Pours a hazy chestnut brown with minimal head retention, smells of bourbon, vanilla, and oak. The taste is rich and lightly sweet with flavors of chocolate, bourbon, caramel, vanilla, and raisins on a smooth full body. The finish is long and moderately low in bitterness, featuring notes of oak, dark chocolate, sherry, and soft herbal hops. Overall, I’ve had a few variants of Three Philosophers now, and they’re all surprisingly different. This one is a consummate barrel aged ale, and the flavors of the base beer pair well with the barrel notes, however it does lose a bit of identity as I don’t taste Belgian yeast or Kriek anymore.
Best by: 7/15/23
