De Dolle Oerbier Special Reserva

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

Bottle at Hopleaf. Poured a a seemingly purplish hued brown with thick light brown head that laced the glass brilliantly. Strong fruity aromas were sweet with a pungent aromatic spice to them and a veiled presence of alcohol. Sour bitter flavor, grapefruity, acidic, very rich and hides the alcohol exceptionally. Smooth and full a very nice beer.

Thanks to richlikebeer. Best beer I’ve had in some time. 2004 bottle. Pours a hazy amber/copper color with no head. Aroma of cherries, alcohol, wood... Taste was complex-cherries, alcohol, wood, and yeast. Excellent beer.!

’02 Bottle at Toronado - SF: Shared this with my good buddy Aspidites. This is a great, great beer. An aroma of black cherries, a bit of light fruit and a slightly acidic/tartness coming thru. Flavors were an excellent combo of vinous, woody, dark and light fruit, and malts. This really reminded of a flemish sour with the dry finish. It didn’t strip your mouth like a gueuze will, but it was an uplifting dryness. A fantastic beer.

12 oz bottles, 2002 and 2004 vintages side by side, 2004 bottle via footbalm. Rating numbers are for the 2004 bottle, which I prefered much more. Pours were similar, a rather murky looking reddish brown colored body under a light brown foamy head on the 2002, minimal to no head on the 2004. 2004 aroma is lightly tart with alot of woody notes, good amount of yeast, and very fruity, similar to a Flemish Sour. The 2002 was very different, lots of sherry and port oxidation notes, minimal fruitiness that removed my association with Flemish Sours, and a stronger alcohol note. Flavors followed the aromas almost step in step. 2004 was very fruity and much more tart, slightly acidic and almost completely hidden alcohol. The 2002 was fairly oxidized, lending a very sherry like flavor to it. The alcohol was alot more noticable as well. I suppose the fruit fades but the alcohol stays. Both vintages had a similar mouthfeel, but the 2002 was a bit thinner. Similar moderately active carbonation. Overall, I found the 2004 to be far superior even though I’m a fan of aged beers. It was alot more similar to the standard Oerbier at least and I guess I’m basing it on that. The 2002 would have rated somewhere in the neighborhood of a 3.9 total.

2006 Vintage: Pours dark brown with red hues. More acidic and sour then I remember the last. The previous one had more barrel flavor to it, this tasted more like a flemish brown, with a bit more acidity. The previous bottle had more of a wild yeast funkiness, this didn’t have that character as much. Still a nice beer, but the 2004 was better in my opinion, although this might pick up more character in time. 2004 Vintage: In the bottle at the Kulminator in Antwerp. Pours hazy copper with a big old rocky white head. The nose on the special reserva was amazing, very spicy with a woody, wild yeast, fruits, and sourness. The flavor was just incredible, changed a lot as you drank it and it warmed up. Very dry on the palate with a earthy and woody character. Citrus fruits, yeast, and spice mesh well, with a medium sour finish. This beer really never lets on that it is 13%.

2005 vintage -- Nice mahogony hue with a thin tan head, streaming carbonation. Aroma is dark fruit, malts and yeast with a sour accent. Taste is yeasty, and sour vinegar with initial earth tones. Ending is dry and sour.

Hazy deep brown body with a small creamy light brown head. Sweet slightly sour fruit aroma. Light sour flavor, with some gentle fruit and light oak.

A great beer. Red/brown, white foam, a lot af alcohol. Good balance between medium sourness and medium sweetness. Reminds me of af oud bruin - just much stronger. Clear hints from the oak barrels.