De Dolle Oerbier Special Reserva 2009 (Bottled 2010) - Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers

emerge077

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Rusty crimson body, fluffy tan foam billows up in the glass, forming irregular peaks. Sticky foam remains for the whole glass, forming a half moon crescent.

Complex and savory aroma, cherry pits, oak, some wet hay and funky Brett notes. Very layered, it shows off the barrel aging nicely.

Tart cherry and dry oak tannin, leather, herbs, just as savory and complex as the aroma leads on. Not as lactic sour as past years' vintages, and seemingly a touch more carbonated. Cherry flesh begins juicy, segueing into some grape/cherry skin bitterness and dry oak. A few swirls of the glass calms it down, otherwise it's pretty well charged.

Always an annual favorite, cheers to Kris Herteleer's creative brews!

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2011 03:45:59 | More by emerge077

drummermattie02

Texas

4.25/5  rDev -4.1%

05-29-2013 19:10:45 | More by drummermattie02

uno99

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

One of my first De Dolle's, and it happens to be a 13% monster Flanders Red...

Appearance. a rosy red hue that is surprisingly clear. Surprising amount of head that sticks around and laces well.

Smell: Lots of light and medium colored fruits. Spicy and sugary. Pepper and molasses. Put your nose well into the glass and you'll get other darker fruits and hints of leather and funky hay.

Taste: Pretty much as advertised: This is a souped up Flanders, with way more alcohol and flavor than you might be used to. Fruit up front, with a juicy, cherry middle, quite sour mid swallow... Nice oak tannin on the finish. Finish is long and enjoyable.

Mouthfeel: Quite highly carbonated, but that's not going to be whats slowing you down here, this is a sipper. Spend a good half hour or more with this little bottle.

Overall: Enjoyable, but not as drinkable and sociable as something like a Rodenbach Grand Cru.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 01:26:23 | More by uno99

fbc24

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +12.9%

03-12-2013 13:34:08 | More by fbc24

rydev24

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%

02-22-2013 06:14:24 | More by rydev24

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -4.1%

02-09-2013 15:08:26 | More by Thorpe429

HamGlade10

Oklahoma

4.75/5  rDev +7.2%

01-15-2013 18:49:44 | More by HamGlade10

spycow

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%

01-12-2013 03:08:59 | More by spycow

ElGallo

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev -4.1%

12-22-2012 02:09:52 | More by ElGallo

ajs4bd

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev -4.1%

08-20-2012 15:24:29 | More by ajs4bd

Rickythejeweler

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cap is stamped Bottled Feb 2010.

A - Dark garnet, two fingers off white head that keeps getting bigger, massive amount of carbonation bubbles, good lacing.

S - Raspberry, strawberry, yeast, oak; as it warms you get aromas of raisons, figs, candi sugar, and hints of caramel.

T - Raspberry, strawberry, brown sugar, tart, oak, yeast, molasses, green apple.

M - Medium-full bodied, moderate-high carbonation, dry finish.

O - I had Duchesse De Bourgogne recently and this is like a darker/mellower vesion of that. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 23:51:25 | More by Rickythejeweler

rmaste6282

California

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%

06-03-2012 01:58:23 | More by rmaste6282

BeardedBoffin

New Mexico

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a dark mahogany color with a wisp of head. The aroma is bursting with sweet candy fruit. The flavor has more that complex sweet fruit, mixed in with hard candy--almost like a tootsie pop. Rich in character and complex in body, the beer is great for digestion following a heavy meal. The alcohol is skillfully hidden its complexities.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 01:53:14 | More by BeardedBoffin

Metal4Breakfast

Florida

5/5  rDev +12.9%

03-12-2012 11:22:21 | More by Metal4Breakfast

M27

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%

03-02-2012 03:06:21 | More by M27

chrispoint

Connecticut

3/5  rDev -32.3%

02-18-2012 17:41:10 | More by chrispoint

deapokid

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -9.7%

02-03-2012 00:31:11 | More by deapokid

theminutemen

Missouri

5/5  rDev +12.9%

01-21-2012 20:26:34 | More by theminutemen

whartontallboy

New York

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%

01-02-2012 02:41:28 | More by whartontallboy

stevefinny

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%

12-30-2011 13:42:53 | More by stevefinny

ygtbsm94

Virginia

4/5  rDev -9.7%

12-30-2011 08:07:33 | More by ygtbsm94

BobZ

Massachusetts

3.1/5  rDev -30%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

11.2oz. ( 330ml) Bottle poured into my Duvel tulip.

Appearance: Dark reddish brown an initial 1/4” head that quickly becomes a cap. Good lacing.

Smell: Mild sour cherry vinegar notes.

Taste: Again, like the smell a fruity sourness or maybe“fruity vinegar” would be more accurate. Not extremely strong (like when this flavor is found in an infected quad) and therefore not totally unpleasant. This funky flavor does dominate the beer. The alcohol is completely masked; you will have no idea that this is a 13% ABV beer.

Mouthfeel: Tangy, well carbonated.

Overall: As an important note to those reading this review, I must note that I do not like sour beers or “funky” beers. I purchased this beer awhile ago because I love De Dolle Brouwers and Oerbier especially. I did not know at the time that the Special Reserva was not a BSDA like Oerbier but instead a Flemish Red. If I was rating this beer as a BSDA it would score poorly as it would for my personal overall enjoy ability; however, I will try to rate to style and therefore score the beer higher.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 20:29:27 | More by BobZ

nmann08

Maryland

5/5  rDev +12.9%

12-14-2011 17:17:29 | More by nmann08

charladam

Colorado

5/5  rDev +12.9%

12-02-2011 22:01:38 | More by charladam

uturn

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +7.2%

12-01-2011 22:47:14 | More by uturn