De Dolle Stille Nacht Reserva 2000

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

[Bottled, Akkurat in Stockholm charged 896 SEK] Hazy charneol colour, big airy head. Big, breathtaking aroma from mouldy cheese, fruits, berries, milk chocolate, oranges and candied sugar. Thick, concentrated flavour profile, light woody, good sweetness as always with De Dolle, raisins, plum, berries, cheeses, dried fruits. Vineous. Well hidden abv. Smooth mouthfeel. Fantastic beer.

Sampled at Akkurat, Stockholm. 75 cl bottle was 895 SEK. Light amber colour, with airy head. Huge, sweet aroma with fruits and berries. Candy-ish. A bit like noble cheese, raisins and orange in aroma. Very sweet in flavour, less sweetness would have made this better. Flavour profile: very complex and big. Oranges, raisins, bit of red plums, berry-ish and fruity - like a dessert. Dried peach and fresh pineapple, also a bit salty. Vineous. This beer is very well balanced, with an ABV that is not notable. Smooth body. Fitting X-mas beer. Smells and tastes big. A fantastic beer.

Another rare beer that Degarth so graciously shared with me, yet 9 months later I am ratting it! Sorry for my procrastination! I actually thought I had already reviewed this De Dolle after our tasting, apparently not!

Poured a hazy rusty orange hued body and a kakhi brown head. The aroma radiated a cornucopia of fruit; apples, sweet red & tart green, plums and pears. Amass of beet sugars on the front of the flavor profile, followed by oak, vinilla and a suggestion of apple cider. There was a bit of sourness, mostly from the cask aging, the oxidation was minimal for a 6 year old beer. Overall, as exceptional as this beer truly was, it was too sweet, which helped hide the bold Alc, yet it was still phenolic and aggressive; and although Truly toned down from the original yearly release of Stille Nacht, this baby was still a monster… even with 6 years of life behind it.

Happily shared at Choice City in Fort Collins. Beer poured a medium, hazy caramel brown without a head to really speak of. The first impression on the nose: sweet, warm, caramel apple lovies on toast, yet so much more. One of a handfull of beers I’ve ever had that create a transcendant experience of beauty. The kind where the sum of the parts combine to create a divine whole that overwhelms and makes the world fall away with the sound of a down comforter being dropped to the ground. The aroma was malty with moderate toasted grain, heavy, warm, sticky, drippy caramel, moderate-to-heavy cookie notes; Hoppy with mellow moderate herb note, trace note of resin and pine and a light note of lemon zest; Yeasty with moderate funky notes of attic and cellar, light cookie doughiness; Moderate-to-heavy green apple peel and simmered apple, vanilla-heavy oak,moderate warm, spicy alcohol, lightly vinous on the back of a deep inhale. The flavor was heavily sweet (not sticky or cloying in the least), lightly to moderately acidic, warm and lightly bitter. The finish was warm, moderately sweet, lightly bitter. ABV cloaked in the sweet, warm folds. The body was full, the texture was velvety/syrupy and the carbonation was soft. Thanks for sharing this BeerandBlues2, Mrs. BeerandBlues2 and Ernest. This experience was all the better for having good friends beaming back the same shit-eating grin over this treasure.

Again, this was shared moments after our De Dolle Special Brouwsel with Ernest, luckygirl and my wife at Choice City Butcher and Deli in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Pours a effervescent light copper with a patchy white film. Aroma is huge; buttery caramel malt, sweet brown sugar, alcohol, oak and apple. Butterscotch flavor, caramel malt and apples, moderately acidity creates some spice, creamy maltiness in the middle and near the end, alcohol notes and dryness at the end. Full bodied and warm, creamy palate but dry and spicy-fizzy finish.

Anything above 4 is a great beer, this one is excellent but I prefer their oerbier. Great for a winter night, unfortunately I drank this in mid-summer Atlanta - maybe I would have rated it better in Wisconsin.

Bottle sampled with Stegosaurus. Pours hazy amber with an off-white head. Aroma of fruit, alcohol, sweet malts. Flavor is sweet, carbonated, smooth, fruit, citrus, spice, wood, and alcohol. Can’t believe we found this one, bottle was old, and label was falling off last on the shelf. Sampled in ’03 my find.

pours hazy copper with a large off-white head, aroma of fruit, alcohol, sweet malts, wine-like, flavor is sweet, carbonated, smooth, fruity, citrusy, belian style spices are present, wine-like with wood flavor like it was aged in a barrel and with a fiery alcohol finish. very complex flavor. good health body, can’t believe we found this one, bottle was old, and label was falling off last on the shelf. bottle sampled in ’03, excellent brew.