De Dolle Oerbier

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Buyed me some bottles of this beer cause of the good ratings this one gets. The taste is very rich, but for some reason, in my mouth I have the feeling there are some flavours that aren’t matching really. A bit sad, cause this could be great taste.

11.2 oz bottle. Pretty brown cloudy pour into a trappist glass that left a generous tan head. Aroma of brown sugar, Belgian yeast, caramel and brandy. Fantastic medium body taste of yeast, sugar, dark fruit and caramel with an even so slight dry sweet finish that hides the alcohol. Great brew.

Bottle, relatively fresh

Lovely. Woody, hints of sour but not pushing into reserva territory. Chocolate, grapes, and rye, complex and interesting and so solid as a base that I wonder if it doesn’t surpass the reserva. Yum!

UPDATED: SEP 8, 2011 Details: 33cl bottle
Tasting notes: As always quite lively when you pour it. Black color, deepred shine and a large beige head. The aroma is a mix of sweet candy sugar and a slight tartness, after a while you smell some spices. The flavor is mainly sour with some slight sweet malty flavor. The finish is dry. Carbonisation is a bit too harsh in my opinion. Medium body that combined with the sourness gives it a very good drinkability.
Conclusion: Interesting character, good aging capabilities.

Serving date: 2009-03-18. Best before: end of August 2009. Served in tulip. Dark brown with deep red hues. Slightly Cloudy. 5 cm head, pale brown color, uneven, airy and sparkly. Plenty of lacings. Fruity aromas of cherries and apples up front. Wood, spices (cloves?) and a little twang from the alcohol. Very big and deep small, rather vinous. Plenty of semi-sweet fruit flavors. (cherries, red grapefruit, currants). It goes a little tart in the middle, but it quickly develops some more rustic flavors - wood, yeast (not very distinct), rye bread, hints of nuts, earth, chocolaty notes and faint mint. The finish is dry for a second and has some light mineral flavors, fruit pits, grape skin and a slightly too prominent twang from the alcohol. Plenty of vinous flavors linger on. All in all a fantastic smell with big vinous flavors. It almost resembles red wine every now and then. Creamy, yet semi-dry in the finish. Quite high levels of carbonation. It slides really easy over the tongue. The mouthfeel seems very well suited for the overall characteristics of the beer. A fantastic beer with great complexity. I really like the vinous character of this one. The only thing stopping it from getting top grade in taste is the slightly too prominent taste of alcohol in the finish. Serving type: bottle (Copy of old Beer Advocate review)

Hazy brown with a huge tan head... Fruity aroma with notes of cherry shining through... a touch astringent, a touch boozy... biting... none of the tartness i was expecting bc of the aroma... very complex, caramel malts yeast fruits, nice but the astringency on the palate initially threw me a bit...

Poured into a Duvel glass. Huge gusher, which I had prepared for given the fact that the other two De Dolle beers I’ve had have been gushers. The mere yeast turbulence/pressure fluctuation from opening and pouring the beer filled not only the glass but the bottle with ever-rising foam. The beer is a deep, almost-purple brown with a ludicrous topography of beige suds that leaves lace chunks everywhere. The aroma is caramely at its base with accents of souring fruit, cocoa powder, cola, sherry, and a coppery metallic note. Flavor is sweet and spicy with a solid warming alcohol presence. Cinnamon, citrus, slight acidity, toffee, dark bread. Full-bodied with (obviously) too much carbonation, but with a little time it gains drinkability. A nice rich sipper.

Wow. Really enjoyed this beer. Malty and sour. More fruity then the Arabier. Love the sour and carbonation mix. Hard to tell if I am tasting a hint of chocolate or caramel. De Dolle makes great beers.