De Dolle Arabier

Bottle conditioned, 330ml, aged 6 years. Clear orange gold with white head. The ageing had clearly put some form into this beer, still conditioned well, but with a smooth spiciness and an apricot, pear fruitiness that is tempered by almost a wood barrel note. The alcohol is amalgameted into the body of the beer, but still very warming and seemingly developed. A very decent beer indeed.

Appears a deeply hazed orange toned gold with a 4 finger white head that slowly fades out. Lots of sticky foam clings to the sides of the glass. Smell is bitter with earthy, floral notes, along with honeysuckle, grapes, chamomile, apple skins, lavender, orange zest, and a touch of vanilla. Taste is of the same with a mild sweetness that is dominated by a wood tannin hoppy bitterness, along with a slight vanilla flavor fighting through. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, semi-sweet up front with notes of bitter wood tannins leading to a moderately dry finish reminiscent of a Brut champagne. Overall it’s funky, semi-sweet, slightly odd...but this one is a pioneer for some of the funked out emulations that we now find brewed in the U.S.

Poured orange into Ciney glass with big fluffy head. Plenty of carbonation and nice lacing down glass. Aromas of pineapple, ripe banana with some spices. Has a unique dry peppery spicied flavor. This developes more as it warms up. Chalky and salty on the palate. I sometimes like my Belgians to be more spicey than sweet, so this one hits the spot.

Pours a clear and effervescent orange amber, topped by a fluffy white pillow of foam. Then I stir up the yeast and dump that in, making the beer a hazy peach color, and the foam closer to a light tan. Great head retention - there’s still a small round mound of foam when I get to the bottom of the glass - and good lacing throughout. Strong dry malty aroma, with some herbal alcohol (and subsequently yeast) in there too. Tart flavor initially, with a dry malt base that is also more than a bit acidic, and also fruity and herbal. Spicy hop bitterness comes into play in the finish, along with some of the yeast flavor. The tart acidity lingers a long time in the aftertaste - delightful. Medium body, well carbonated, quite smooth.

11.2 oz Bottle-Poured an off orange color w/a huge white foamy head. Spiced floral aroma. Spiced hoppy flaor up front w/some malt to balance it out. Seemed quite spicy, colander w/some citrus. Seemed kind of one dimensional to me, it was ok, but not quite as good as some of their other beers.

Aromatic style. Malts and sweetness never gets out of control and infact could be construed as being light. Quite spicy and hoppy but perhaps lacks intensity. (e3.0 @ ’t Brugs Beertje)

The 11.2 ounce bottle poured a slightly hazy apricot colored beverage with a huge white creamy head that was entirely lasting and left great lacing on the glass. The aroma was lightly fruity and spicy. The fruits that presented were grapes and apricot. The spices were represented as coriander and orange peel. There was also a subtle note of chocolate and caramel in the background. The body was medium full with lively carbonation and a dry, crisp texture. The flavor starts off lightly sweet but quickly takes on a tartness that builds gradually through the long finish. There is also a nice alcohol warmth.

12 oz bottle with cb. Had 1st in a stupor @ Gollem in Amsterdam but no recolection. Nice deep golden color with big non fading head. Faint flanderish flavor, sour. Great label average beer,