. Nez, léger parfum de caramel. Au goût, maltée, caramel, fruits noirs, prunes, la balance du sucre l'emporte légèrement sur l'acidité. Au final, note de süre-caramel. Une bière plaisante qui toutefois manque de poigne

3.7 (malt, fruité ~aventinus (cassis, cerise (ad)), mosca, ronde, charnue, cerise, > maltée, trop pétillante)

4.3 8/10/18 At Bottle Bar with A, H, Cody and chandler. Poured from bottle into a snifter. Deep brown with a minimal sticky head. Nose is dark clovey Belgian yeast, dried fruit and a hint of alcohol. Taste is strong and yeasty with dark candied cherries, cloves, spice and raisins. Very deep and dark. Sweet without much bitterness. Pillowy medium feel. Can taste the booze on the finish. Awesome dark boozy quad that really reminds me of mad elf!

4.0 Bottle with commonmac and highendtully. Plum color with thick head and sediment. Boozy sugar nose. Taste is sweet, plum, yeasty. Thick body. Delicious.

4.0 Mahognyfärgad öl med beige skum. smak och doft av russin, plommon mörka frukter, malt och viss alkoholsötma.Kan nog bli ännu bättre med lite lagring.