Two Brothers Philosophers Stone

Formerly brewed at Two Brothers Brewing Company
Style: Saison
Warrenville, Illinois USA

Bottled. Beer is very dark brown, clear, with a small, white, mostly and quickly diminishing head.<P> Found the aroma very exciting; sweet, spikey, roasty and earthy. Malty with moderate note of roasted grain, light note of caramel; Hoppy with a moderate note of thyme-like herb; Yeasty with moderate-to-heavy note of horseblanket, light note of cobweb; Miscellaneous notes include a light note of soy sauce, moderate vinous balsamic vinegar (FSA-like), autumn leaves and a trace of copper.<P> The flavor is moderately-to-heavily sweet, lightly bitter, moderately acidic with a long, lightly sweet, moderately acidic/juicy finish. Lots of genuine balsamic vinegar revealed in the retros.<P> The body is medium, the texture is watery and the carbonation is soft.

Bottle bought from Riversbend. Pours dark brown, almost black in color. Light brown head that dissipated quickly. Smells like it has a bit of roasty malt that seems to be hiding some other smells. As I explore deeper into the smell, it seems there is some dark fruit that is hidden under that roasted malt smell, but I cannot place it. Logic tells me it might be some sort of blackberry, or something similar. As I begin to explore the flavor, I notice a hint of that roasty malt I smelled, but more of a light sourness to the beer. I also taste just a hint of fruitiness, possible some citrus involved here. Carbonation seems to be mild, but fits with this beer very well. Everything melds together in this very delicious beer.

Pours dark brown, very little head. Sour smell with a bit of a horse blanket smell. Has a tobacco and chocolate undertone with a fruity, sour flavor over top. Excellent mouth feel, clean aftertaste.

The aroma is vinuous with some malts detectable, and a hint of sour. Almost black in apperance with thin head. Medium palate. The flavor starts with a tangy malt, some sour green apples, fruits and light wood. Very complex taste, and enjoyable.

Bottle. Nearly opaque with red edges. Foamy thick ring of bubbles. Nose-very yeasty and bready, fruity. Smells like a sourdough starter with brett. Taste-rusty, metal, low acid, iron, tea, cherry, dark cardamom, herbal, raisin, white grape, very light funk, light oaky tannins.

from a shared bomber. Aroma is tart fruit, horsehair like funk, and some dark malts. Taste is more reserved than the aroma, but still pleasant enough with light funkyness, tart fruits, a touch of dark/sweet malts. lingering slight astringent grains and tart fruit.

Bottle. Bretty sour nose, comparison with Rodenbach would be too high a compliment but not without merit. Mahogany brown color darkens with volume and rests under a lovely tanned head - lacing and bubbly and creamy. Taste is sour and funky, a touch of twisty barnyardy tang, fainter touches of citrus and lactose. Medium body and a smooth, lightly puckering mf. Kriek-tasting at times, perhaps a bit drier and woodier; certainly dips into lambic territory, but with a different yeastiness. Then again, some of the spices aside, this is more like an oud bruin. I found this to be very refreshing and finely-tuned; lovers of sour ales and inflected saisons rejoice!

All of the 2006 ratings seem significantly lower than the 2007s, and the Stats bear this out; was there an issue with the initial bottle run, or perhaps a tweak to the formula, or simply a nice evolution with aging?

22 oz purchased at discount liqour. Almost opaque dark brown with some ruby glow and little to no head. Nice fruity, yeasty aroma. NIce brett, sour flavor with oaky-woody taste. Med body with light carb. Very nice, I find that the different times that I have tried this beer that I have liked it more than others.