De Dolle Stille Nacht Special Reserva 2005

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

bottle from Willblake, drank with Alobar at christmas dinner...considering i gave its older brother a 5.0, i was expecting alot from this beer...as far as the flavors and appearance and aroma, it was everything i remembered and hoped for, complex flavors of fig, apple, candy sugar caramel and grass, but just not as well blended as the original. a little hot in the abv category, which is why i dropped a few points in the palate and flavor. still an amazing beer and one i hope to have again after some extra age.

2008 version. Bottle 75 cl with no lable but handwritten on the bottle by the brewer This tasting must be considered rare because the tasting of this brew was actually done a little before the brewer himself had tasted it...he brought the bottle from the cellar and joined for a glass and a talk of the beer. , the brewer was satisfied...so were we. The beer had been bottled three weeks before and is planned to be released later in 09 or in 10. The pour is moisty and aprkling hazy with a fine white head. The nose is pretty sour like a flamish sour ale with notes of straw and alcohol. The sourness in the taste reminds me of the sourness found at a Rodenbach (originally where the yiest came from). The taste is sour like grapefruit with rich alcoholnotes. It has a nutlike sweetness to it like marzipan It seems so complex and simple at the same time. The palate is tickeling from the sourness and the agressive alcohol feeling. Thanx for this unique experience in a perfect atmospher at the café at the brewerie.Thanks for this chance to taste something that cant be asked for.

In short: A way-past-its-prime strong fruity blonde ale with a pleasant woody barn twist.
How: Bottle 330ml. Purchased at the brewery and consumed three years after the beer was released (I assume all bottles released at the same time)
The look: Cloudy dirty brownish-orange topped by an off-white ring of foam
In long: The strong nose is extra-yeasty with a mix bag of fruits. The best I can say about the taste it that it tastes like a alcoholised local quebec-mommy speciality cake we call “renversé aux ananas” (pineapple upside-down?). Also a strong wood sensation, mainly oak (is this beer barrel aged?) The woody notes also had a barnyard/countryside character, hard to describe, but it saved the beer. Some alcohol warmth but less than I expected. I think I should have opened that bottle a year or two ago. An overall “old & tired” taste, like eating a piece of my grandpa, but unlike a piece of grandpa an old and tired beer cannot be saved by being marinated in grandma’s plasma.

Hazy amber with a white head. Very nice vinous wet wood aromas with lime and salt. Smooth medium body with light carbonation. Flavor is toasted caramel, vanilla sweet flavors with earthy wood. Lightly boozy to finish. great beer.

Deep golden orange in colour with a large lingering white head, excellent lacing. The aroma is of apples, yeast, light candy sweetness,white grapes, very light alcohol. The flavour is lightly alcoholic, very fruity, high candy sweetness turning to a light bitterness. Warming mouthfeel, medium body, medium/high carbonation. Finishes long, very warm and rather sweet.

There is some incredible candy sweetness in this one. I’d be sure to give this one some more time as the regular Stille Nacht from the mid 90’s is way better.

330ml bottle obtained in a trade with kkearn, thanks Keith.
Opened on August 3, 2008.
Vintage 2005.

Poured hazy yellow with a white head. Aroma of oak, vanilla, candy, spice, and fruit. Wow. Mellowed fruit flavor with some spice that finished with a sweet caramel warming alcohol. Beautiful.

Pours amber with a white head. Smells of oak, tarte, dry malt, citrussy. Tastes sweet and oaky with lots of funkiness, and a tarte syruppy finish. I prefer the regular Stille Nacht to this.

bottle at the Kulminator, pours hazy orange with a tall white head. Aroma is earthy and sweet with some pineapple and honey notes. Flavor is sweet malt and candied fruit ending with not a trace of alcohol. This is a special vintage and I can’t wait to cellar my few for at least another 10 years. Crazy delicious.