De Dolle Arabier - Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers

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

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

dln646

Sweden

4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Bierkraft in Brooklyn, De Dolle's Arabier is a bit dim, with a fresh dark golden orange color.

Aroma density is the first thing that comes to mind snuffling this beer. It's profoundly aromatic because of the hops and brings out interlay with apricots, peach, flowers, white pepper, a dash of dirt and a wheat beer-like olive note.

On the palate the beer, fresh like cough drops, speaks in persistent high-notes. The medium bodied malt is combined with a mouth filling soft carbonation, that is kept by back by a immense floral hop character and the other flavors supplied by it. I'm having a tough time determining whether the beer is spiking or the high flavor intensity and spiciness composes a more evident alcohol. The length is long, bitter, with plenty of flowers and apricot-like fruits.

Undoubtedly a geeky beer in my opinion, hard to fully appreciate. The beer is about as fresh it can be at the moment, and rigid to drink in big gulps, even though I would love to. As the spring is about to arrive here in New York, I can't help but to envision sitting with a tall tulip glass of this, enjoying one of the earliest balmy spring suns. To sum the appraise, this beer is original, complex and highly aromatic. http://quaffable.org/?p=563

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2013 20:18:25 | More by dln646

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.08/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Mikkeller bar.

Has a big fluffy white head and a slightly see through golden yellow body.

Smells grassy, yeasty, and fruity.

Lots of fruit namely banana which is in the nose and taste.

Has a medium mouthfeel that is crisp and lingers nicely on the palette.

Straight up delicious!

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2012 06:30:37 | More by MattSweatshirt

Flounder57

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Having a draft of this at Novare Res in Portland.

It is a pale orange color that poured a one finger head. The head reduced and left some nice lacing on the glass. It has some clarity with some vision of carbonation coming up through the glass.

It smells of yeasty esters, bready malts, spiciness, some vanilla, and some citrus. The taste is along the same lines with some lingering bitterness, but some lingering bitterness and the alcohol is hidden well too.

This is a very tasty brew. Very smooth, medium bodied, easy to drink, medium carbonation, and very delicious. I am very happy to be enjoying a tulip of this beer. Another solid Belgian beer to cross off the list.

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2012 18:14:19 | More by Flounder57

Crittervision

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at De Dolle on 14 August 2011. Into an Oerbier tulip. 

Transparent gold with a light and wispy white head. Average lacing. 

Smell has hints of cheddar and white wine under a muted hop presence. Some thing smells a little rotten / spoiled about it... perfumey musty mold? Hmm!!?

Taste is apple juice, tart apples, bitterness reminds me of tea leaves littered in a cup of green tea, unsweetened pineapple juice, dry grain in the finish over a pale-ale-ish base. Drinks like 4%. Bitter and floral qualities increase with warmth and envelop my mouth. 

Finishes dry with a delicate but lasting pineappley hop after taste. 

Consumes like a "session" beer. Super easy drinking. 

Serving type: on-tap

09-14-2011 12:51:39 | More by Crittervision

kojevergas

California

3.3/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Served on draught into 20cl stemware at the Mikkeller bar in Copenhagen. Cost was 35 DKK. Reviewed from notes.

A: Fair cream and thickness, but bad retention. Colour is a dark orange-gold.

Sm: Cream, butterscotch, caramelized malt, and barley. A mild strength aroma.

T: Caramelized malt, barley, and hops. Maybe some butterscotch. Complex enough, pretty balanced, and decently built.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Complements the flavours of the body.

Dr: Fairly high ABV with very easy drinkability. The price is rather high, but then I got it in Denmark.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2011 01:34:41 | More by kojevergas

ThaCreep

Belgium

4.15/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Creamy with brown patches. Nose quite complex blends discreetly smell of apple and apricot. The bouquet is well hopped and is associated with a drought quite powerful. It is both bitter and spicy with a hint of apple syrup and lemon and a hint of butter. Bitterness is also a remarkable appearance and it drags in the mouth with a pungent most welcome. Like other beers Dolle Brouwers, it offers a range of interesting flavors, alcohol hidden well but a heady power should not be overlooked.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2010 18:58:37 | More by ThaCreep

nickd717

California

4.18/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle at Beer Table in Brooklyn, then again on tap at De Dolle. Reviewing the draft version here. Let me tell you, this beer is WAAAAY better fresh at the brewery on tap. Was not impressed when I had it in the US.

