De Dolle Speciaal Brouwsel 20

Formerly brewed at De Dolle Brouwers
Style: Sour Ale
Diksmuide, Belgium

Well first of all, thanks to HeRftYDrF for the trade! I’m over at jeffc666’s and we’re talking. He suggests we open the De Dolle. I oblige and we are talking as I’m untwisting the wire portion of the cage. Then it happens - BAM! I hadn’t untwisted it 3 turns and it shot off somewhere in his garage. Immediately it begins to foam over as I rush to the sink. The De Dolle curse is alive and well! The first glass for each of us was almost all head. Emptied a VERY carbonated and clouded brown orange with millions of minute particles floating all over the place. The aroma is slightly sour(not sure if it has diminished in it’s four years in the bottle) with some spice, lgiht vinegar and an odd mix of old wood and cat urine, especially as it warmed. Taste was sort of a lightly soured fruit with some woody notes. There is a bit of sweetness coming through. Sort of sweet-sour like eating a Sour Patch Kid, i.e. sugar note within the sour. Slightly acidic and an over carbonated palate round this beer out. Finish is faintly tart. Impressive beer. I enjoyed it thoroughly and will look for it while in Belgium in September.

Huge tan head that collapses into an isalnd of foamy but leaves huge sticky sheets on the glass. Cloudy orange The aroma is slighlty sour and sweet with some vinegar. The flavor is medium sour with some residual sweetness. Lots of wood. As the beer warms and is exposed to air the alcohol becomes more noticeable. Medium body with surprisingly soft carbonation. Thanks to The_Beer_God for sharing this wonderful beer.

750ml bottle: Sampled 3-20-04. There was still a large amount of carbonation left in it when I poured it into the glass. Large, off white head. The beer itself is an extremely cloudy red-brown. The main aroma is that of sour apples. other fruits as well as a hint of spiciness in the background. The taste has hints of sour apples and a hint of lemon. Some sweet caramel malts. Very complex. An excellent brew. Also, a great value. I remember them discounting this because it was past its 11/2002 date on the cage. Doesn't seem to have hurt it a bit!!!

Sampled Feb. 13 2004 Well cabonated beer with a interseting off white head. Aroma of sour apple. It has a tart apple/plum tasted with some citrus flavor. Very acidic. Great at this age.

Sampled 5th of January 2004
This beer is very well carbonated, it tries to leap out of the bottle. The beer produces a prodigious tan head which sits atop a pretty dark copper lightly hazy brew. The aroma is sour and musty with notes of apple, earth and a general fruitiness. The taste is lightly sweet and is followed immediately by a soft fruity acidity. Definite notes of sour-apple, and some plum and lemon as well. This is a pretty soft beer, with no real harsh elements in it. There is no real bitterness, but the acidity balances the sweetness and fruitiness almost perfectly. This is a very good beer that I am very thankful to be able to try. The acid character is just about perfect, it is a very soft acidity. This is a damn good beer at this age, and probably will get better for quite some time.

Clingy, beautiful, huge fluffy head. Innate sweetness that couldn't be swayed by the malty vinegar notes. Noted some dark honey, cloves and blackberry as well. Pretty darn close to perfect...an awesome ale.

Very cloudy dark reddish brown color underneath a big foamy tan head. The nose is yeasty with a fresh, appetizing fruitiness, sweetish impressions and a hint of citrus. Very nice nose, fresh and titillizing. The body is lightly tart and quite fruity. Some sweet malt towards the middle. Gets more tart, continues to the end, compliments a tastey yeastiness. Complex and delicious.

Caramel thick head, cloudy amber. Slightly alcoholic / yeasty aroma. Light sweet malt, some fruity apple, with more sour finish. Alcohol actually works out really well in this case.