De Dolle Speciaal Brouwsel 20

750ml bottle. Nice pop upon pulling the cork. Pours a copper orange color with a huge billowing white head that slowly fell off leaving some very nice lace. Aroma is sour apple, musty oak, brett, caramel, dark fruit and barnyard funkiness. Flavor is tart cherry, earthy, spicy, old hops, some slight dark berries and a slight malty sweetness in the finish. This is like an old slightly tart Flemish ale, an incredible experience.

[9/5/08] Bottle sample at Kulminator in Antwerp after LCRBM. 1980 vintage. Hazy dark reddish brown with a beige head. Aroma of brett, apples, some dark fruits, caramel and barnyard. Sour flavor with some brett, cherry, some berry notes, some other fruits and some lovely background sugary sweetness. Silky mouthfeel. Funky and delicious.

1980 version after LCRBM 2009 at Kulminator. Lovely old bottle, dark brown in the glass, no head. Starts modest sourish, becomes more and more complex with fruity notes of cherry, some christmas spices, also caramell. Soft and warming finish, fruity aftertaste. Incredible!

Rust colored pour with a medium sized off-white head. Specks of sediment. Aroma of must and wet wood, light sourness. The taste is much the same with the woody component being the most pronounced. Very interesting.

Thanks to the guys at woodshop quad for my first taste. Conversations spiraling about where this has come in 8 years, apparently not for the better...I guess I wouldn’t know. Objectively speaking, this was a mellowed out flowery, spicy, flemish ale. Berries in the flavor w/ some musty wood type character. Not "sour" - not really at all. Wish I knew where this has gone over the years... most def over the hill, but still a good brew. So stoked I got to try this...

Bottle. 2000 Vintage, sampled at the Woodshop Quad Tasting in January 09. A major thanks to cquiroga and steiny for an epic tasting, as well as to whoever threw in this bottle. Pours a cloudy bronze color with minimal carbonation and no head. Musty aroma of potpourri, jasmine flower and a somewhat tart diacetyl, neoprene-plastic tone.Very complex and interesting. Flavor is slightly malty with nuances of light Holiday spices and stale hops. Still has some soft sourness on the finish with a light sweetness. Lasting notes of earthy malt, baked bread and yeast top things off. Overall, really a treat to try this with 8 years of age, however I bet this was outstanding after only a few less years in the bottle.

I normally don’t rate, but this beer is something I’m bragging about so this is why I’m posting this rating. Had it tonight, and all I have to say it is DAMN!! this is good! Slight tart character, little fruitiness, and great carbonation for a 8 yr old bottle. easy drinking. Very smooth, and well worth the hype and the empty bottle I have is a going to be a well cherished trophy! Very worthwhile of the high rating!!!

Brewed 28 DEC’80 - gebotteld 14 JAN’82 (210 bakken). This rarity that dates back 27 years happend to come from the cellar. Thx guys. Muddy brown pour with a thin white bubbly head. Nose is vinoes... its old - a bit of cherries, alcohol, dry raisins and wet wood. The taste is odd - its sour like a flamish ale, overdonoe mango, wet cardboard, peaches and lactoses, This should maybe have been drunk 10 years ago... its fun though and the rating gives a little credit to the fact that its from the first year of the dolle champs.