A - Golden yellow color with a large white head. The heads on pretty much all of De Dolle's beers I've had have been massive.

S - Yeast and mild funk with a hint of spice.

T - Yeast, pale malt, a little funk and mild tartness, slightly sweet honey, lemon, light fruits, spices, and fresh citrusy hops.

M - Fairly light on the palate with a somewhat dry finish and lively carbonation.

D - Very high. This would make an awesome summer beer in that it is complex and tasty, yet light and refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2009 18:29:27 | More by nickd717

Gavage

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: clear yellowish orange in color sporting a 1/2" head that lingers a bit. Some spotty lacing forms during the session.

Smell: yeast spiciness, pepper, and honey sweetness are the most dominant tones.

Taste: green grapes, honey, grapefruit, pepper, yeast, mild bitterness, and soft alcohol tones make up a refreshing and lightly dry beer.

Mouthfeel: lightly crisp and mildly dry throughout. Brief aftertaste. Medium bodied beer.

Drinkability: I found this to be a somewhat refreshing and easy to quaff. An enjoyable and almost session-like belgian beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2007 13:48:55 | More by Gavage

mrasskicktastic

New Jersey

2.78/5  rDev -32%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A - Color of apple juice, small white head, tiny, tiny specks of lacing.

S - Smells a lot like apple juice too. A touch of pear and bubblegum. Not bad at all.

T - A weird spicy bubblegum, black pepper and coriander. Aftertaste is a fairly spicy pepper that quells to a peppery bitter finish.

M - Smooth even though though high carbonation. Slightly refreshing.

D - Not great. The flavor isn't pleasant, it just has too much much pepper to be enjoyable. It smells nice though.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2007 17:12:17 | More by mrasskicktastic

moderndrunkard

S. Georgia & S. Sandwich Isls.

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled at the brewery and poured by "Muss" herself.

Pours a golden color with an almost translucent appearance. Not as cloudy as most unfiltereds (is that a word?). Strong head retention with a light amount of lacing.

Exhibits an extremely fruity / floral aroma. I detect a hint of peach undertones. Very perfumy.

Taste has lots of hop in the back, and the bitterness lingers for a long time. Very floral with a strong level of carbonation. Swirling it around in my mouth, i detect a very clean overall taste. The most prominent flavors coming from the hop bitterness/dry-hopping. Overall, very bitter for a belgian, especially considering the high abv (they had it listed as 9%). I would it expect it to be a bit sweeter with this much alcohol.

This beer really reminds me of some american pales (like SN) with a bit more of a sweet/fruity kick. After the Oerbier, my favorite de dolle brew.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2006 13:25:32 | More by moderndrunkard

schemb

Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Redbones in late August. After every sip I said "this is crazy" , even at the end of night of hop slugs and hot sauce. Insanely complex, yet pleasant, and damn drinkable. Spicy, sweet, tart, other flavors all in turns. Please Redbones - bring this one back !

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2004 21:33:31 | More by schemb

Crosling

Colorado

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled on draft at the brewery in Esen, Belgium

Orange.

Fresh and dry hopped, with notes of wood, lemon, mint and tangerine.

Mellow, soft but very hoppy and delicious. Fruitiness; mainly peach and tangerine. Incredible balanced and very pleasant. I would love to have this again.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2004 01:24:02 | More by Crosling

brewsclues

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Bottle at Pizzeria Paradiso in DC - 3/10/13

Everything I want in a Belgian: inviting, crisp-looking ale with tons of citrus/floral, yeast notes, full-bodied but with a dry, slightly sour (puckering?) finish.

