Ommegang

Ommegang Cup O Kyndnes

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Since I’m drinking hard to classify beers, let’s try this one on for size: A Traditional Belgian-style Scotch Ale. How can such a mashup be “traditional” you ask? What’s that? You didn’t ask? Well, too bad, because I’m going to wax philosophic on the topic for a while and you’re going to like it. Or not. I’m not your mother.

Where was I? Ah yes, the historical and beertastic relationship between the Scottland and Belgium, as laid out on the label of this beer:

The Belgian-Scotch brewing connection dates to World War I, when thousands of Scotsmen spent years in Belgium. To satisfy their new customers, Belgian brewers learned to brew Scotch-style ales, and the style became a new and significant part of the Belgian brewing tradition.

As the Aleheads note, this sounds more like marketing fluff than an attempt to carry on time-honored traditions. However, after looking into this a bit, it seems like there actually is a Belgo-Scotch connection dating back to WWI and involving Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat (which is notable in that they’re the parent company of Ommegang). Apparently a great deal of British soldiers brought their own beer over to Belgium during the Great War, and thus even the locals began to crave British styles, especially Scottish brews. To celebrate the end of the war, Moortgat brewed a special “Victory Ale” that was apparently dark, hefty, and malt-focused (just like Scotch Ales). Legend has it that folks referred to it as “a devil of a beer”, so Moortgat renamed the beer Duvel1 (which is Flemish for “Devil”). As peacetime trade was restored, imported Scotch ales became all the rage in Belgium.

Albert Moortgat had spent considerable time in Britain learning the intricacies of ale brewing. When he returned to Belgium, he brought with him a cache of bottle-conditioned McEwan’s Scotch ale. Each bottle was a treasure trove of viable, alien microorganisms. In his zeal to create a beer that was similar to the Scotch versions lapping up market share, Moortgat decided that the amalgam of yeast in the McEwan’s was worth investigating. He enlisted the help of none other than Jean De Clerck, the preeminent brewing scientist, pioneer of yeast isolation and characterization, and prestigious member of the Faculty of Brewing at Leuven University.

If you’ve ever spent time reading about beer history, especially that of eccentric Belgian brewers, the name Jean De Clerck will be immediately familiar. Dude is a legit legend in the brewing community, and if you like Trappist or Belgian beer styles, you owe the man a debt of gratitude. Anywho, with the help of De Clerck, Moortgat was making distinctive Beglo-Scotch ales in the 1930s.

So as it turns out, Ommegang really wasn’t blowing smoke up our arses when they made this beer. Indeed, of all the breweries out there, they may be the one most uniquely qualified to tackle such a historically-based brew. I suspect this beer, brewed with heather tips and a “wee bit” of smoked malt, isn’t quite an exact replica of what Duvel was making in the 30s, but their heart is in the right place. And while I have no basis for making such a claim2, I’ll go ahead and say that there’s a chance that Ommegang’s house yeast is distantly related to Duvel’s De Clerck strains. Or not.

One last thing before we get to the boring tasting notes, which is the name of the beer. It’s apparently derived from a line in Scottish poet Robert Burns’ infamous New Years anthem Auld Lang Syne: “For auld lang syne, my jo, For auld lang syne, We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, For auld lang syne.” No idea why Ommegang decided to spell “kindness” with a “y” and only one “s”, but I’m guessing it has something to do with those wacky foreigners and their silly languages and dialects getting all mixed up and impossible to translate, like Qwghlmian3. Alrighty then, since I’ve gone from wild and irresponsible speculations on history to insulting foreigners, I guess I should just get on with the drinking:

Ommegang Cup O Kyndnes

Ommegang Cup O Kyndnes – I suppose I should also note that this beer is almost 2 years old at this point. It was brewed and packaged in 2010, and I actually bought a half-case of the stuff (only 6 bottles, but the stupid PA case law actually worked in my favor this time, as this beer has aged rather well).

