De Dolle Oerbier Special Reserva 2002 (Bottled 2003) - Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers

aracauna

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

When I poured this into the glass, my first impression was dull medium brown. After I poured, the color seemed to change from that dull and boring brown to rubies on worn leather. The head is a dense, small-bubbled foam, like melted french vanilla icecream. It also showed no signs of fading. The wine aroma in this one is stronger than I remember the wine being in the Stille Nacht Reserva. Underneath that is a very estery beer. The flavor is sweet, with the wine still dominating. The very vinuous character is reinforced by the tartness in the finish. Melon, green apples dipped in caramel. Extremely tasty. I really wish I had access to regular Oerbier now to see how different this is. The only problem is that I wonder if the wine may have overwhelmed the beer a bit. Then again, many Belgian strong ales are very winey to start with, in which case the bordeaux casks would have only enhanced what is already there. Regardless, all the flavors work very well together and the tartness gives it a bit of a refreshing quality that makes it that much easier to drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2003 06:01:56 | More by aracauna

yen157

New Jersey

4.65/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Fine, offwhite foamy head, great lasting power. I’ve made it to the bottom of the wine glass and there is still a thin layer of foam on the walls of the glass and beer‘s surface. The nose is wonderful. Seriously, it’s great. A good amount of oak, but not like some cheap, gooey, California chardonnay. The wood shows through a tart nose filled with tropical fruit and lemon zest (oil). Some malt surfaces along with ripe fruit here and there as the beer goes from cellar to room temperature. Much continuity from the nose to the taste. Tart up front followed by oak (of course), mild dark fruit, and hints of toastiness long into the finish. Soft wood resonates and couples with lingering tartness encouraging another sip. Carbonation is great. It’s not under carbonated, but it’s completely unnoticeable. It’s provides a wonderful creaminess to the brew.

A quick work about the tartness. It reminds me much of grapefruit. If this were dry hopped with cascades it would be like drinking a glass of grapefruit juice … and then there’s the wood. The big deal about these beers is that they spent time in barrels. This could have been a disaster, but the odds were against that happening since the Stille Nacht turned out so nicely. In short, the oak aging provides very good balance to the acidity as well as a little bit more complexity to contemplate.

Job well done from the folks at De Dolle.
[Afterthought: Not that anyone would, but be careful not to drink this one too cold. Besides the tartness, it's a very subtle beer and much would be lost if drank cold.]

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2003 03:04:26 | More by yen157