De Dolle Oerbier

I’ve been waiting for this one. Good to see it back in Colorado. Very clean refreshing smell. Lightness that defies it’s color. carmelly and green applely malt scent. This is a great one. Such a clean palate with an aftermath of dark fruits leading to more clean pastures. Geez, the Belgians are Gods. I’ll drink this one again and I’ll get more from it.

Bottle - Pours mahogany with a huge cream-colored head. Smells of sour blueberries, raisins, red wine, sweet bready malt, and a whiff of booze. Taste is raisins, sweet malt, and a sour, bitter finish. There’s some nice warmth, but it would be nice if this settled down a bit and evened out. It’s a bit too syrupy and the carbonation is jacked up a bit too much. The first De Dolle beer I’ve had that was a bit disappointing.

Bottle, 33cl. Pours a clear burgundy beer with an offwhite head. The aroma is sweet with notes of alcohol. The flavor is malt with caramel and yeast, very complex. The palate is sweet with some alcoholwarmth. Overall a good beer.

So I opened the bottle and it gushes. "Sheesh, $6 for a bad bottle," I think, but it turns out to taste pretty good, though I am quite annoyed at having lost some of this expensive beer. Aromas are fruity (apples, pears candied apricots), spices (allspice, clove), and the flavor is that plus some acidic prunes. A nice beer.

Deep brown colour with thin, lacy head. Aroma of sour cherries and other red fruits. Strong fruity flavour with a floral, herbal feel and a little piquancy too.

Bottle. Slightly hazy brown/orange pour, TONS of carbonation and an unexpected aroma of apple cider. Flavor is initially apple, spice, sweet sugar and finishes with a little alcohol heat. I will probably buy another one of these to age, as I’m sure it will only get better with a few years on it.

Clear garnet pour with a beefy thick white head. Aroma is cognac, lots of vinous qualities, tart cherry, raisin, cranberry, booze, and brown sugar. Flavor has copious fruit notes- acidic raw cranberry, yeasty dough, warming booze, caramel, plum, and biscuit. Palate is suitably effervescent, frothy, pillowy, rich and warming. Very unique and interesting.

Cloudy, brownish ruby pour with a 1 finger bubbly head. Aroma is very vinous, with notes of cognac, biscuit, Belgian yeast, tart cherry, plum, raisin, cranberry, and a bit of brown sugar or molasses. Not an aggressive aroma, but impressively complex. Flavor has great dark fruit character, with plum, raisin, cherry- much like the aroma. Also some tarter fruitiness, particularly cranberry, is evident. Yeast, dough, and biscuit comes through once again. Palate is quite effervescent, but still smooth, and not too light. Really a delicious Belgian Strong dark- my first foray into De Dolle’s efforts, and I must say I’m impressed.