Pours a dark brown color with an amber hue and a finger or so of light colored head. Smells of rich, sweet malts of the darkish crystal variety with a little spice and maybe even some fruitiness apparent. Taste is sweet, but not quite as richly flavored as the nose would have you believe. This isn’t to say it tastes bad though, it’s really quite nice and well balanced, with a big spicy component emerging in the finish. I have to admit that I’m not entirely sure I can pick out heather, but the beer does have a distinctly Scottish feel to it. Also, I’ve never detected any smoke in this beer, so I’m guessing it’s a very small and delicate amount (I wasn’t really looking for it though, so who knows). I’m told that smoked malt acts as a preservative and can extend the life of a beer, and given my experience, that may be happening here. Mouthfeel starts off velvety smooth, but the carbonation and spice seem to pick up steam through the taste, finishing with a stronger kick than expected. Relatively dry, but very well balanced. I have to say, the years have been kind to this beer. I didn’t quite love this as much the first couple times I had it, but it’s really hitting the spot right now. Very nice beer. When I first had it, I would have awarded it a B or B+, but like I said, this particular bottle struck a nerve, so it gets an A-

Beer Nerd Details: 6.6% ABV bottled (750 ml caged and corked). Drank out of a goblet on 6/29/12. Packaged on 8/2/10. Best by 8/2/12.

Ommegang continues to be one of my favorite breweries. This particular beer is a weird case, in that I just happened to pick up a sixer of the stuff on a whim about a year and a half ago (this is something I probably wouldn’t do these days) and while I liked it a lot, it wasn’t something that really struck me as fantastic until now… then again, the bottle sez this is best by 8/2/12, so maybe I just caught it at the height of its conditioning or something. It makes me wonder how accurate reviewing of single bottles can really be, but that’s a discussion for another time.

1 – Of course, this dark “Victory Ale” that became “Duvel” does not resemble what’s known as Duvel these days (which is light colored and maybe even a bit tart). But that is a long tale for another day. Or the article I linked to…

2 – If I were a historian, this claim would be downright irresponsible and Martyn Cornell would strike me down in righteous fury and vengeance. Fortunately, I’m just a random dude on the internet and my 3 readers probably take everything I say with a grain of salt.

3 – “…everyone hears it a little differently. Like just now–they heard your Outer Qwghlmian accent, and assumed you were delivering an insult. But I could tell you were saying that you believed, based on a rumor you heard last Tuesday in the meat market, that Mary was convalescing normally and would be back on her feet within a week.”

“I was trying to say that she looked beautiful,” Waterhouse protests.

“Ah!” Rod says. “Then you should have said, ‘Gxnn bhldh sqrd m!'”

“That’s what I said!”

“No, you confused the mid-glottal with the frontal glottal,” Rod says.

“Honestly,” Waterhouse says, “can you tell them apart over a noisy radio?”

“No,” Rod says. “On the radio, we stick to the basics: ‘Get in there and take that pillbox or I’ll fucking kill you.’ And that sort of thing.”

Before much longer, the band has finished its last set and the party’s over. “Well,” Waterhouse says, “would you tell Mary what I really did mean to say?”

“Oh, I’m sure there’s no need,” Rod says confidently. “Mary is a good judge of character. I’m sure she knows what you meant. Qwghlmians excel at nonverbal communication.”

Art of Darkness

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What’s with the rash* of Joseph Conrad references in beer names? First came the beer I’m reviewing, Ommegang’s Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Art of Darkness (despite all their wizardly references to spellbinding and mystical incantations, we know they’re referencing Conrad, right?) Then, more recently, The Bruery released Tart of Darkness, a sour stout aged in barrels. What’s next? Clown Shoes making a beer called Fart of Darkness, that’s what. Okay, that was a cheap shot, so let’s move on…

Ommegang was my first introduction to really good beer (many moons ago), so I’m always on the lookout for new beers from them. However, one of the weird things about Ommegang is just how fantastic their core stable of beers is. In contrast to most other breweries, their core lineup is pretty much all great beers (with a potential exception in the recently added BPA). Oddly, their one-off limited-edition brews tend to be a bit on the underwhelming side. This isn’t to say that they’re bad, just that they’re not as transcendent as, say, Three Philosophers. A few of the limited edition brews have struck a nerve though, notably Gnomegang and Tripel Perfection, so I feel like my compulsion to try their new stuff is not unwarranted. So here we go:

