Ommegang Wine Barrel Three Philosophers

Ommegang Wine Barrel Three Philosophers. A blend of Quadrupel Ale and Belgian Kriek Ale with cherries aged in red wine barrels. 

9.3 % ABV. Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY. 

Dark crimson coloring, beautiful Burgundy hue, slim white head.

In the nose: Softly tannic, rosy, slightly sweet, barrel effects covering up the quad, malt forward.

In the mouth: rich, sweet, slightly tart, wine barrel working it's way on the palate. the kriek/quad lives just below, masked by the red. Vinous. Delicious. Medium bodied, long, malty, fruity finish. The other aspects of Three Philosopher slowly emerge from beneath the barrels. And with it the alcohol, smothering all in it's embrace. Sharp, sweet, tasty, luxurious. Lovely. Now, it's coming together, all the parts are showing off, the quad is showing it's Belgian side, the cherry is peeking through, and the wine is still there. 

Three Philosophers was always lovely, but this is even lovelier. 

It's even...yum a dum dum.

Aromas of roasted malt, dark fruit, molasses and oak accompany flavors of figs, currants and chocolate.

Three Philosophers, our iconic blend of quadrupel and Belgian kriek, is a tour de force whose malty depth and gentle sweetness are the perfect companions for deep contemplation. In 2019, reach new realms of rumination with this limited release of our iconic beer. Searching for the meaning of life? Even if you don’t quite get there, this beer is sure to sweeten the journey.

Cantillon 100% Kriek Lambic Bio

Cantillon 100% Kriek Lambic Bio. 5 % ABV.
Brasserie Cantillon, Brussels, Belgium.

Ah, Cantillon! The true lambic, where sour beers started. (The Belgian tradition, I mean, not Cantillon specifically.) Why can't I find you anywhere?

It's slipped my mind: did the importer pull out of distributing to our state, or have these bottles  become so rare and expensive that they don't wind up on the shelves of the stores that I visit? Or do I see them and pass based on the price tag? This brewery has appeared in the Nib exactly once before. It was seven years ago, after a friend brought a bottle of St. Lamnivus to my birthday celebration. And I referred to my notes from nine years prior. It just seems insane that in 10 years of this blog, I haven't come across another bottle.

Until the other week when my friend Julie tossed a bottle of the kriek lambic my way. The cork says 2017, so I need to ask her some questions and clear up these mysteries. I had a bottle of this way back in October of 2004, and make these scribblings, and I present them now in 2020, after consuming the bottle during a ZOOM session with friends last Friday night, here in our time of the COVID-19 quarantine.

pinky crimsony coloration...light, negligible head...

nose is funkalicious, big fruitalacious, but not moreso than this overpowering funkadelicaliciousness...cherry-sweet, berry-licious...

Taste? ...ooo, wee! yeah, the cherry's there...but the funk is in control here, this is a distinctive taste, not for everyone... hey, maybe not even for me, at least not every day...whoa, again, I say...big, fresh, cherry taste, but yeasty ...meaty...huge mouthfeel, never ever feels like getting off the couch...pretty damned delicious, but , oh, so unique....

I put these words to electronic pen and paper, while 1/2 a bottle remains...fierce flavor, full, lush, impressive.

I'll let my 16-year old notes stand. Here's what the brewery says:
Beer with a slightly acidic taste of red fruit complemented with subtle almond flavours.
Kriek brings out its maximum “fruitiness” when drunk young. With age the lambic will take the upper hand, but this is at the expense of the fruit component.

Color :
crimson red
Alc:
5.5%
IBU:
25
Serving Temperature:
15 °C/59 °F
Bottle size(s)
37,5 cl (12,5 oz) (currently available at the brewery)
75 cl (25 oz) (currently available at the brewery)

There's always something different in the Belgian brewery's descriptions. Almond? Okay...

Brouwerij Verhaeghe Barbe Ruby Ale

I picked this one up at The Four Firkins nearly two weeks ago, at my first visit to their new store. I'm rather ashamed that I had no idea it was so easy to get to by bicycle, so I'll be going back soon. I was just picking up one bottle, and Michael Wagner steered me to this ale, from the producers of Duchesse de Bourgogne.

Barbe Ruby Belgian Kriek Cherry Ale, Brouwerij Vaerhaeghe Vichte, 7.7% Alc./Vol.

Clouded look on this one, ruby to be sure, dark and dusky, with a small head, soon gone.

Aroma: Sweetness, cherries, some sour, some wild funk, a touch of rhubarb. Not too sweet, but getting close. Intriguing.

Taste: Drinking it in deep, it's a big, juicy thing. Medium-bodied, full and fruity, ending on a dry note. A very tasty kriek, this one. Just enough fruit, just enough sour kick.

I like it. Might be a bit much on the sweet side, but there's nothing wrong with that.

Brewery Van Steenberge Cherish Kriek lambic

Cherish. Authentic Belgian Kriek Lambic, Brewed and bottled by Browerij van Steenberge, Ertvelde, Belgium.

Deep ruby coloring, nearly purple, pinkish head settles into a tight ring.

Mix of tart and sweet cherry notes in the nose, leaning on the sweet, heading into CandyLand, like a SweeTart, or, actually cherry kool-aid. Not much beyond that.

Taste: starts with a sour spank on the tongue, quickly matched with a cloying, almost sickening sweetness. Then, it vanishes. Poof! Gone, with only a little bit of lingering. Light bodied, with little character beyond this sweet/sour sensation. 

A passable dessert beer option, especially if you find it at a nice price, but steers clear from being breathtaking. Clearly a syrup is involved here, we're getting little real cherry flavor, and none of the complexity of the great lambics.  I'm being nice. It would be very easy to just say, "it sucks." You won't find that very often here at the bitter nib. 

Just call me disappointed.

Oh, well.