De Dolle Stille Nacht Special Reserva 2005

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

11.6 oz bottle-trade w/Marsiblursi. Wow, this is an amazing beer. Pours a cloudy/mirky yellow/orange color w/a moderate white foamy head. Lacing lasts throughout the beer, never goes away. The first drink actually took my breath away. Very effervescent-freshness just jumps out & graps your throat. Sweetness, lemon, orange, grassy, spicy, plum, white wine/grape flavor. Somewhat of a cross between a barley wine & a whitber-if that is possible. Some people may find it too sweet or young, but I feel that is it’s strength, it just seems to jump out of the glass at you & scream DRINK ME!! Long, full finish. You don’t taste the alcohol, but you sure feel it, really warms you up!! Thanks for the opportunity to try this amazing beer, I am really starting to get hooked on these quality Belgian’s

A very complex taste Fruity, herbal. The taste is still sweet and spicy. Althought the strength is it very drinkable. A must for everyone

Champaign like smell and sour apples as a good flemish sour ale. Cinnamon and hints of clove. Hazy light gold body. Faint sour character in the body with a wonderful oaked flavor and faint whiskey hints. An amazing beer. And for those who weren’t around when I cracked this, I have more to share ;).

Bottle. Head is initially large, frothy, white, fully lasting. Body is hazy medium amber, bottle conditioned. Aroma is moderately malty (cookie, caramel, toasted grain), lightly to moderately yeasty (cobwebs), with notes of wine (both white and red...black cherry, oak, minerals, lime, etc.), dried pineapple, pepper, Juicy Fruit gum, apple skins, overripe banana, etc.. Flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium to full body, velvety texture, lively carbonation, moderately alcoholic. Wow, just wow. From the very first whiff, I knew I was in for a treat. Not much to say other than...terrific. I can’t believe this isn’t on the top 50. It’s extraordinary.

33cl bottle from Knightly Spirits (Orlando, FL). Pours an almost brown sugar color with very little off-white head. Some lacing on glass. Aroma is sweet malt and caramel, honey, toffee, candy sugar. Very sweet aroma. Flavor is intense, almost like a party in our mouths: Intense flavors including heavy sweet malt, candy sugar, strong caramel and toffee notes and a hint of spice. Phenol comes through in the flavor. Full bodied with a sweet phenol finish. Amazing ale that has aged well.

A Mes rate: 33cl bottle from the Kulminator. Dirk himself told me to have this next, who was I to disagree. Caramel, toffee, burnt sugar, apples, bananas and other stuff in what is a pretty much perfect and very complex aroma. Thick blonde colour with a great rocky head that settled to a thick, almost solid film that left plenty of lace in its wake. To swill and watch the bubbles settle is truely a sight to behold. Obvious alcohol. Strong malt and hops are totally apparent and give sublime balance. Burnt sugar comes and goes sandwiched somewhere along the line by ice cream and lightly done brown toast with lots of butter on. Prickly, almost sour and dry finish but also with creamy and bitter hops. About as full bodied as beer can be. Certainly there could not be a better balanced brew. Will no doubt be too sweet for some but for me, this sets the benchmark. So hard to do this rate with out pouring out expletives. It really is that good. As Dirk pointed out afterwards, "it’s just not beer".

Bottled. Hazy golden, brief head. Fantastic arousing aroma of muscat grapes and wood. Sweet with some caramel undeneath a layer of wood and grapes. Reminiscent of a much sweeter Cantillon Reed Gueuze Muscat, but withbigger bolder flavours. The same fantastic flavours as in the 2000, still too sweet - perhaps this one more so than the 2000, but yet one of the very best beers I know.

Dark straw colored pour hints of brown or red as well w/ a huge frothy white aroma and thick lacing. Amazing aroma. Delicous. Aroma is very fruity some sweet whisky or cherry style hint in the aroma touches of wood.. lots of fruit and the great spicy yeast that I can’t even describe. Hints of light grapes crushed and sweetened with green apple skins. Palate is full well coated and lightly creamy. Amazingly sweet taste soooo fruity. Whatever they did age this in adds some light sweetness and a hint of dry wood in the finish and some yum. Lots of green apple skins in the taste sweet caramels very yeasty. Very very good stuff. Something in the finish isn’t quite perfect..