De Dolle Dulle Teve Special Reserva

Formerly brewed at De Dolle Brouwers
Style: Abbey Tripel
Diksmuide, Belgium

330ml bottle given to me as a bonus by BrianK. thank you sir....pours pretty similarly to the standard version if only a a shade or two of a darker brown.... aroma was a little more fruity apple and a hint of sourness and wood....alcohol was a little more pronounced and left a boozy sensation in the mouth. slight bitterness in the finish. a little too warm for me and i almost like the regular dulle teve better.

In short: An overly alcoholised Belgian blonde ale. Brutal and boring.
How: Bottle 330ml, forgotten in my fridge by Dickinsonbeer. Thanks a lot Paul!!! Probably 1+ year old.
The look: Cloudy dark golden body with lots of big ugly yeast chunks topped by a white ring of foam
In long: Honey and cereals on the nose. Taste is more of the same. Lots of alcohol, some apples concentrate, lots of honey, more alcohol, a drop of hard cider, lack of hops, too much candy sugar, even more alcohol. I’m a huge fan of some of the De Dolle beers (arabier and oerbier and top-50 of mine) but I really don’t care from some of their stronger offerings and the regular Dulle Teve is one I’ve never liked. If anything this Special Reserva is even more brutal and more alcohol-intense than the regular Dulle Teve. The barrel aging didn’t translate into barrel/woody taste but if this beer had any subtle flavours (barrel or others) they were all crushed by the alcohol. I had only a single 330ml bottle and I was really bored by it. I almost drained poured 1/3 of the bottle. Fortunately the second half of the bottles had yeast chunks that provided some fruity distractions (peaches, mangos) from the alcohol. And saying of a beer that the yeast chunks make it taste better is about as complimentary as saying that a women looks better in baggy cloths.

Thanks to tjthresh for sharing this. 11.2oz bottle served in a Duvel tulip. Hazy gold with a fine bubbled white head. Spritzy mouthfeel. Fantastic aroma with apple, sugar, hint of alcohol and some sourness (brett?). Lots of spicy flavors, very complex with citrus and more apple. Medium bodied with a warming, drying alcoholic finish. Really nice beer.

330ml bottle, label shows 2003 cask. Incredible aroma, very heavy on the calvados. Rich apple fruitiness abounds, along with plenty of honeyish sweetness, lush malts, old wood, dried, leafy herbs and faint medicinal alcohol. Cloudy golden color with rosy highlights and a sparse, fine head. Flavor is an incredible combination of malt sweetness, citrus and tropical fruits including melon and pear, and copious yeast found throughout, with cobwebs, dough and loads of apple appearing again at the finish. Mouthfeel is smooth and warming, low in effervescence with a generous body. Lingering green grape aspects and honeysuckle. Really, really good. Thanks a bunch to tjthresh for the sample! Now I just need to find more....

Bottle purchased at Capone’s. Pours sunrise golden with a snow white head. The calvados is apparent in the nose and absolutely wonderful. Apple and oak with a lot of De Dolle yeast driven character. A little bit of left sugar. Light body and very highly carbonated. Warm alcohol and a very dry finish. Still very alcoholic warm, but the calvados character shines and that get bonus points in my book.

From a 330mL Bottle. Courtesy of Dr. Bill. Perfectly transparent, blood orange-rind tinted amber color with a thick head of fizzy ivory. This aroma is incredible. Aromas of raisins, apples, and apricots integrate perfectly with a warming, brandy-like booziness. Incredible barrel character, lending fruity qualities that compliment the fruity esters of the yeast marvelously and adding a restrained layer of vanilla. Hints of brown sugar and maple syrup linger beneath, along with flecks of peppery wood. Unbelievably gorgeous nose. I can’t stop smelling it and smiling. Light bodied, heavily carbonated mouthfeel with a spritzy texture. The flavors don’t disappoint. Flavors of green raisin and apricots up front on the palate, along with some bready malt livened up by a smidge of molasses. Mid-palate, the alcohol starts to warm a bit, as the sizzling carbonation lifts the flavors off the tongue. Toward the finish, more of the oaky vanilla and pepper notes start to come through, adding plenty of the richness and complexity of a fine barleywine without the burden of the weight. Incredibly light bodied considering the ABV, but the flavors are bold and lively. My only complaint about this beer would be that it tends to get a bit warm, but everything else is superb and very near perfection. The number of beers I taste that truly excite me are getting fewer and farther between, but this one wasn’t just exciting - it blew me away. Thanks a million, Doc

bottle courtesy of the cheeseman: big thanks dan. pours a clean apple juice colour wiht a good spritzy white head. aroma is great fresh apples and a small amount of malty freshness. a slight cotton candy aroma sweetness you just love. very small touches of wood and some almond and bubble gum. love it! flavour is is great alos it is a lilttle hot but has a great malt sweetness with the apple flavour comng thru also.

kruidig maar fruitig hopgaroma. In de zeer fruitige smaak een aanwezigheid van kandij en alcohol.en een zeer volmondig bier met wat bitterheid op het einde