De Dolle Oerbier Special Reserva

Brewed by De Dolle Brouwers
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Diksmuide, Belgium

33cl bottle, 2007 vintage at Brasserie Beck. Dark red-brown with a medium light tan head. Tart cherry and cranberry aromas, with some red wine, oak, and yeast qualities. The flavor is rich and fruity, with oak and alcohol combining with deep fruity malts and tart flavors. Somewhat sour, but it is only an element in a complex mix of fruity, malty, and alcoholic flavors. Very vinous in character, like an acidic red wine with a full and powerful flavor profile. This beer cuts rich foods like a razor. Reminds me of a flanders red, but adds the rich alcoholic complexity that makes it stand out.

2007 Bottle. Dark red-brown pour with a finger of light tan head that lasts nicely. Big sour cherries, wood, and pit fruit aroma. Taste is more sour cherries, oak, no hint of the alcohol. Fantastic.

2006 bottle. Pours a hazy brown with light sediment and an off-white ring around the edges. Big sour fruit nose plus some Belgain yeast and a little sweetness at the end. Flavour continues with the sour fruit but also some wood but only a slight hint of the 13 ABV. An amazing and unique Belgian ale.

2006 bottle, $7.99 in CT. Pours hazy dark brown with a smooth, tan head. Aroma of dark, ripe fruit and jolly rancher candy, balanced with nuttiness, oak and a slightly sour hint. Initial flavor shows nuttiness and wood, with fruit character to boot. Palate is rich, smooth, lightly carbonated, and with some back-of-the-mouth dryness. Mid-palate quickly reveals the delicious sourness that will build to a crescendo at the finish. Dry chocolate and tea also kicks in at this time, adding complexity, novelty, and extraordinary balance. Nutty-sweet, fruity-sweet, chocolaty, woody, sour, bitter, tart, this beer has it all. A fascinating brew, and a must-try. Bottle: 4/18/09: same flavor and aroma as described earlier, but this time with more sour cherry and dry dark chocolate. Still a wonderful beer!

2005 bottle. Pours am opaque orangish brown with big tan head. Aroma of sour apples and woody alcohol. Sour, fresh,earthy, apple. SO good.

Bottle shared with Robert. Another tart and sour beer. Color was murky brown with big tan head. Taste is sour, with some fruit. texture was dry. Not bad at all.

Pours a dark cloudy brown with a big tan head... Aroma of vinegar, apple, and a bit of cherry... Taste is sour with notes of vinegar, apple, and cherries and a tiny bit of chocolate... Finish is slightly sour and moderately lingering... I do not believe this is 13% and will not believe this is 13%... This is outstanding, imperial sour may be my new style of choice... Amazing beer...

33cl bottle - cap indicates 2008. Pours a deep, dark, cloudy orange-brown. The tan head isn’t very thick, but it almost seems like it should be as the bottle begins to issue forth foam just sitting there. The aroma is rich and vinous with acid (light touches of vinegar), fruit (dark fruit, cherries, sour grape), and hints of dark malts. The flavor follows the aroma: malty on the very tip of the tongue and then quickly sliding into lots of acidity and wine-like fruitiness. At mid-palate, it is very dry, very tart, and very low in sweetness. It has just a touch of malts, toffee, and chocolate and some fruity esters, too. Very funky. The mouthfeel is acidic and briskly carbonated that lends it an odd resemblance to a sparkling red wine - but fuller with beer-like hints of chewy malts. Overall, interesting and tasty, but I think I liked the standard Oerbier much better. I’ve had sour beers that I’ve really liked, but this just isn’t one of my favorites. I think it’s pretty good, but I can’t give it a score that even resembles its average (4.03 at the time of this writing). It’s a touch too vinegary. It also hits you like a brick - alcohol is well hidden in the flavor but slaps you firmly in the face after you get down a bit.