Ommegang Art of Darkness

Ommegang Art of Darkness – Pours a very dark brown color with plenty of dark tan head. Smells of bready Belgian yeast. A little spiciness apparent, but also something lighter, almost fruity. Taste is sweet, some dark malt character, but not much in the way of roast. Plenty of yeasty spiciness though, and the sweetness gives way in the dry finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied but highly carbonated, almost effervescent, and relatively dry, making this go down easy. No indication of booze at all, which is interesting given the ABV. Overall, very nice, well balanced beer! B+

Beer Nerd Details: 8.9% ABV bottled (750 ml caged and corked). Drank out of a goblet on 6/9/12. Bottled on 02/27/12. Best by 02/2015.

So where does this fit in? I’d say, towards the top of Ommegang’s limited edition brews, if not quite the pinnacle. Quite enjoyable though, and well worth a try. Up next from Ommegang, a rather old limited edition brew I’ve been squirreling away in the basement for, sheesh, has it been two years? We’ll see. And I’ve been seeing this Biere D’Hougoumont all over the place too, and I’m betting I’ll get me a bottle of the stuff at some point.

* As recently established, it only takes two examples to constitute a “rash” of something.

Ommegang Seduction

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Ready for some hot Liefmans on Ommegang action? This is a Belgian style porter brewed with chocolate and, like Ommegang’s most excellent Three Philosophers, blended with a Liefmans Cuvee Brut Kriek. It’s an appealing idea, though I’m not sure I was entirely seduced by the end result:

Ommegang Seduction

Ommegang Seduction – Pours a very dark brown color with a finger or two of tan head that leaves lots of lacing on the glass. Smells of roasted malts and Belgian yeast, with a hint of something else lurking in the background (perhaps those cherries?) Taste features lots of muted roasted malts (not nearly as strong or overpowering as most stouts or porters) with a hint of chocolate, but the beer sorta shifts midway through the taste, finishing with a lighter touch which calls to mind those cherries… while I’m sure I’d be able to pick out the distinct flavor blind, I don’t know that I would have attributed it to cherries. As the beer warms, that flavor becomes a little more prominent. The mouthfeel is full bodied and chewy, with ample carbonation and just a bit of stickiness in the finish. Not exactly an easy drinking beer, but it’s not difficult or anything. All in all, it’s an interesting beer with lots of complexity and I really enjoyed it, but it feels like all the various flavors are competing for attention, rather than harmonizing into something new and great. An interesting experiment and better than most beers that I’d classify as such, but I expect more from Ommegang and it doesn’t quite reach the heights it perhaps could… but it’s still a lot better than their Chocolate Indulgence and again, I really had a good time with it. B+

Beer Nerd Details: 6.8% ABV bottled (750 ml caged and corked). Drank out of a goblet on 3/4/12. Bottled 12/5/11.

Ommegang was my introduction into the world of good (and Belgian style) beers, so I’m always willing to give them a shot, even on expensive gambles like this. I’ve actually had some old Cup O Kyndness sitting around for a while that I need get to at some point (I talked about it briefly in a beer club post a while back, but I’d like to do a full review), and I’m really looking forward to their forthcoming Belgian Strong Dark, called Art of Darkness…

Ommegang Aphrodite

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Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love. I swear I didn’t plan it this way, but I drank this on the weekend before Valentine’s day, which seems mildly appropriate I guess (though Cupid is usually the one associated with the holiday – Cupid is the Roman equivalent of Aphrodite’s son Eros, but I digress…) Anywho, Ommegang was my first love in the world of beer, so I always try to catch up with their specialty brews. This one is a Belgian fruit beer made with raspberry and pear, fermented with Ommegang’s house strain and Brettanomyces. Not exactly my thing, but again, I like to give Ommegang the benefit of the doubt:

