De Dolle Stille Nacht

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Bottle from Tommy, thanks man. Dark brown pour, thick creamy head that disappears rather quickly. The smell is hints of spice, caramel and raisins. Taste is hard to describe, sweet but also bold and boozy up front almost a wine like finish with hints of spices but also very sweet, with hints of butterscotch and brown sugar, unlike anything I have ever tried.

Nose of holiday spices, malt sweetness and toffee. Taste is very similar almost like a thick saison for the sseason. Pour was murky brown and had a nice lingering head that left some serious alcohol lacing on the glass.

12oz bottle pours a thick pale copper color without much head. Very sweet and some pineapple flavor.

330 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 2010. Gusher bottle upon opening, but I didn’t lose anything. Pours moderately hazy and cloudy orange amber color with a 3 finger dense and fluffy white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big apple, pear, orange peel, raisin, grape, honey, caramel, banana, clove, floral, herbal, pepper, candi sugar, bread, and yeast earthiness. Fantastic aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/spicy esters with malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big apple, pear, grape, raisin, fig, caramel, honey, banana, clove, candi sugar, herbal, floral, pepper, bread, and yeast earthiness. Lingering notes of light fruits, caramel, honey, banana, clove, candi sugar, floral, herbal, bread, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic balance and complexity of fruity/spicy ester notes; with a very balanced malt backbone and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and full bodied; with a slick and lightly syrupy mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic Belgian strong pale! Big complexity and balance of malt and yeast ester flavors; and very smooth to sip on. A highly enjoyable offering.

UPDATED: JUN 6, 2013 Poured from bottle (2012 dated) to Unibroue tulip. Bright murky reddish orange pour with a big frothy head. Aromas of sour tropical fruit, dry oak, very slight vinegar, plums, white grapes, cherries. Flavor is a blast of bittersweet white grape and mango, alcohol heat going down, dryish finish. This is good. The alcohol is present and warm on the finish, but still goes down pretty easy. High carbonation with a medium slick mouthfeel. Very thick and strupy toward the end as it warmed. Unique flavor and somewhere between sour and dark Belgian quad. Really liking this! Would love to try the Reserva, but not gonna do that level of whale hunting.

0,33l bottle @ home (fresh bottle from 2012, older bottle will be rerated at some time): Lett fyldig fruktig lukt med preg av lys malt, humle, tørka frukt, karamell, mandel, korn, høy, litt banan. Sødmerik let syrlig fruktig smak med preg av lys malt, humle, tørka frukt, sitrusskal, alkohol, gras, sukker, høy, sitrus. Middels bitterhet som set godt, litt beisk. Grei, treng lang lagring.

330 ml bottle bought @ beerplanet.be. 2011 vintage. Pours clear deep copper with a thin creamy offwhite head that quickly dissipates while leaving some sticky trace on the glass. Smell is sweet, malty and fruity with caramel, vanilla fudge, dates, figs, overripe grapes, alcohol, sweet bread, whisky, banana bread, wood and hints of apple wine. Taste is sweet, malty and tiny fruity with caramel, sherry, figs, tart cherries, sweet bread, alcohol, wood, moist soil, lemon zest, whisky, red wine, apple wine and cookie dough. Mouthfeel is surprisingly dry, round, boozy, slightly fruity tart and near full bodied. Finish is tiny bitter, malty and fruity tart with caramel, sweet bread, tart cherries, figs, dates, cookies, alcohol, sherry, wood and hints of apple wine. Complex and very tasty…

Bottle @ home picked up at Mile High Denver. 2012 vintage. I really don’t know why I’ve been slacking on rating De Dolle’s offerings but I hope to get to a few more of them this week. This pours a clear, rust orange appearance with a fluffy, light brown head. Orange peel, dark fruity, plum, raisin, somewhat spicy yeasty, candy sugar, a bit earthy aroma. Toffee, brown sugar, a touch smoky, dark fruity, caramel, spicy yeasty, light chocolate flavor with candy sugar and a bit of booze on the finish. A true classic that I really should pick up more often.

Beautiful glowing orange colour. Thin wispy white head. Medium bodied but so much depth. haunting hue of balanced sweetness and power and complexity. Nose is as penetrating as John Holmes.

33 cl bottle from Etre Gourmet. 2011 Vintage. Pours hazy yellow with a medium offwhite head. Sweet aroma with fruity notes. Medium carbonation, medium bitterness, medium sweetness, strong alcohol notes. Too fresh ? Leaves a thick compact layer of yeast in the bottle.