De Dolle Stille Nacht Special Reserva 2005

Formerly brewed at De Dolle Brouwers
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Diksmuide, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Amber pour with a robust white head. Huge nectar fruit and dough with hints of dark fruit and fresh stone fruit. Very mild oxidation. Thick palate with low carbonation. Yummy yummy!

2005 Bottle, notes from 07/22/2011. Pours dark, burnished copper, minimal head but ample champagne-like bubbles. Incredible aroma, strong vinous and barrel character leads, red grapes, transitioning into more familiar elements of the base beer: spicy yeast, honey, apples, pears. Taste begins with apples, caramel honey, spiciness on the mid-palate, finishing dry with grape, barrel notes. Full in the mouth, just short of creamy, carbonation tickling the tongue, very hard to take it slow. This was a real treat, fantastic. 2008 vintage, thanks to Wim, 09/10/2011. Pours beautiful amber, much darker than ’05, small white head, some lacing, residual surface haze. Aroma is rich and decadent, with soft caramel apple, honey cream, yogurty yeast, candi sugar; spicy booze on the finish with oak. Taste is darker than ’05, with apple brandy, pears, and dark grapes, vinous, spices blend with alcoholic warmth, sweet boozy aftertaste. Full in the mouth, thick and almost wine-like with lower carbonation. Definitely a different beast from the ’05, darker and more intense when compared to the fruity lightness of ’05, where the barrel treatment also shines through more. Still, this was great in its own way. A/A/T/P/O: 4/ 9/ 8/ 4/ 17

33cl bottle. Clear bright copper color with a small off-white head. Great complex aroma, with big honey and light fruits, caramel apple, brown sugar, Muscat, and Belgian yeast. The flavor has a lot in common with a great Muscat, a white port, and an English barleywine. Very complex and tasty. Big honey, caramel, toffee, and Belgian yeast. Some mildly tart light fruit notes, particularly apple. Medium-bodied with low carbonation and a smooth mouthfeel. A great beer. Glad to have ticked it.

Courtesy of Pailhead. Yellow/orange with sediment, white head, spotty lacing. Muscat/white grape character up front, candied fruits, light yeasty background. Flavor has tons of yeasty esters, bready yeast character, light sourness. Silky smooth mouthfeel, but plenty of carbonation to cleanse palate.

Pours a nice dark orangish amber color. Aromas of fruit, and some other hints, maybe some spices, maybe caramel. Flavor is a bittersweet, malty, and vinegar, oak, a bit of smoke.

Bottle at a tasting at James’ place. Pours a mostly clear treacle gold with a thin white head. Big sweet toast and a hint of dry cocoa, sweet malt and a hint of oxidization. Nice bit of umami on the nose as it warms. Malty, sweet, toast, a hint of oxidization. Lots of malt, toasted oats.

Bottle shared by Paul at tasting at my house. Pours cloudy peach with off white head. Nose/taste of bready malts, lemon, yoghurt and mild muted spices. Some warming alcohol in the finish. Body is mostly lemon breads.

33 cl. bottle/shared@Kulminator: hazy orange with a white head, taste is bitter peach, lots of thick yeast, very yeasty, lacto, candy, hint of yoghurt, spices, dough, some malt, caramel, plenty of esters, vintage taste, alcohol in the finish, very weird beer