Ommegang Aphrodite

Ommegang Aphrodite – Pours a bright red color with a very light pink head. Smell is difficult to describe. I want to say it’s like a fruity syrup, not quite cough syrup, but syrup is the word that most comes to mind. I also get a bit of funk and yeast here, but not quite as strong as the fruitiness. The taste has that same sort of fruity syrupy flavor, maybe a little more into the cough syrup realm here, but also a little on the vinous side. The finish isn’t quite tart, but there’s a bit here. Perhaps a bit on the spicy side too, though I feel like that hits more in the mouthfeel, which is a bit harsh and sticky. It’s very sweet, but it finishes dry. As such, it doesn’t quite reach cloying, but drinking a full 750 ml bottle of the stuff is a bit much. A most unusual beer. Not something that is blowing me away, but interesting nonetheless. B

Beer Nerd Details: 8.9% ABV bottled (750 ml caged and corked). Drank out of a tulip glass on 2/10/12.

To be honest, I’m more intrigued in Ommegang’s latest release, Seduction, brewed with chocolate and Liefmans Cuvee Brut Kriek. I’ve been spending the past month and a half or so trying to drink down my cellar a bit, but I may have to peek my head out for a bottle of that stuff. And their forthcoming Art of Darkness is definitely right in my wheelhouse, so definitely look for a review of that one at some point.

Novembeer Club

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Another month, another beer club! For the uninitiated, beer club is just a monthly gathering of friends from work for dinner and, of course, lots of beer (and often other alcoholic wonders). We had an average turnout, but still lots of fun and we had so much beer that we couldn’t even get to all of it… A transitional period in terms of seasonal beers. Some leftover fall seasonals, some holiday beers, but the majority of beers were regular offerings:

beerclub-nov11.jpg

(Click for bigger image)

For the sake of posterity, some thoughts on each beer we tried are below. As usual, conditions were not ideal, so take it all with a grain of salt. Or as sacred scripture (as I’m sure you do with all my other posts). The choice is yours. In order of drinking (not necessarily the order in the picture):

  • Tröegs DreamWeaver Wheat – A very solid Hefeweizen from semi-local Tröegs. I’ve actually had this a few times before, but there’s nothing particularly unique about it. A really nice example of the style though. B
  • Amager Julebryg 2008 – Dark color, with a wonderful aroma that is filled with crystal malts and caramel flavors (and maybe some subtle spicing). Taste is a little more roasty than I was expecting from the nose, with some coffee and maybe a little chocolate apparent. Full bodied but smooth, a really nice beer. It feels more like a solid stout than a holiday beer, but it’s good either way (Beer Advocate calls it a dubbel, which sorta fits, but I probably wouldn’t have guessed that from the beer itself). The bottle sez it was spiced, and it was certainly complex, but nothing particularly stood out (this is actually a good thing). Brewer Amager warrants further exploration. B+
  • Guinness Black Lager – This feels like a more crisp, carbonated version of Guinness’ famous dry stout with less roastiness. It’s an easy drinking beer, but the flavor seems oddly muted (perhaps because of the other brews of the night). Nothing wrong with it, but not a particularly special beer either. C+
  • Abita Turbodog – A great name for a beer that turns out to be a standard brown ale. Certainly nothing wrong with it and a solid example of the style, but not particularly special either. B-
  • Wychwood King Goblin – According to the bottle, this beer is only brewed under a full moon. It’s got that typical Wychwood style label which is fantastic. Unfortunately, the beer doesn’t quite live up to the branding. Lots of head and perhaps as a consequence, a little too light on the carbonation. Not quite flat, but it wasn’t a good mouthfeel at all. Taste was hoppy, but not in the typical American pale ale way – perhaps this is more of an English pale ale (BA has it pegged as an English Strong Ale). Not a horrible beer, but not something that I could really connect with either. I don’t know, Wychwood beers seem to be hitting me the wrong way lately… C
  • Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale – An interesting example of the style as it seems to emphasize the pumpkin more than the spices (which are still there, but not anywhere near as prevalent as they typically are in pumpkin ales). Smooth, tasty, and easy to drink. Nothing revelatory, but a good example of the style. B
  • Ommegang Cup O Kyndnes – One of my contributions for the night, this is a really interesting combination. Basically a Scotch ale brewed with Belgian yeast, it features the hallmarks of both styles. Unlike a lot of style mixtures, I think these two styles complement each other well. Very sweet and malty, with that typical Belgian yeast character coming out in a prominent way. I actually have another bottle of this sitting around, so look for a full review at some point…
  • Fegley’s Brew Works Rude Elf’s Reserve – Another beer I’ll probably review separately, but I will say that this is a hugely alcoholic (10.5% ABV) spiced beer. Kinda like an overspiced pumpkin beer without any pumpkin (I had one of these earlier, along with a pumpkin ale, and found this one sharing a lot of the pumpkin spices)… Look for a separate review sometime this holiday season…
  • Dana’s Homebrewed Dubbel – A nice dubbel style beer, only recently bottled, so it could probably use some more time to condition, but it’s still pretty good. Nice traditional Belgian yeast character with a medium body. Easy to drink.

