De Dolle Stille Nacht Special Reserva 2005

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

Thanks to egajdzis for sharing this newly released winner in a side by side tasting of ’05 vs. ’00... Appears a smi-transparent gold with a small white cap that slowly fades out. Spotty lacing is left all around the glass. Smell is of sugary, honey, doughy yeast, vanilla, caramelized apple cobbler. Hot alcohol presence with banana esters buried in there. Taste is of the mentioned aromas with a more phenolic, hot alcohol bite. Mouthfeel is sweet up front, medium bodied, chewy, hot abv noticeable with fruity apple cider mixed in with a bit of a grain alcohol warmness. Not too shabby but it needs time to mellow out. If it ripens like the 2000 version, it’ll be outstanding.

I was thrilled to be able to obtain some of this, as I am pretty fascinated with De Dolle in general. When I held the bottle, I noticed the liquid held within looked crystal clear, so I tipped it over (still closed), to find strange spider-webs of slimy trails cascading down. Upon pouring, a huge, pillowy white head refused to dissipate. Almost opaque peachy orange. The aroma was marvelous - winey, sour, peach, and oak, with just alot going on. The flavour was an extension upon the aroma - peach, dough, pineapple, oak, yeast, apples, and...rhubarb! There was a very pleasant sourness, and a long, haunting aftertaste that expressed a deeper sweetness. Mouthfeel was thick. The only reservation I had was that, near the end of the glass, I wanted more carbonation. This was superb; I hope to get ahold of some of the 2000 someday.

Cloudy light amber with large offwhite head. Vanilla, spice, herbal, malt, fruits and wood. Thick and full budy. But lack’s a bit in finish.

Poured a cloudy amber color with good head and lacing. Aroma was much like bourbon vanilla and woody. Flavor was of light fruits lots of apples. Mouthfeel could have been a little more was a little thin.

A huge thank you has to go out too Dan at Uber Tavern for selling me this bottle. Wow is all I can say about this beer. It’s woody, oak, vanilla combined with the usual Stille Nacht flavors and aromas. This site lies when it says that bottles are common. I’ve asked at all the better beer places in Seattle and from what I found only 2-3 cases cameinton the whole city. That is not that common. Find it, I have Abyss if you have this!

Poured an amber murky color, small head, but really good lacing, good small head retention. The aroma was woody, oaky, vanilla, bourbon or some other liquor (vinous?). The flavor was apples, bananas, grapes, vanilla, oak, only light yeast, much less cloying than the regular stille nacht. Mouthfeel wasn’t that cloying, somewhat thin for the style, pretty good stuff. I like it. Thanks to Robert of State Line for hooking me up here!

CT V thanks to sliffy. Aroma of sourness and also some maltiness. Flavor was sweet, malty, little sour, yeasty, and a little alcohol. Had a very nice crispness to it. Maybe a little bit of oakiness.

Tasted side by side with a 2005 Special Edition. Pours a hazy golden orange with a bubbly off white lacing head. This one was a gusher! The regular version was slightly more amber in color with a slightly more creamy head. Aroma of green apples, caramel, toffee, vanilla, Belgian yeast, rock candy sweetness. Flavor of various fruits, woody,vanilla, yeast, vinous, and caramel. Side by side the Special Reserva has lost a lot of the malty sweetness that is in the 05 Special Edition. Also can pick up the wood a lot more in the flavor of the Special Reserva. Flavor really grew on me and the mouthfeel was smooth and creamy with maybe just a tough of residual sweetness. If I come across another I will pick up to cellar for a few years.