Day 211, July 30 / Three Philosophers

Day 211 /  July 30, 2011

Three Philosophers

Brewey Ommegang  /  Cooperstown, NY

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Like night and day…

From Budweiser to this!  From a light, mass produced, corn and rice filled macro-brew to a dark, complex Belgian Quadrupel style ale, blended with Lindeman’s Kriek.  It’s the beer drinker’s equivalent of getting the bends!

Three Philosophers’ is made by Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY, perhaps the most celebrated US brewer of Belgian style ales.  (Ommegang’s website is down right now, so I can’t do my usual crack research).

What I did find out is that the beer’s name, Three Philosophers, is a reference to the three main characters in William Blake’s An Island in the Moon, a satire written in 1784 and published posthumously – Quid the Cynic, Suction the Epicurean, Sipsop the Pythagorean.  Want more?  Check this out!

Some other beer geeks recommend aging this ale several years.  In fact, some vintages of Three Philosophers are actually aged in nearby Howe Caverns, 40 meters below ground at a constant temperature of 52 degrees.

This is a big beer – 9.8% ABV – a dark, strong, malty ale, blended with Lindeman’s Kriek from Belgium, a lambic fermented with sour cherries.  Now I’m a relatively simple guy.  Maybe too simple for this beer.  Like other beers I’ve had this year, I can definitely appreciate the style, but it’s not something I’d probably go for again.