Three Philosophers

Brewery Ommegang

No bigger than the state of Maryland, Belgium has more breweries per capita than any other country. Brewing is such a fixture of Belgium that the country is even home to several monasteries with breweries. Typically these breweries make a simple line of beers named after the amount of malt used. The mildest beer is an enkel, meaning ‘single,’ and is followed up by the dubbel, tripel, and quadrupel. The strongest, the quad, is named for having four times the malt of the single, making for quite a heady brew.

Popularity among beer enthusiasts for such fine styles has caused non-cloistered breweries to create their own versions. In Cooperstown, the Belgian-owned Brewery Ommegang brews such beers. Not restricting itself to the typical monastery beers, the brewery offers excellent and easy-to-find Belgians. One of its most highly-regarded is the Three Philosphers, a quadrupel blended with a sour cherry lambic beer.

Three Philosophers is best served in a chalice, but a wine glass will also do. After a careful pour it appears ruby red with a light tan head. Beginning with a delicate aroma of tart fruit and brown sugar, the flavor to follow is subtle, but still complex. Sweet and spicy caramel and chocolate malt dominate at first; currents and date undertones come through as well as bitter cherry. Surprisingly there’s almost no hint of alcohol at 9.8 percent. Three Philosophers is still a sipper and drinks very smoothly with a mixture of sweet, bitter and sour sensations.

Beerucation

Real Ale

While there’s no such thing as ‘fake ale,’ real ale is bit different from your average pint. A British beer tradition, real ale is unfiltered beer served straight from a cask without any carbon dioxide to push it through a tap. Poured with the help of gravity or a hand pump, the result is a fairly flat and lukewarm beer. As unappetizing as that sounds, beers served this way generally have deliciously smooth and fresh qualities, since the beer is still alive with yeast. You can try a pint of real ale at Clark’s Ale House and the Blue Tusk in Armory Square. It may be the closest you get to a semester in London.

Beer Bites

Brooklyn Lager

Four out of four mugs

A rich and wonderful example of American beer before the crushing effects of Prohibition.

Blue Point Blueberry

Three out of four mugs

Made with real blueberries, this ale isn’t too sweet like many fruit beers.

Cooperstown Back Yard IPA

Three out of four mugs

Brewed with hops from the brewery, Back Yard is a nice English-style IPA.

Winter’s Bourbon Case Ale

Two out of four mugs

Another craft-beer attempt from Budweiser. Worth a try if you like bourbon.

Published on November 28, 2006 at 12:00 pm