I picked up a nice orange marmalade note on this brew. Totally dig it. I've had plenty of Belgians before, but what struck me about this one was how well-balanced it was - from start to finish, none the typically distinguishing characteristics overpowered it. Extremely sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 02:57:45 | More by brewsclues

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

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Appearance. Pours a hazy yellow gold with an absolutely massive head. Could only pour half the 33cL bottle in a pint glass before the head settled.

Smell. Prunes and raisins, brown sugar, spices and floral hops.

Taste. Lightly tart apples, raisins and spice, some earthy hops, oranges and pineapple.

Mouthfeel. On the lower side of medium body, with strong and smooth carbonation.

Overall. An interesting and tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 19:35:21 | More by Rutager

benfons

Belgium

4.24/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Hazy, blonde orange colour, very big dense head.

S: loads of hops, hint of orange and clove

T: very hoppy, a hint of orange and pineapple

M: a little undercarbonated, alcohol is there just as it should

O: nice bitterness, but lacks a bit of complexity

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 21:37:22 | More by benfons

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Pours a hazy orange-ish color with an off white and rocky head. In the aroma, notes of fruitiness and candy sugar. In the taste, yeasty dryness, and a dryer candy sugar, with notes of fruit. A small bite and a medium to lighter bodied mouthfeel, with a dry candy sugar presence in the aftertaste. Quite nice and kind of simple, light nose and flavors, but nice nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 14:59:14 | More by OWSLEY069

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.35/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

33cl bottle, bottled July 2010, into a Weyerbacher tulip.

A: Hazy deep gold body beneath a majestic 3 inches of dense, fine, pillowy white head. The retention is rocky to the point of disbelief, and leaves huge clumps of lace. Stunning.

S: Rich, earthy, spicy, fruity yeast. Lots of minerality, clove, banana, and citrus. Really deep, really nice.

T: Spicy phenols up front, with candied malt and fruity esters dominating midway through. Light clove and faint alcohol on the dry finish. Some slightly dull sweetness on the aftertaste. Quite good, but there's a touch too much sweetness in the malt, and it's starting to show its age.

M: Soft, highly carbonated, very creamy medium body. Terrific.

O: I think two years might have been a little longer than this beer needed, but it's really delicious.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 03:30:01 | More by woosterbill

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Not as much head as the Oerbier but I do get a 1/4 inch that reduces to a thick lace ring with sticky head. Color is a hazy orange yellow kind of like dark pineapple juice.

S - From the bottle I get a pretty decent level of citrus hops and in the glass it smells more like a Belgium Triple full of bubble gum and sugary yeasts. Hope it's as good as it smells.

T - Well nothing off-putting but has a mild pineapple like hop presence mixed with a sugar coated bubble gum yeast. I think I actually like this more than the Oerbier since it's hoppy, simple and delicious.

M - Light to medium and crisp. Easy to drink despite the elevated ABV.

Overall I might actually pick up another old bottle of this for 3 bucks! A very easy drinking great tasting Belgium pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 20:13:45 | More by DrDemento456

fmccormi

New York

2.7/5  rDev -34%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Straight pour from 33cL / 11.2oz pry-off bottle to a 25cl Duvel Single tulip. No dating or freshness information visible, but I’m not too put off about it, considering the style.

Appearance (3.5): Holy hell, this is an active pour. Quickly rises to four fingers of fat, crackling bubbles and some finer foam in the middle of the head, bone-white in color. Not much lace as it recedes, just a few small spots here and there, really. The body is an oddly dark, dullish amber color, with red tones against the light. Not the greatest looking body, but the head is pretty nice looking.

Smell (3.0): Easily the most prominent note here is a mineral-forward, vinous scent, like a pungent pinot grigio. It opens slowly as it warms, showing white grapes, some wet grass and a mild funk, combining to make a distinctly cidery character. Not picking up any of the warm fruity, spicy tones you might expect from a BSPA, but the nose is interesting at least.

