De Dolle Oerbier Special Reserva

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

’06 version...aroma of dark fruit, brown sugar and molasses. This one smells much sweeter than it tastes. Flavor exhibits tart cherry skin, belgian yeast, and minimal malt influence. Didn’t get anything from the barrel aging. Their traditional offering was more enjoyable. Extremely thin.

2007 edition. Sampled from an 11.2 oz brown bottle this beer poured a dark brown color with a trace of a tan head. The aroma was sweet, tart and tangy cherry with a lightly musty/funky undertone. The flavor was very tart, bitter and had notes of sour cherry. The finish was long tart cherry. The mouthfeel was surprisingly thin. The alcohol was well hidden. Decent but so much less of a beer than regular Oerbier.

’06 Bottle: Dark mahogany pour...wispy tan head. Notes of red apple, sweet bread dough and an earthy pepper tone. Seemed a bit odd on the first sip...a bit sour, some tart fruits, light vanilla and sweet malt accents. After just now reading the commercial description I have to change my initial score...I thought I had a bad bottle due to the lactic sourness but now see that this is aged in Bordeaux casks. After a re-evaluation, I’m going to kick this up a notch.

Cloudy brown, decent white head. Fruity, oaky aroma, nicely fruity, as well. I was a little more put off by the alcohol flavor than other raters were, i think. Lots of woody and fruity flavors, mixed with vanilla and cherry. Just enough alcohol heat to be a distraction. While tasty now, i think a little age would make it fantastic.

Pours with light brownish head that doesn’t stick around long. 2007 vintage. Darker than I expected with a nice light aroma. I expected a bit more of a smoky flavor/aroma and was pleasantly surprised. Tasty and smooth to drink. Alcohol is felt in the belly but not on the palate. Yummy stuff.

2005 bottle. Beautifull claret colour with a light neon violet shine and a golden-brown lacing layer. Wooden light minerally entry to the aroma, prunes, vanilla pipe tobacco. Dry, lactic on the tip of the tongue, wonderfully rounded by now. A hint wood, cranberries, lurking prunes and raisins, strawberries and blueberries exhaling. Dry sparkly mouthfeel, solid dry body. A beer I could sit in.

2007 bottle courtesy of SoLan – thanks Alan. Pours a murky brown with a one finger fizzy beige head that faded fast. Lacing is great but slick and doesn’t stick. Nose is dark fruit and brett tartness. Taste is sour cherries, malt and yeast with an oaky red wine finish. The alcohol is hidden nicely. Medium mouth feel. Great beer – much more sour than I expected.

2007 batch thanks to JB175. Pours with an off-white foamy head covering a muddy deep brown body. I wasn’t expecting much tartness, just a little acidity from the Bordeaux casks, but it was decently sour. Aroma of red wine, spices, dark fruits, alcohol, plums and figs, and a slight oaky buginess. Taste is sour and tart, with alcohol, dark fruits, black berries, and the alcohol is decently hidden for 13%. Creamy mouthfeel yet lively carbonated.