 ClarkVV (3547), Allston, Massachusetts, USA
Nov 22, 2004 Updated: Dec 15, 2006
2000 bottle @ the DC/VA/MD gathering compliments of Herftydrf (thanks Andre, this was quite a treat!). Even though I took the bottle in my car, on the airplane, then back in the car, then proceeded to drop it on the concrete the day of the gathering (still can’t believe it didnt break), and finally walked 13 blocks carrying it to the gathering, it still did not explode or gush or anything like that when I opened it. Just a bit of foam and then that was it. A real testament to the quality of De Dolle’s brewing. A lovely ruddy amber, with some dark browns, rusty oranges, plenty of sediment, great amount of foamy white head with little yellow flecks in it. Aroma of strong belgian yeast, just what you’d expect from De Dolle, though it seems like more of a trappist strain. Lightly sour raspberries, oranges, creme brulee and light wood notes, intertwined with soft caramel and cherry malt notes. Very pleasant, well-integrated and restrained nose. Flavor is nothing like I was expecting. Soft and malty up front, with a good candi sugar, honey sweetness followed by the fruit esters. The sourness comes towards the end, mixing with a delightfully warming alchol sensation, some dry old wood, lightly oily and a moderate dose of vinegar. But all in all, it’s nowhere near as acidic as I was expecting. The yeast is very dominant, but the yeast and sweet malt, with the dark candi sugar give it more of a Belgian Dark Strong feel at the start. Regardless, it dries out, has some good wood and vinegar notes and ends pleasingly tart. Fine stuff, and well balanced if perhaps a bit too sweet up front. This thing’s got plenty more years of aging in it (not surprisingly).
Havent updated my notes, but my score is where I feel it should. Will add my notes soon.
xnoxhatex (788), Chicago, Illinois, USA
Jul 21, 2008 Big thanks to Pantanap for popping this bottle for us. Real dirty orange, lots of floaters with creamy white head. Stinky, earthy sour aroma with lots of red fruit. Dirty, a little alc, only a little sour, cherry, grapefruit, resiny, very yeasty, a little old and sweet. Medium body with small carb. Overall a great aroma but flavor did not follow through. Kind of wierd looking as well.
tytoanderso (1178), St. Louis Park, Minnesota, USA
Jul 8, 2008 750ml bottle. Still lively. Gentle opening proudced a loud pop and a bit of gushing as well. Luckily we only lost less than an ounce. Very musty and woody on the nose. Plenty of cork as well. A hint of metallic oxidization. Musty basement. Wet wood. Slightly outdoorsy. Sweeter candy confectionaries: toasted caramel and butterscotch? Definitley showing it’s age, though. Pours a muddy dark butterscotch with a decent, lasting off white head. Flavor is very musty. Cobwebby. Quite dry. A decent dose of structured wood tannin. Some mild rubbery and band aidy phenols. A pretty big copper metalicness starts to develop as the beer opens. Tangy acidity but far from overbearing. Apple skin. Yeast pour tones down the metallic acidity and amps up the chewy and slightly doughy malt aspect. Tempered acid. Brown sugar laced orange peel. Floral aspects begin to emerge as well: lavender and chamomile? Odd for sure. Lively carbonation and fairly thick mouth feel for this style of beer, especially towards the bottom of the bottle. Finishes fairly acidic with a touch of oxidization. Nice... showing it’s age but still quite pleasant. Thanks a TON for this one Zac!
hellomynameis (743), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Jul 7, 2008 Blew the cork off, guzzled out of the bottle a kind of dark orangey brown with a huge fizzy off white head. I get a lot of cork in the aroma, and a little bit of sourness. This has held up pretty well but it’s obvious a year or two ago this was a much mightier beer. The body is still very well carbonated. A bit funky with good sour notes right in the middle. The finish is tainted with some bandaid and age. I’m having a hard time deriving a lot from this. Despite that, It is still an enjoyable beer. Getting farther along in the bottle, with more yeast mixed in the flavours pick up a bit. Dough and fruit become a bit more apparent, like a soft bit of cherry or maybe even a date.
Stine (1321), St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
Jul 6, 2008 Thanks to Zac for the impossible gem. Poured from a 750 ml bottle. Rusty orange-red hue with a thin-spotted head grey-beige. Cinnamon on green apples and pears in the nose, under a limp wet raft of wood. Swift funk and outhouse stink. Butterscotch, mildew, pithy citrus seeds. Dusky and dank. Undeniably old, while with one foot in the grave it’s still spitting out some mean funkiness and unreadable phenolic sweetness. If it fails the senses to a certain degree, it’s without doubt intellectually satisfying.
Zesty, sandy oxidized malt and quiet cinnamon-citrus tartness in the flavor. Very dry and very wooden. A corked red wine mineral texture is somewhat pervasive, but it’s yeast-driven, earthy, and calm. Prickling of citrus and tropical fruits lingers under that mineral texture soothingly. Sourdough and hawaiian bread thicken up the body with the muddiness of the yeast, and the characters of tart fruits gather tannins and acidity. The yeast really seems to open up the flavor as it slowly introduces itself toward the bottom of the bottle.
Medium body is gorgeously brisk and dead-grass dry with some white wine tannins. Lengthy finish with lots of cheesy, dirty mineral earth and floral dryness, like a Sauvignon Blanc. Stellar in its own way; overaged, certainly, but its character is memorable, and still has a wild, but gentle edginess about it; a knife dull to the touch but still ready for action. Drink it now.
holdenn (1141), Chicago, Illinois, USA
Jul 1, 2008 750 ml bottle consumed on 5/25/08 thanks to pantanap for sharing this. Wow, I truly never thought I’d try this one. But once again these Chicago guys make the impossible beers appear in my glass. Kan rocks
Pours an orange amber with a creamy beige head. What an abundant funked nose. Barnyard funk, cheese, horse blanket, wheat, and floral notes. Sweet and funky velvety nose with coriander and anise spice in the finish. The carbonation is a bit fizzy. Velvety light sour flavors that start off sugary sweet with oak tannins, oxidized malts, and tart fruit. Sour grapefruit resin in the finish with the oak tannins. This could be more sour/funky and less sweet but at its present state is is a bit off and most likely past its prime.
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