De Dolle Stille Nacht Reserva 2000

750 ml bottle (2000) gorged on rapturously with beerbuzzmontreal, ClarkVV, MartinT, tiggmtl, olivier, Rastacouere and Simon at the Farmhouse Ales and More! tasting in Montreal. The coppery, translucent, still whiskeyish oily body bodes well...the head is tiny and off-white but lasts....a whiff out of the bottle is sufficient to discover maple liqueur inhabiting an alien world with raisins, dates, anise and tar...in the glass is smokiness and delicate herbs, a touch of oaky vanilla...the greatest of barley wines with Belgian yeast....moderately sweet in the body, the alcohol warms and soothes yet never tires or sharpens...raisiny, oaky, smooth and toasty, liqueur-filled candy resting in mellow whiskey. While we went into raptures over this transcendent experience Abbey Road was playing, "I want you, I want you so baaaad, I want you so baaaad, it’s driving me maaad, driving me mad."

Bottled. Purchased at Kulminator. Pours a blushing amber with a very small, refined tan head. Aroma is KNOCK OUT! Huge alcohol notes, rum-soaked fruits, vanilla, maraschino cherries, light woody notes, wine and raw sugar. Taste is phenomenal! Syrupy sugar notes, more alcohol, wood, vanilla, dark ripened fruits, hints of maple syrup and rum cake. Body is thick and chewy but has a velvety and syrupy feel. Definite alcohol warming to this as well. It just slides down your throat, warming the whole way. Finish is just as divine as the rest. More fruit notes, vanilla, alcohol, wood, brown sugar and some hints of cake. Awesome beer!

05.22.05 750 shared at jimmack04 invitational. The third time I’ve had this brew and each time is better than the first. This beer, each time I enjoy it, produces another one of those magical beer moments where it’s almost impossible to pick up the pen to write any notes. The first two times I’ve had it, I didn’t even bother, this time I knocked off at least something to make it official...This beer is a 30 year old wood aged port in disguise. In fact, nothing from Bordeaux has ever come close to what De Dolle managed to extract from this wood. Honey colored and wonderfully viscous with an unfortunately sudsy, sort of soapy head, but at least it still shows some carbonation despite its age and size. Color and clarity are gorgeous. The body is pure silk. Forget every other time I said a brew had a velvet or silken palate. I was an idiot. This brew glides on Apollo’s wings across the palate, pure love. The flavor embodies all that is ancient wooded port, hints of sherry, dry spices. It’s a Christmas vigil with the fireworks of the 4th of July. It’s sweet, savory, and deep, while its still making a sweet case for attention. Hell, it’s too good to deal with the pen in my hands; it takes two hands to control this snifter.

Shared this one with Carlo (lachesis) at Kulminator in Antwerp - thanks a lot my friend!!!!
Pours hazy copper colored with a foamy tan head. The aroma is just amazing, very full and complex and one you can sniff for hours. Fruity, caramelly with tones of prunes, raisins, cookie, yoghourt and a tone of alcohol. Woody hints as well. The flavor leaves nothing behind from the aroma. Sweet fruit, yoghourt again, raisins, brown sugar. Soft still dry in the mouth, thick and creamy almost like syrup. Just amazing! An awesome beer enjoyed at an awesome bar with awesome company!!!!

Rerate, tasted 25th of June 2005 at Kulminator.
I feel very fortunate to be able to taste this beer again within less than two month thanks to an amazing bar owner who was clever enough to stock a bunch of these fine beers. Unfortunately it looks like he too will be running out soon but rumours say that a new batch has just been poured into barrels and will be released in 2007...!!! Anyway, I’m no longer in doubt, this beer is perfect in all aspects and I CAN NOT thing of anything in the whole wide world beeing greater! My first (and only) 5.0. Thank you Kris and De Dolle for putting heaven into a bottle!

Again, this was shared moments after our De Dolle Special Brouwsel with Ernest, luckygirl and my wife at Choice City Butcher and Deli in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Pours a effervescent light copper with a patchy white film. Aroma is huge; buttery caramel malt, sweet brown sugar, alcohol, oak and apple. Butterscotch flavor, caramel malt and apples, moderately acidity creates some spice, creamy maltiness in the middle and near the end, alcohol notes and dryness at the end. Full bodied and warm, creamy palate but dry and spicy-fizzy finish.