Taste (2.5): The taste follows the nose, in that it has some oddly vinous notes: kind of a dirty, earthy body with acidic cider characteristics mixed in. Very prominent mineral flavors with a medicinal finish, very . . . phenolic. I think I get the “band-aids” thing now. Not getting any spiciness, and the fruit character is limited to some tart, green grapes. Mild to moderate acidity, lending a somewhat bitter finish. Very modest alcohol heat toward the end. Odd, somewhat unbalanced, and not featuring any of the classic BSPA characteristics on the palate. Still, mellows and smooths out a bit as it warms.

Mouthfeel (3.0): Slightly tingly in places, foams airily on the way down, and finishes dry with an acidity that lightens the feel quite a bit. Medium-weight, but finishes light. It’s alright, not bad but definitely not great in any way.

Overall (2.5): Something tells me I got a very old bottle of this beer. It tastes oxidized with some odd, phenolic notes in the nose and on the palate. Looking over some other reviews, what I’m tasting, seeing, and smelling doesn’t resemble what others seem to have had very much at all. My guess is that this is an off and / or old bottle. I’d really like to revisit this sometime with a bottle that I know is fresh.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 00:31:48 | More by fmccormi

Radome

Spain

4.08/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served from a 33 cl bottle into a De Dolle glass at Bier Circus in Brussels.

A - Medium to dark gold color with some orange. Slightly hazy. HUGE fluffy, moussy head made up of tiny bubbles. The head and lacing are extremely persistent. A beautiful beer.

S - A very fresh US hop punch that mixes with crisp grain notes and a slight barnyard funk (in the background).

T - Spicy yeast flavors blend seamlessly with hops. Some malt is in the background, but the balance is toward hops. Some alcohol evident.

M - Medium body. Some burn from the hops bitterness and (to a lesser extent) alcohol. Carbonation adds a sharp carbonic bite. Overall mouthfeel is a bit harsh.

O - A very good beer, with the highlights being the appearance, inviting aromas and balanced flavors. Harsh mouthfeel is the only detractor.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 21:48:38 | More by Radome

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle served in a Trappist chalice.

A: Pours a slightly cloudy orange color forming a big bubbled white head. Good retention and a small layer the never goes on the top. Some lacings left

S: Very fruity and super-spicy in the nose. Notes of orange, grapefruit, honey and vanilla. Tons of grapes. Delicious flowery hops. Sweet malts and Belgian yeasts backbone

T: Pretty much as the nose. Strong character. Very malty. Slightly sweet upfront followed by spicy notes, orange zest, honey, vanilla. In overall a dry and bitter taste

M: Medium to heavy body. Medium carbonation. Strong bite of hops bitterness as aftertaste

O: Very drinkable. Something between a Strong Pale Ale and a Belgian IPA. Reminded me Duvel, but a super-spiced version of. Absolutely great Belgian beer

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 17:47:56 | More by eduardolinhalis

warnerry

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottled May 2011

A - Big rush of air when the cap comes off. Definitely carbonated. My first attempt at a slow pour yields one finger of beer and five fingers of dense white head that lasts forever and coats the glass with lacing. Liquid is clear golden brown. Nice.

S - A mild but persistent funk, with a lot of fruit. White grape, green apple, faint peach and raisin.

T - Taste starts with white grape and a bit of apple, before an earthy funk with moderate hop bitterness and a mild spiciness kicks in. The more subtle fruit flavors from the aroma don't really make it into the taste unfortunately. Still, quite tasty, but seems a bit more like a Belgian IPA than a strong pale. Some noticeable alcohol in the taste.

M - Very lively carbonation gives an almost champagne-like mouthfeel. Rather dry with an earthy, bitter finish.

O - Another interesting brew from a very good brewery, though not my favorite from them. The earthy bitterness and the fruitiness didn't seem as harmonious as they could have been, but I would still have this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 01:34:46 | More by warnerry