De Dolle Oerbier Special Reserva

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

2006 Vintage: Pours dark brown with red hues. More acidic and sour then I remember the last. The previous one had more barrel flavor to it, this tasted more like a flemish brown, with a bit more acidity. The previous bottle had more of a wild yeast funkiness, this didn’t have that character as much. Still a nice beer, but the 2004 was better in my opinion, although this might pick up more character in time. 2004 Vintage: In the bottle at the Kulminator in Antwerp. Pours hazy copper with a big old rocky white head. The nose on the special reserva was amazing, very spicy with a woody, wild yeast, fruits, and sourness. The flavor was just incredible, changed a lot as you drank it and it warmed up. Very dry on the palate with a earthy and woody character. Citrus fruits, yeast, and spice mesh well, with a medium sour finish. This beer really never lets on that it is 13%.

2005 vintage -- Nice mahogony hue with a thin tan head, streaming carbonation. Aroma is dark fruit, malts and yeast with a sour accent. Taste is yeasty, and sour vinegar with initial earth tones. Ending is dry and sour.

Hazy deep brown body with a small creamy light brown head. Sweet slightly sour fruit aroma. Light sour flavor, with some gentle fruit and light oak.

A great beer. Red/brown, white foam, a lot af alcohol. Good balance between medium sourness and medium sweetness. Reminds me of af oud bruin - just much stronger. Clear hints from the oak barrels.

Smells nice but you can smell and taste the crazy amount of alcohol. It’s too much really; I think the regular is better by a little bit.

Aroma is really nice on this beer. Almost "flemsih sour like". The aroma is right on point with a great sour cherries that sat in alcohol, all the while extracting all sorts of good woodsy oak aromas from the barrel aging. The aroma is really enjoyable on this one. The appearence is a nice reddish brown, that has a very nice toffee colored head that is ever lasting, which came as a nice surprise for a 13% brew. The flavors are really good on this brew. A little bit of alcohol is present but wlecome. There is a very nice showing of sour cherries and fruits, with some nice oak wood flavors coming through as well. It is reminiscent of a nice red wine that was "soured over". I really dont get a lot of belgian strong ale from this beer, but all the sa,e it is still a very good beer. I think it would greatly benifit from some aging. Im just no good at holding on to things for long time.

Bottle. Pours a hazy, very bubbly, dark reddish-orange with a lasting average size foamy tan head. Aroma of slightly sour fruit, oak, sweet malt, alcohol and some sugary sweetness to it -- very nice. Flavour of sour fruit, Belgian yeast, oak, sweet malt and alcohol with some bitterness in the finish -- if I had to nitpick I’d say I would’ve liked it a little maltier. For this much alcohol it’s pretty well hidden. Medium bodied. Very good, I really enjoyed this.

Bottled. Yummy! Dark brownish in colour with a small tan head. This is really lovely and complex. Beautifull balance between sourness and sweetness.