De Dolle Zannekin

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

Bottle, Kulminator, Antwerp. Head is initially large, frothy, off-white, fully lasting. Body is dark yellow, bottle conditioned. Aroma is moderately malty (toasted grain, cookie), moderately hoppy (flowers, herbs, lemon), lightly yeasty (cobwebs), with notes of banana and pineapple. Flavor is moderately sweet, moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, velvety texture, lively carbonation. It wasn’t on Kulminator’s beer list, but when I showed her the scribbled paper filled with beer I was hunting, the lady who was serving me said "ya, we have Zannekin." I saw it again in Bruges, but one takes a rare brew when he/she can get it!

First a huge thanks to Carlo (lachesis) for finding this ultra rare De Dolle beer in Belgium and for sending it to me in Denmark!! My De Dolle collection is now complete :-)
Hazy orange golden beer with a (typical De Dolle) ultra tall and foamy off-white head. Aroma is dominated by De Dolle yeast with tones of hay and sourish fruit. Also De Dolle yeast in the flavor with a surprisingly distinctive note of white wine. Spices, tart fruit and some alcohol in there also. Dry and somewhat harsh. Not the best beer from De Dolle but nice and definately different and interesting.

Sweet nose, grapes, some alcohol. Hazy yellow body with a medium fluffy white head. Dry, yeasty flavor, hints of white wine. Nice one... De Dolle... mmm...

Bottled: Unclear light yellow coloured. Off white medium sized dense head. Yeast, grapes, sweetness and fruit in the aroma. Dry and yeasty flavour. Is citric, light spiced and has clear white wine notes. Is fruity, citric and light sweet in the end. This is by no means my favourite De Dolle, but its a quite funny beer.

Great beer beer with a nice warmgolden orange shine and an outstanding creamy and fluffy froth. Fine complex aroma’s of white stonefruits, some spices and flowers. It has almost the aroma’s of a Chateau Grillet or a great Condrieu = ( White wines from the Rhone valley made from Viognier grapes ). It has a very lively taste with good hints of malt, dry hops,fresh apricot white berry’s some citrus and dry blanc wood. It ends with a refreshing fruityness and a fine hoppy touch.

Bottled. Purchased at Brasserie Erasmus. Pours a peach color with a tall effervescent tanned head. Nose is very wine-like and flowery with obvious grape notes and light wood. Taste is wine and flowers with a nice hop bite. Faint wood and dry malts added with light white grape flavor help round this out. Body starts bubbly but is dry. Finish is dry with more fruit and wine notes along with light wood. Odd beer but very good!

Sampled at Erasmus in Brugge, Belgium. This is a rare De Dolle beer mixed with 10% riesling wine. Amber. Spiced aroma, mainly cinnamon. Other notes of peach, grass, sugars and banana. Soft, mellow, reliable and pleasant. Lemon, tangerine, orange and vanilla on the palate. A sense of brett as well, but small. This was a nice one.

(Beer from DDB, mixed with 10% Luxemburg Riesling wine) Gushing to huge, irregular creamy head, collapsing. Flunky, totally opaque amber colour. Lactic, Brett-like nose (phenolic), but also fruity and flowery. Perfumed taste, rosewater, soft spices as galanga root, etc. Sweet, slightly sour taste and tart-ish finish. Well-bodied, slightly slick mouthfeel. In the aftertaste, it gets (hop)bitter. Nice; I was afraid after the first reports, but this is OK. Spicey, fruity, original. Yet it will be a one-off, they say.