We didn’t get to try a few of the beers in the picture, including Troegenator, Hoptober, and Amish Four Grain Pale Ale. All in all, another successful outing for the beer club. I’m already looking forward to the next installment, as we will most likely be drinking all Holiday beers (aka, my favorite seasonals).

(Not So) Recent Beer Recap

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As you may have noticed in my last review, I’ve got a number of reviews that have been sitting in the queue for a long time. I’ve been pretty good about keeping up with recent drinking, but I just haven’t gotten around to some of those older reviews, so I figured I’d just do a quick recap now…

  • Leffe Blonde – I was surprised to see the relatively craptacular reviews on beer advocate (though apparently it’s gone up to a more respectable and appropriate B rating since I’ve last looked at it… the Bros still have it at a C). I wasn’t sure why the hate existed for this, then I found out that Leffe is owned by Inbev, the Belgian beer conglomerate that owns Anheuser-Busch and is famous for changing recipes for their acquired beers to save costs; even including long-standing Abbey breweries like Leffe which apparently now uses cheap adjuncts in their recipe (for all the beer nerd fury, I can’t really find much detail around this – though the brewery does say that it uses rice, which is not typically a favored ingredient in beer). In any case, it certainly looks, smells, and tastes fine. Sweet and bready, typical Belgian yeast aromas and taste. It’s not complex or subtle, but as a simple and straightforward brew, it’s pretty good. B (Beer Nerd Details: 6.6% ABV bottled (11.2 oz bottle) Drank from a goblet on 4/16/11.)
  • Stone Double Bastard – It’s like Arrogant Bastard, only moreso. Very hoppy in the nose which follows through in the taste along with that unique blend of hoppy flavors that Stone uses for this brew. A nice bitterness and slick alcohol character are also present. It’s very good, but I don’t get the high praise heaped on it, though it does seem to have fallen off the BA top 100 at this point. B+ (Beer Nerd Details: 11.2% ABV bottled (22 oz bomber). Drank from a goblet on 4/23/11.)
  • Trappist Achel 8° Bruin – This is the sixth of the seven Trappist breweries that I’ve sampled, though unfortunately, I was not particularly impressed with this brew (at least, compared with other dubbels). That’s not to say it was bad – definitely a nice appearance, with typical dark fruits and spiciness in the nose and taste. Relatively dry finish, drinkable, but not particularly complex either. I typically expect richer flavors out of a dubbel, though perhaps I should have this again just to make sure. Even considering that, it’s quite good. B+ (Beer Nerd Details: 8% ABV bottled (11.2 oz bottle) Drank from a goblet on 5/7/11.)
  • Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout – Another imperial stout that used to be in the BA top 100 but has since fallen out (no wonder I can never get a high percentage of completion on that list!) This one reminds me a lot of Victory’s Storm King Stout – very roasty, giving way to a hoppy bitterness as it warms up. Very well crafted, but not especially my style. B (Beer Nerd Details: 9.5% ABV bottled (12 oz bottle) Drank from a tulip on 5/7/11.)
  • Ommegang Rare Vos – An old favorite of mine, I always worry about beers like this. Will it continue to live up to the expectations I’ve built up in my mind? I’ve spent the past year or two trying as many different, new beers as I could. Would this beer live up to memory? As it turns out, yes, it does. One of my first discoveries after Hennepin about a decade ago, I always come back to this one, a sweet and spicy Belgian amber. It is delicious and matches well with most meals. I daresay it’s a candidate for the vaunted A+, though I’ll just stick with an A for now. (Beer Nerd Details: 6.5% ABV bottled (750 ml caged and corked bottle) Drank from a tulip glass on 5/13/11.)
  • Tröegs Pale Ale – Ok, so this is a relatively recent drink, but I don’t have a ton to say about it. It’s a decent, straightforward pale ale. It actually made a really nice first impression (nice hoppy presense of pine and grapefruit), but it loses some of its punch as it warms. Certainly not among the best pale ales, but well worth a try… B- (Beer Nerd Details: 5.4% ABV bottled (12 oz bottle) Drank from a tulip on 7/16/11.)

