Arabesque Reserve 2024
Phase Three Brewing Company

 

 

Sweet caramel and molasses malty, jammy red wine grapes and dark fruits, a hint of rye-spice/all-spice, and a prominent bourbon barrel boozy nose on this one! Taste follows exactly with a soft and viscous, bourbon barrel finish. The barrels are singing with this one! Warms your insides up while going down. The great thing about the barrel notes here is, while it is pronounced, it doesn't overwhelm the BW characteristics and notes that you want. Fantastic Lyfe!

 

Sharing with my brother in law. Pours very thick. Strong sweet scents of maple and dark fruit and molasses and bourbon barrels. Taste is similar, stronger dark fruit, notes of vanilla and honey, assertive barrel character. Thick feel, maybe a little too thick, but very smooth alcohol feel for the ABV, big bodied. Excellent.

Drinking: Pours an ultra dark brown, with the viscosity of a double espresso. Seems flat, but a half finger of tan head emerges. More from the proteins in the liquid rather than actual carbonation. Looks like this was reduced for days.

Aroma: Big punch of pipe tobacco, coconut, cedar and twine. The rum barrel comes through with a spicy fruitiness. Lots of savory charred wood.

Flavor: Between the bourbon, oak, rum and malt-bill, the coconut is very assertive. Not in a sweet way, but in a complementary way. It’s the thing that ties all the flavors together. Massive reduced fruits, cinnamon raisin cookies, umami, mulling spices, and vanilla, surrounded by toasted coconut to add another layer of complexity.

Drinks thin, but not watery. It’s the perfect texture for a beer with this profile.

Had on tap in Elmhurst on 3/2/24. Caramel, raisin, strong bourbon barrels and a touch of rum.

Had on tap. The darkest brown possible in a viscous pour with no head. Nose is fantastic with bourbon, rich caramel, barley, supporting char, fig, and oak. Taste has bourbon backed caramel and cocoa, barley, oak and molasses support, sweet and somewhat musty dark fruit emerging near the end. Feel is warm with booze but so smooth and refined, barrels shown off here. I actually preferred regular arabesque, but if you prefer more barrel then this one will be your champion

 

The coloration to the pour is deep brown and murky. Quick to envelop into darkness, there's nearly any agitated carbonation as the beer cascades into the glass.

The nose is rich and inviting, opening with clear notes of chocolate-coated raisins and rum cake. Towards the tail emerges a prevalence of toasted vanilla, fig jam, and a touch of leather.

The palate is spirit-forward in all the best ways. Greeting with blistered oak and warm spices, a burnt caramel component is quick to follow and provide the richness from the nose with a more bittering balance. Trailing on the back-end of the palate is fruit and rum; stewed raisin with a touch of sweetness and burnt sugar.

A full-coating mouthfeel that doesn't come forward with too much viscosity. The carbonation is low and comes on slowly; the added texture does well to cut through the weight of the beer. There is some clear tannin to this; drying the palate and paving the way for ethanol warmth and subtle bitterness. On the long finish that this beer provides are subtle esters that linger into the next sip.