De Dolle Oerbier Special Reserva

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

Wow! This is definitely one of the stronger and more complex aromas I’ve experienced throughout my beer ratings. Sour apple, lemon, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, oak, and light bread crumbs. Interesting brew, tart with a sweeter fruitiness and toffee in the background with a slightly metallic finish. An interesting experiment for sure. Well crafted, although personally I would prefer the sourness to be toned down a bit. It would allow some of the other complexities of this beer to shine.

Bouteille de 330 ml acheté chez Julio’s Liquors (Westborough, MA). Arôme: Odeur de mélasse fruitée et de chêne. Apparence: La couleur est ambrée rougâtre avec une faible densité de bulle. Présence d’un moyen col beige crémeux et d’une large dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de petits fruits foncés avec une pointe de vanille. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est plein avec une texture vineuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Arrière goût fruité. (Rating #1852)

2006 bottle. Appearance: Pours a clear, dark mahogany-hued body with a wispy, off-white head. Smell: Fruity, vinous aroma with notes of cherries, sherry, malt vinegar, and old wood. Taste: A touch of sweet maple with a juicy, tart, and sour taste of black cherries and grape jam. Sip of sherry vinegar. Some rampant alcohol, some woodiness. Dry, nearly puckering finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-low carbonation. Slight oiliness to the mouthfeel. Drinkability: Good enough for one visit, I suppose, but it ultimately seemed a bit overrated and subsequently overpriced.

33cl, exclusive brew Anno 2008, from Geers Oostakker, very complex brew, very heavy, yet balanced, hazy, good head, the best of the Dolle Brouwers, top class!, drink cold

2007 bottle at Kulminator. Its a beauty! A reddish brown beer with a creamy long lasting beige head. Aroma is pretty sour with dark fruits and cherries. Flavour is the same with caramel and some berries. Great mouthfeel.

Two bottles courtesy of fishingnet and tpd975. Pours brownish amber copper with tan head. The aroma is full with loads of wild yeast fighting it out creating tartness and sour rotting lemons, notes of wood and faint vanilla. I also get some grapes and cherries too. The taste has a quick pulse of sweetness that quickly fades away leaving behind tartness and mild sourness. It seems the sour rotting fruit grows momentarily before extreme tartness takes over. The tartness finally lets up a bit in the finish as I can get vague fruitiness around the edges. Zero sense of the ABV (was this an NA brew?).

Hazy brown pour with a small tan head. Aroma was vinegar and heavy oak. Flavor was up front cobwebs and dust, plenty of oak and vanilla and a pronounced candy flavor that really stood out and made this unique from other sour style beers. Finished with a mild to medium acidity, very complex. I really liked this one.

Bottle, 2006 vintage. Pours a cloudy brown with a small tan head. Aroma is banana, yeast, bit of molasses, hint of wood and vanilla. Taste starts a bit sour, with some dark malt in there as well, moving to a more pronounced, biting acidity and tartness on the finish, with a lingering dark vinous quality. Mouthfeel is just enough crispness to complement the acidity, while maintaining a nice creaminess. Very interesting beer from a fearlessly inventive brewery.