De Dolle Arabier - Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.31/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

33cl brown bottle poured into an Oerbier oversized wine glass. The brew appears a golden orange color with a rich white cap that is 3 fingers strong. The cap slowly fades leaving spots and a webbing pattern of lace sticking all over the glass. Rising bubbles maintain a film across the surface that lasts for quite awhile. A swirl effortlessly revives a finger of yellowish stained meringue atop the brew.

The aroma of this brew is mildly sweet with an essence that is like belgian candy sugar mixed with a sort of orange marmalde. There are some earthen notes and a tingle of something suggesting a faded amount of herbal hops. A very mild alcohol ester rounds things out and makes for a very enjoyable set of aromatics.

The flavor opens with that previously described belgian candy-like sweetness. Some earthen tones blend into a mild oxidative touch of cardboard/wet paper and finish with a very light touch of herbal hops. The hops present themselves with such a mild flavor and a low amount of bitterness to assist in balancing out the upfront sweetness of the brew. The aftertaste gets progressively earthen as the experience continues with a soft warmth of alcohol becoming more evident as the brew warms up.

This is a medium bodied brew with a perfect level of moderate to lively carbonation. The liveliness of the carbonation assists in moving the flavors of this strong brew across the tongue without becoming taxing. I would love to be able to definitively state how old this brew is but of course, such a means is not precisely documented. I can hardly make out a marking on the neck of the bottle that reads 350 07 which makes me think this was a 2007 best by date. Regardless, the age is felt in this with the oxidative touch and visually the bottle is stained in the familiar pattern conducive of a beer that has been resting for quite some time. Plain and simple, I need to buy more of this and drink it instead of laying it aside for years at a time.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 02:07:25 | More by stakem

marct

Nevada

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

05-18-2013 04:52:18 | More by marct

ystazi

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +10%

05-17-2013 23:56:20 | More by ystazi

Nolen12

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -2.2%

05-13-2013 15:44:51 | More by Nolen12

jkball01

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -2.2%

05-13-2013 15:39:27 | More by jkball01

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

05-12-2013 20:04:40 | More by BeerForMuscle

CTJman

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -2.2%

05-10-2013 19:24:06 | More by CTJman

imperialking

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%

05-07-2013 19:42:51 | More by imperialking

BierMeJohn

Germany

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%

05-07-2013 19:09:10 | More by BierMeJohn

Ale-ienation

California

4.4/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

A: Pours a transparent pale gold with a creamy white head that retains well. Moderate lacing coats the sides of the glass.

S: Yeasty bouquet with subtle esters; bananas, lemons.

T: Malt-forward with a very complex medley of fruit flavors; lemons, honeydew, oranges, pineapple, green apples and guava. Belgian yeast comes through in the finish with a dried apricot tang. Beautifully balanced and delicious.

M: Medium to full bodied and quite creamy. The sturdiness of the beer really allows the complexity on the palate to shine.

O: A unique, beautiful and incredibly complex golden ale. Superb.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2013 04:18:32 | More by Ale-ienation

ShemRahBoo

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

05-01-2013 20:03:56 | More by ShemRahBoo

Immortale25

Florida

4/5  rDev -2.2%

04-27-2013 15:26:14 | More by Immortale25

Beerswag

California

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%

04-26-2013 21:36:27 | More by Beerswag

UCLABrewN84

California

3.96/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

On tap at Congregation Ale House in Long Beach, CA.

Pours a hazy light yellow with a foamy bone head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is slightly sour and tart with malt, grain, fruit, and acidic aromas. Taste is much the same with fruit and spice flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of acidity and spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with some interesting aromas and flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2013 02:47:28 | More by UCLABrewN84

titustheking

California

5/5  rDev +22.2%

04-22-2013 22:41:09 | More by titustheking

kscaldef

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%

04-22-2013 05:42:01 | More by kscaldef

Jason1337

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2.2%

04-19-2013 10:20:06 | More by Jason1337

Scarle21

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +10%

04-18-2013 23:43:28 | More by Scarle21

drummermattie02

Texas

4/5  rDev -2.2%

04-15-2013 18:57:05 | More by drummermattie02

mcsauter82

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -2.2%

04-13-2013 12:42:06 | More by mcsauter82

ScottP

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

04-07-2013 00:40:32 | More by ScottP

Traymark

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +10%

04-05-2013 20:56:27 | More by Traymark

bacasnax

Florida

4/5  rDev -2.2%

03-31-2013 23:12:45 | More by bacasnax

emilylee

California

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

03-29-2013 21:45:21 | More by emilylee

Sparky44

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.2%

03-25-2013 00:38:06 | More by Sparky44