De Dolle Arabier

Brewed by De Dolle Brouwers
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Diksmuide, Belgium

Hazy golden yellow with a dense offwhite head. Smokey malt backbone with a bit of skunky hops. The smoke and the hops seems to be an uncommon combination, though this makes me want more of that sort. A bit of ash. A bit of apply tartness. Fresher this would be nicer. A medium build low carbonation with not a lot of viscosity. The flavor is dominated by a strong smokey aspect and some skunked hops. This is like an ashy mesquite flavor. A round but light malt bill, just approaching caramel but not further. Lingering smoke and skunked hops. Fresher hops would make this better. A long dry smokey skunked hop finish. I would love to try this fresh.

Bottle at Bier Garden Portsmouth VA. Dark copper small tan head. Malty sweet aroma, peppery, strong heavy belgian stays true to the style. Dry finish.

Pours a cloudy light amber color with a big foamy off white head. Smells of yeast, citrus fruit, and a little candy sugar. Overall mild. The taste is slightly tart and bitter, a little funky as wel. Get a lot of citrus fruit, lemon, orange, some cinnamon as well. Lot of things going on here. It isnt really balanced that well, seems like I get a new taste with each sip. Not bad though, interesting to say the least.

11.6 oz bottle at Bier Garden. Pours hazy copper color with brown head. Sweet and yeasty aroma. Taste malty and yeasty with a clean finish.

Light lemon, heavy yeast, bread and candi sugar in the aroma. Very murky golden brown body with a thick head. Full and sticky palate. Taste follows the aroma, but with even more of a yeast component that expected. Too unbalanced for me.

Tasted at the MicroBar in Clapham (London), bright and clear with a very large rocky white head. A strong sweet perfume with peppery spice. Spicy and peppery in the mouth, unusual but good.

11.6 oz. bottle, the contents of which I poured into a Unibroue Maudite tulip glass. Sharp, salty, sour aroma features apple juice, champagne, and pickle brine scents as well as an obvious alcohol smell. Very interesting aroma that could be offputting to many, but I liked it, at least at first. Unfortunately, as I actually drank the beer, the aroma turned into an odor, and I dropped my rating from an 8 to a 6 in this category. Pours a remarkably effervescent gold with a large amount of fluffy, near-white head. Produces a moderate amount of lacing. Looks about as good as a clear, golden ale possibly could. Sour, sharp flavor. Reminiscent of a Flemish sour ale in taste. Honey, green apple, and pepper (as well as other spices) flavors. Dry finish. Takes some getting used to. Is this how it’s supposed to taste? Too extreme for me. Hoppy-bitter aftertaste. Dry in the palate. Medium body. Arabier has a promising start, but it turns out to be highly flawed. Not my thing, and I’m not sure that I didn’t get a spoiled sample. I drank half, and now I’m going to mix the rest with another beer.

Bottle at home. Clear to unclear golden - big white head. Aroma: Fruity, yeasty, pepper. Taste: Sour / Bitter / sweet, sharp, citrus, orange, apples, sharp throatfeeling. A dolle-classic -> but it could be more balanced.