Well, that just about covers it. I have more details about these tucked away somewhere, but for now, this will have to do. Of course, this doesn’t completely catch me up on reviews, but now the unwritten ones are from the past couple weeks, which is certainly more manageable.

Belgian Independence Day

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So this past week marked the 180th anniversary of Belgian independence from those nasty Dutch folk, and to celebrate, Brewery Ommegang decided to brew up a limited edition saison. Of course, they already make one of my favorite saisons, Hennepin, but this one is different in terms of the spices added (Coriander, Grains Of Paradise, Lemon Peel, White Pepper) and the yeast used during fermentation (a Wallonia saison strain). It’s a keg-only release, and Ommegang sent them out to restaurants throughout the country last week. The Philly area was lucky enough to feature several participants, and so I found myself among the lucky:

Ommegang 2011 Belgian Independence Day Saison

Ommegang 2011 Belgian Independence Day Saison – Pours a slightly darker and cloudier color than their traditional Hennepin, with a nice fluffy head and some lacing as I drank. The smell has lots of spiciness to it along with the typical Belgian yeastiness. The taste starts sweet with lots of spiciness, maybe a touch of citrus, and a very dry finish (this is something I associate with the white pepper, though I could be making that up). High carbonation but a light body, making for a smoother, more delicate example of the style. It’s definitely distinct from Hennepin, but I think I may prefer Hennepin to this one. That said, this was good for what it was and I’m definitely glad I got to try some. B+

Beer Nerd Details: 6.5% ABV on tap. Drank out of a tulip glass on 7/23/11 (yeah, two days after the actual independence day – sue me).

This actually reminded me of Stillwater’s various saisons, especially the pepper characteristic from Cellar Door… In any case, Ommegang is also apparently releasing a new fruit beer brewed with brettanomyces called Aphrodite. Brett beers have never been my favorite, but I’ll try anything Ommegang releases…

Gnomegang

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I have to admire Ommegang‘s ability to incorporate brewery-name puns into their beers. It’s inspiring. Ommegeddon, O’mmegang (an Irish stout that I’ve never had), Obamagang (aka Inauguration ale) and now Gnomegang, a collaboration with sister brewery, Achouffe (world renowned for the cute little gnomes that adorn their bottles… and, you know, I guess they’re known for their good beer too). Both breweries are owned by parent company, Duvel, so it’s not much of a stretch to see these two collaborating, but it’s still nice.

