De Dolle Oerbier Special Reserva

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

12 oz bottle via captaincougar (thanks!). She pours a dark brown with a massive chunky beige head. Nose is sour. Taste is sour too. Is this a brett yeast? Tastes like a cross between brett yeast and a Flemish sour Ale. Mostly taste sour cherries and a slight bit of woodiness. It has a tart finish but it is a smooth tart..or is that an oxymoron? Whatever..but it is smooth and tart at the same time. 13.5% abv? Seriously? It is very well-hidden as i detect no heat at all. High carbonation. Medium Body.

2005 bottle. Poured a very dark red body with a generous, lopsided head. Aroma is of funk - sour, horseblanket, yeast. Flavor is slightly sweet, cherry, oak and a touch of sourness to it. Left the mouth craving more (oh what is it about sour beers that make me sad when they are finished?). This was one great beer, glad I found it.

Bottle.33cl. Thanks to Beermouth, for this wonderfull beer, it has a faint hit of oak but that works for this beer, now i will shut up and enjoy this beer.

Bottled (13%, 2005 version). Thanks goes to GarethYoung for this bottle, which I decided to share with rsmeds on his marriageday. Dark cloudy syrupyish reddish/brown colour with huge beige creamy head. The aroma is grapes, alcohol and sour fruits. Flavour is quite the same, along with some grassy notes on the tip of the tongue. Also lots of cocoa to be found behind the sourness once it gets warmer. The burps you burp after this also taste like cocoa or milk chocolate. Overall an extremely complex beer, which probably ages well and might make it a bit smoother.

Had the 04 version.Light fruits and a nice sourness in the aroma.Pours a murky dark copper with a medium off white head.Got a smooth sourness and lots of oak in the flavors.Medium to full mouthfeel with a sour oak finish.

Wow, I didn’t expect this to be so high powered. Totally don’t taste all that alcohol at all. Very bitter and sour, reminds me more of a flemish sour or lambic type deal. My pour is more on the brown side. Cherry aromas, tart, bitter, fruity tastes. Very interesting.

12oz bottle, 2004 vintage, courtesy of HogTownHarry. Thanks, Harry! Pours a murky yellowish-brown appearance; off-white head with beautiful lacing at the edges. Tart, complex aroma: cherries, oak, and vinous red fruits. Pleasant level of sourness, in a full mouthfeel; so many things going on here: overripe sour cherries, woody and warm vanilla notes; medium acidity; levels upon levels of oak and cherries and barrel flavor. Long, balanced, cherry and wood finish.

Multiple bottles since; within a year or two, tartness hasn’t developed enough to reach it’s peak; 3-4 years seems ideal.

2002 bottle, heavily oxidized, lots of caramel and very little remaining tartness. Disappointing, too old, and unrated.

Vintage 2005 - Pours dark reddish brown with a small, wispy light tan head. Aroma of tart cherries, horse blanket, cranberry, and fruity acids. Taste of tart apple, vinous oak, brett, cherry, and sweet acids. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, dry, with soft carbonation. Very nice, but perhaps an acquired taste, as the brett has certainly taken ahold of this one! Plenty of oak, cherry, and brett to hide the ABV.