De Dolle Oerbier Special Reserva

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

Sampled at MN Ratebeer Winter Gathering in Maplewood, MN and supplied by Guerde and Oslo. From a 375 ml bottle pours a hazy dark amber brew with a thin off-white head that quickly dissipates to a light ring. Aroma is complex of spiced brown sugar, caramel malt, some fruity character with a touch of tart berries. Taste is medium bodied, some carbonation with a tart fruit and caramel flavor. Finish has a tart fruit and yeast aftertaste with a little bit of alcohol warmth.

2006 vintage. Mahogany in pour without any head. Sweet fruits and maybe some burnt sugar on the nose. Taste is all over the place. Sweet flavors of wood and fruit.

MN Ratebeer Winter Gathering, January 12, 2008. 2006 Vintage. Thanks to Gurede and Oslo for bringing in the De Dolle goodies! Dark copper color with a thin head. Aroma is very complex and hard to nail down. Some spice and sweet malt. Seemed almost like a bit of mint. The taste is even trickier... A little tart apple, yeasty and strong malt. Quite unique.

2002 bottle, poured murky brown, fruity aroma, very tart, fuity flavor, almost tasting like a sour ale. No alcohol flavor at all,very mellow, fruity and enjoyable. Thanks to Cquiroga for this bottle a year or three ago!

Dark purple appearance with little head formation noticeable. The aroma is somewhat vinous, notably sour and funky. The flavor is tart with plenty of earthy funk backing it up. Very interesting.

Poured from an 11.2 oz. bottle. Burnt brandy appearance; thick. Honey apple, brown sugar, lemon juice and saltwater in a pungent zing of an aroma; old pineapple and powdery red spice with vinegar toward the end. Dry, and strongly fruity with a crisp apple peel and raspberry seed disposition; hints of banana, pistachios, tangerine. Very tangy and bright, almost with an asian teriyaki quality. Medium to full bodied, gorgeously attenuated, and full of deep malt flavor; dries out with a cedar and earth touch. Quite nice; comfortably presented. Thanks for sharing, Alister!

Thanks to Gurede and Oslo for this treat. Gold color with faint color. Sweet sour body. Very nice. If I hand’t had a few rinses, I would have suspected a bad glass.

2 reviews in one - small vertical of 2005 and 2006 vintages: 2006 was first - almost a kriek like sour fruit aroma - a bit funky and adventerous. some notes of candy sugar. color was a medium and very cloudy goldish brown. very full body, medium tart - no where near a sour or dry lambic, but did have a very pleasing pucker to it. some flavors of cherries throughout. finished surprisingly crisp and clean. one taster commented "a multi-layer funked edge".

2005 vintage - much darker pour than the ’06. flavors were more integrated - less tart, less fruity, but it still managed to be equally complex - just a bit more subtle. Overall, I enjoyed the ’06 a bit more, but both are very, very good beers from De Dolle.