Ommegang Gnomegang

Ommegang Gnomegang: Apparently brewed with Achouffe’s house yeast in primary, and Ommegang’s house yeast in secondary, this beer has lots of spicy flavors despite no actual spices being added to the wort (something Ommegang typically does with their brews). Pours a hazy, light orange color with a finger of light head. Smells fantastic. Bready/fruity Belgian yeast, sweet candi, and a bit of spiciness in the nose. Taste is very sweet, a little fruity, and spicy, with some alcohol manifesting in the finish. A pretty full body here, with ample carbonation and a well executed boozy stickyness in the finish. There’s also a nice warming alcohol sensation here that works pretty well. As I’ve come to expect from Ommegang, it’s extremely well balanced and a joy to drink. I suppose it could be a bit too strong, but it worked well for me and it’s really nice to see Ommegang collaborating. A-

Beer Nerd Details: 9.5% ABV bottled (750 ml, caged and corked). Drank out of a tulip glass on 6/3/11.

I’ve always been a huge fan of Ommegang, but I should probably check out more from Achouffe sometime (they’re apparently famous for their Tripel IPA, which does sound rather interesting)…

Ommegang Three Philosophers

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Back in 2003, RealBeer.com sponsored a contest asking people to submit descriptions of their “dream beer.” A home brewer named Noel Blake from Portland won the contest and RealBeer chose Brewery Ommegang to brew the beer. It first appeared in late 2003.

A fledgling beer nerd at the time, I was perusing the shelves of my local beer distributor when I noticed the new beer. Ommegang was the brewery that really opened my eyes to what beer could be, so the appearance of a new beer in their lineup was a welcome surprise. And it was labeled as a Quadrupel, which is like, 4 times better than regular beer, right? It was quite expensive, but I plunked down the cash for a case of the beer (stupid PA laws) without even really knowing what it was. And I’m glad I did! Like the other Ommegang beers I’d tried, it was like nothing I’d ever had before.

Now here’s where things get a little weird. I revisited this beer last weekend, and in scrutinizing the bottle (because I’m a huge nerd), I noticed some things were different. First, I remember my original case of Three Philosophers said it was “Ale with Cherry Lambic” or something like that. The 2010 bottle I was looking at said it was brewed with “authentic Belgian Kriek” (which is also a Cherry ale, but that’s different from Cherry Lambic). I also seemed to remember the original ABV at 10% and the new bottle said 9.8%. I thought for a moment that I must be going crazy in my old age, but a search of the Kaedrin Media Asset Management System (i.e. my hard drive) turned up this picture from early 2004 (you can click the image for a larger version):

Old Bottle of Ommegang Three Philosophers

A ha! It says “Ale with Cherry Lambic Added”. So I’m not crazy*. Unfortunately, I can’t make out the ABV (which I assume is on the bottom right of the label, which is just out of sight) and my CSI-like powers of image enhancement are just not up to snuff to figure that out**.

Since I was also curious as to where the name “Three Philosophers” came from, I did the only sensible thing and sent my annoying and pedantic questions directly to Ommegang. A nice woman named Betsy answered me right away with a bunch of info about the beer, the RealBeer contest, and why it’s called “Three Philosophers” (links added by me):

The name Three Philosphers is in reference to a manuscript called Island in the Moon, by William Blake in which the protagonist has a meal and drinks with three fictional philosophers. You will notice the heads on the front of the bottle, which are our Three Philosophers. The middle is Michel Moortgat, owner of Duvel-Moortgat, our parent company based in Belgium. The left is Phil Leinhart, current brewmaster at Brewery Ommegang and the right is Randy Thiel, former brewmaster at Brewery Ommegang.

On the matter of ABV, Betsy did some investigating but could find no mention of 10% ABV. Because I’m a dork and like to believe in the infallibility of my brain’s memory, I have my doubts. Which are probably unfounded***. Of course, none of this really matters because the beer was awesome and remains awesome, no matter what kind of recipe tweaks it’s undergone.

Ommegang Three Philosophers

Ommegang Three Philosophers – Pours a very dark brown color with a small light colored head (some lacing apparent as I drank as well). Smells strongly of chocolate and caramel, with hints of cherry and just a bit of the typical Belgian yeast aromas. Tastes fantastic. More sweet chocolate and caramel, that hint of cherry again, and an aftertaste that’s just a bit dry. Full bodied but smoother than you’d expect. It’s not an easy drinkin’ beer, but it’s a nice sippin’ beer. The alcohol is well hidden, though if you drink quickly, you get a nice warming sensation. I feel like I’ve been saying this a lot lately, but it’s complex and truly unique. A perfect dessert-beer**** and one of my long-time favorites. A

Beer Nerd Details: 9.8% ABV bottled (750 ml, caged and corked). Brewed/released in 2010. Drank out of a goblet on 5/21/11.

