De Dolle Stille Nacht Reserva 2000

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

Bottle sampled at jeffc666’s B-day gathering 2/6/05: Light hazy amber/orange with a tan head. Everything about this beer is amazing. The aroma is nuts, apple, hazelnut, syrupy sweet malt, wood, port, honey, vanilla. Taste is lemon, pepper, sweet syrupy malt, grapefruit, honey, wood, caramel, vanilla, ripe fruit. Finishes dry with sweet honey, fruits, wood, and nuts. Medium bodied. Balanced in every way, and very complex.

light hazy reddish colour, no foam, deep complex aroma of portwine, hazelnut and wood, a touch of alcohol and honey, strong madeirisation, sweet and full-bodied, very bitter, long fruity, woody and caramel finish, more alcohol and caramelized sugars - a big thank you to fiulijn for sharing with me this incredible beer !

Bottled. Purchased at Kulminator. Pours a blushing amber with a very small, refined tan head. Aroma is KNOCK OUT! Huge alcohol notes, rum-soaked fruits, vanilla, maraschino cherries, light woody notes, wine and raw sugar. Taste is phenomenal! Syrupy sugar notes, more alcohol, wood, vanilla, dark ripened fruits, hints of maple syrup and rum cake. Body is thick and chewy but has a velvety and syrupy feel. Definite alcohol warming to this as well. It just slides down your throat, warming the whole way. Finish is just as divine as the rest. More fruit notes, vanilla, alcohol, wood, brown sugar and some hints of cake. Awesome beer!

Sampled at the Kulminator in Antwerpen, Belgium. I thought this beer seemed a little expensive, at 20 euros for the 750 mL bottle, but regardless I had to try it. Golden. Very pleasant nose. Complex. Dryness and fruitiness of the bordeaux barrels along with notes of pears, apples and various cane sugars. Everything I was hoping it would be. Fruity throughout. Front is melon and pears. Mid-palate is full of notes of lemon. The finish is lovely, finishing with various sugars, cinnamon and oak.

Wow ! What an outstanding brew ! Fantastic beer with a hazy Red-orange shine. Complex aroma’s of nuts and red forrest berry’s. Almost the smell of a old Burgundy wine. Fine hints of dried apricots, cedar wood, and orange marmalade but also the smell of cakes and freshly roasted pinepits, Calvados Hors d’age and touche of freshly made croisants with real butter that is melting on it. The taste is also very wine like ( Hongarian Tokay wine ). This masterpiece has a Full and round mouthfeel with a lot of freshness. In the taste you can notice hints of Ripe red fruits, some nuts, vanilla, top quality Normandian applecider and fine BUAL Madeira. The balans of all the components is perfect (Freshness, alc sweetness and body). Last tasted with the Bierkônig from Denmark and his Maria, at the Kulminator in Antwerp.

Doughy yeast, raison, maple syrup, molasses, chestnuts, and candi sugar in the nose. Sweet mouthfeel that is saved from being too sweet by nuts and black strap molasses. Slight oakyness and notes of fermenting dark fruits and brown sugar.

And I thought Speedway stout at $10 US was pricey. This one was $16 US. Sour flanders style aroma. Amber. Light head and lacing. I found this to be sour, salty and somewhat syrupy. Not a big fan.

Aroma of hops, sugar fruit aromas. Pours a gorgeous cloudy orange-yellow, nice thick white head. Flavour is all smooth sweetness. Goes down easy for 12% alcohol. Why drink wine when you can drink this. An interesting beer and very satisfying.