De Dolle Oerbier Special Reserva

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Bottle 33 cl, Bierkoning. Pours clear deep red amber brown with a nice tanned head leaving lace. Aroma is sour, sweet, spicy, apricots, honey, fruity, malty, bready and tropical fruits. Flavor is fruity, vinous, sour, floral, acidy, pungent, bitter, tart, oak barrel; excellent. Wonder where the 13% is hiding? Finishes longlived sour tart and fruity.

33 cl bottle. 2009 Vintage.
Originally rated on 20100726. (7+4+7+4+16)
Pours beautiful, clear ruby red color with large foamy head. Very compelling aroma of sour cherries, dark and ripe fruits, belgian yeast, barnyard notes, hints of oak, some spices and raspberries. Flavor of ripe fruits, lemon and orange, cherries, raspberry, rowan berry notes, yeast, earth, some spice notes and rose hip at the end. Dry and sour palate with a long, fruity aftertaste. Has definitely matured to its advantage, surprisingly fruity and rich in berries. A slow drinking beer with hopes of neverending pour. Majestic.
4458

Special Reserva 07 pours a dark murky reddish brown color with a fizzy one finger head. No lacing and the head died a quick death. The smell on this beer just blew me away. It’s rich, deep, and complex. It’s like a mix between a beer and a wine. Up front is the aroma of ripe cherries. What comes in next is a beautiful aroma of oak, slight vinegar, and a nice yeasty earthiness. I’m sure as this beer aged a little bit the vinegar like aroma has died down. Which is fine because what really got me here was the deep oak aroma. Just awesome. The taste is also great but not might be as deep or rich as the smell was. Still great though. The tartness was just right for me. Not overwhelming at all. Not like a fresh version of this brew would be. The oak is once again the star here. It just sits on the tongue. Ripe cherries, leather, and malt round out the taste. A wonderful mixture. Like I said above, felt like a mix between a red wine and a beer. As for the 13% abv. I never once even thought about it. It never gets in the way or hits you. Mouthfeel is also spot on for me. Light to medium bodied, a ton of carbonation, and a dry finish. Couldn’t ask for much more.

Bottle I got as an extra from a trade. It poured a dark red and hazy liquid with a small head. Sour, sweet and fruity smell with lots of apple fruits. Similar taste with a nice mix of sour, sweet and bitter. Very nice and complex beer!

2002 bottle shared by Marcus! was a great brew day. beers circa 1999-2002. pours brown with a small white head. Aroma is date and the flavor sweet yet bitter to finish.

11.2 oz 2010 Vintage. Pours a reddish/amber with minimal tannish ring of head, some small tight lacing. Aroma is vinous, oaky, dark fruits, plums/raisins, apples, acidic/vinegar, cherries, some underlying sweet malty, fruitness, and a bit of alcohol/heat. Taste is acetic/vinegar, oaky in a flanders-esque manner upfront. Some fruits and malty character in mid range, especially tart cherries and apples. On the backend, more woody barrel character, sour/tartness, finishes somewhat lingering sourness and fairly dry with some slight heat. Mouthfeel is smooth, somewhat thin, delicate carbonation, prickly tart/sourness. Excellent and super easy to imbibe for 13 ABV. This should be revisited with more age, bitches.

2010 bottle: poured amber hued with lots of carbonation. Smelled incredibly metallic. Tasted of sour apple and mildly of cherries. This beer is light on the palate, especially for 13%. Got one of the last bottles at the bar, and I’m glad I did.

2009, 33cl bottle. Medium head with medium duration. Color is brown. Aroma and taste are malt, fruits, yeast citrus and lots of lactose acid.