Sometimes I worry that beers I like from before I was really into beer won’t hold up, but I’m happy to report that Ommegang’s beers have held up well. And of course, I’ve got more reviews in the pipeline, and at least one more on my shelf (making its way to the fridge in short order, I think).

* As it turns out, there are multiple images/flash presentations on Ommegang’s site that feature circa 2004 bottles of Three Philosophers that also sport the “Ale with Cherry Lambic Added” label. So maybe I’m not crazy, but I am kinda dumb.

** The pics in the previously asterisked note also indicate that the beer was 9.8% ABV, so I’ll concede that the previous conclusion about how dumb I am has even more merit.

*** Can you tell that I added these asterisks after I wrote the bulk of this post? Yeah, you can. So given the evidence in the other asterisks, I’m guessing I just made that 10% number up. At the time it was the strongest beer I’d ever even heard of, so I was probably just telling people that it was, like, 10% alcohol man…

**** Is four asterisks too many? Or should I have been doing numeric footnotes? Do you care? I didn’t think so. Anyway, when I cajoled a bunch of friends to stop by the Ommegang brewery during a trip to Cooperstown (ostensibly for a bachelor party and the Baseball Hall of Fame), the guy who gave the tour said that the rich flavors go really well with sweets (chocolate and other deserts, etc…)

***** Bonus asterisk! Before I was a true beer nerd, I had no idea what cherry lambic was. One time, I went to a bar and they were all: Oh you like Belgian beer? Duder, we just got this awesome cherry lambic beer in on tap, you should try it! and I was like Ohhh, another beer like Three Philosophers? Sign me up! And of course, the beer was absolutely nothing like what I was expecting (i.e. I had no idea what cherry lambic was), but I enjoyed it anyway. I wanna say it was really strong too, like 14% or something ridiculous, but given my recollection of ABV above, perhaps I was wrong. It was probably 3% or something.

Ommegang Tripel Perfection

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I love Ommegang, but even I have to pause at their presumption of “perfection” on the label of this beer. They even mention on the label that tripels are brewed “with simple ingredients and fierce attention to detail, there is little room for error – but lots of opportunity.” Indeed. Belgian tripels are among my favorite styles, and Ommegang is among my favorite breweries, so I had high expectations here. Indeed, this was a hard one to find, raising expectations further. The only place I saw it was in a holiday package that also had a couple other Ommegang beers and some nice glassware (which, unfortunately, didn’t show up particularly well in the image below).

Ommegang Tripel Perfection

Ommegang Tripel Perfection – Pours a cloudy orange/brown color with a couple fingers of head. Smell is full of fruity and spicy belgian yeast. The taste starts off sweet (some fruity character here), hits a spicy note (coriander?) in the middle and finishes dry. That dry finish may be partially because I waited so long to open the bottle – tripels tend to get more dry the longer they age. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and it’s not out of place at all here. The bottle I have is marked as having been packaged on 6/29/10, so it isn’t that old, but still. In any case, the beer is extremely well balanced, which is something I’ve come to expect from Ommegang. Mouthfeel is high in carbonation and a bit harsh, but those are welcome for the style. Just a hint of stickyness and some warming alcohol notes. Very complex for a tripel. Perhaps not the best in style, but certainly in the top tier. In general, I feel that Ommegang’s seasonals and special releases aren’t as good as their regular stable of beers, but in this case, I think they really have a winner. A-

Beer Nerd Details: 8.9% ABV bottled (750 ml caged and corked). Drank out of a goblet on 5/6/11.

There’s an anonymous quotation on the bottle that says “One can not adequately explain perfection. One can only enjoy it.” Indeed. I don’t think the beer quite lives up to Perfection, but it’s close!