De Dolle Stille Nacht Reserva 2010 - Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers

ehammond1

California

4.83/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle (2012)

Thanks for sharing this with me, JealousChalice!

Clear copper in color with a thin very light brown head. Looks like melted, carbonated, clean pennies. Moderate level of visible carbonation, though the head is fairly persistent, and eventually leaves messy ribbons of stick down the glass. Very pretty, especially considering that this sat in a barrel for over 2 years.

A lovely aroma. This is something that you sit and appreciate, with no care for the outside world, the time of day, or who's staring. Layers of sticky caramel candies create the base aroma, which was a shock to me. Then, a delicate, complementary, interesting Brett and peat characteristic, definitely wine and lots of oak, and sun-dried cherry. Very nice, and very unique.

The flavor is similar, and again, not at all something I was expecting. Very simply, I'd describe this as a Belgian/Brett barrel-aged old ale, with some wine flavors peaking out around the edges, and perhaps the best example of well-integrated (high) ABV of any beer I've had, at least recently. In reality, the layers of caramel, toffees, and rich fruit cake are the base beer's defining flavors, but surrounding that are layers of wine, oak, butterscotch, and an earthy, mild, integrated Brett character. Stunning.

Medium to near full in body with moderate carbonation. Decadent and rich, yet drinkable. Perfect. I would love to take down a bottle of this. It would be effortless.

One of those beers that makes you sit up straight in your chair, look around the room, and see if anyone else is reacting like you are. An early contender for beer of the year for me (2013), though I know the year is only 2 weeks old. Incredibly delightful stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 04:14:57 | More by ehammond1

Jonada

New Jersey

4.69/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: Deep golden burnt orange color with 2 fingers of a creamy off white head with good retention and lacing. Fairly clear in the glass with insane amount of visible carbonation throughout.

Smell: Red wine grape, oak, lactic tartness, green apple, tart cherries, dried dark fruits. The wine barrel characteristics intensify in the aroma as it warms.

Taste: Sweet and tart upfront with lots of vinous notes. Red grape, oak, stone fruits, caramel, pear, apricot, very light spicy yeast character. There's a lactic character throughout, but without the strong tartness/sourness that tends to accompany it.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, creamy mouthfeel with medium soft carbonation. Nice alcohol warming sensation in the chest, but it goes down surprisingly easy.

Overall: One of the most interesting beers I've ever had. I'm not even sure what style I would classify this as. Nonetheless, this is a world class beer, that I highly recommend trying.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 01:52:40 | More by Jonada

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.65/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

750ml bottle into a 25cl Duvel tulip. Huge thanks to Tony for sharing this alongside SNR 2000, as well as regular Stille Nachts from 2010 and 1984 (the last of which came to me courtesy of beerpirates). Incredible tasting.

A: Clear copper body with a 1/2" of frothy off-white head. Good retention and great lace. Excellent.

S: Lactic tartness, dry oak, cherry skin, vanilla, and apricot pit. Rich, deep, and perfectly balanced. Enchanting.

T: Follows the nose perfectly. Rich, complex, vinous, tart, fruity, oaky, and generally awesome. Clean, tannic finish. A touch of booze on the aftertaste is the only flaw, but it's to be expected at 12%. Delicious.

M: Lively, creamy medium body. Perfect carbonation.

O: What a beer. It's not quite like anything I've had before, and that just makes me wish that there were more beers like this out there for me to drink. Definitely one of the most complex beers I'v ever had, and yet so well balanced as to seem effortless. If only it weren't so rare and expensive, I'd want to drink it all the time.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 03:06:28 | More by woosterbill

cfrances33

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into a Hill Farmstead stem.

Pour: A clear, burnt orange with a finger and a half of sticky, off white head. Leaves some sticky lacing. Definite alcohol coating on the glass.

Smell: Lots of port characteristics. Some deep red wine grape, a hint of cherry, and some booze. Oak is very strong and round everything out. Some hints of red wine vinegar, but in a good way.

Taste: Sweet caramel up front, followed by lots of earthy red wine grape tannins. A light red grape must and a hint of cherry. Lots of oak and port. Palate finishes with a very distinct licorice and some more red grapes.

Mouthfeel: Relatively boozy, but quite drinkable. Warming. Really coats the palate all the way through.

Overall: A really interesting beer. I definitely have not had a beer like this, and it was quite enjoyable. I would agree with others that this is young. I would love to have it again in ~2 years.

EDIT: Had again in April 2013. More tartness, and less boozy this time. Great funk presence. Really exciting to see that this beer has already started to evolve. Mouthfeel bumped to 4.25

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 17:46:11 | More by cfrances33

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

750mL bottle into taster - thanks rob

Bright reddish pour with cherry hues and a thin layering of off-white head. Dissipates into some spotty lacing on the glass with wispy film.

The nose is a swirling mix of spicy Belgian yeast, dark fruits, oak and red wine. Earthy vinous notes with alcohol warmth, slight tartness and cherry.

A spike of sour and sweet up front, followed by a plethora of dark fruits. Extremely complex red wine notes from the Bordeaux with soft leather, oak, vanilla and ripe fruit. Soft notes of cherry and spicy yeast with a continuing tartness. Balanced, nuanced and fascinating, finishing with soft warmth.

Medium body and carbonation, soft and dry on the tongue. This is truly one of those rare beers that's so difficult to describe, thanks to the multitude of flavors and scents that radiate from the glass while drinking. I'd like to get another bottle and sit with it for 2 hours+ to really immerse myself in what De Dolle created with this.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 14:41:54 | More by xnicknj

AlexFields

Tennessee

4.49/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

Opened at TN whales tasting 3/16/2013. Thanks to Photekut for sharing.

Pours a pretty amber color, not much of a head but still attractive.

Smells crazy sugar sweet like butterscotch or rum soaked candy, wow, not at all what I was expecting. I smell no dryness or brett or anything. Nose is just amazing.

Taste has the same sweet candy thing but subdued, and also has a dry and slightly tart bretty wine character. Hints of ketchup. Soft and subtle, definitely more sweet than dry/tart.

Mouthfeel is very soft and nice, no alcohol heat at all, could use a bit more carb but that's what you get for two years in a barrel.

I expected this to be way more dry and vinous, it really surprised me, but it's damn good. I can imagine it will be even better after a few years in the bottle.

9.1/10

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 14:34:29 | More by AlexFields

claaark13

Indiana

4.48/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

75cl bottle poured at cellar temp into a FFF Teku, a couple ounces at a time. Thanks to the man that hooked me up on this, as he knew I'd be pumped to open one up ASAP. Bottle was imported to the USA. Cork is soaked, comes out with a slight hiss. Not a gusher...so apparently barrels are the solution to that problem. I'm going to do my best to not homerize this review. Time for a sole mission....

A - Pours a deep orange with a hint of red, white thin head becomes a nice lacing. It really looks fantastic. The lacing maintains its shape so well.

S - I opened this and let it breathe for about 10 minutes. Tartness is evident, lots of brett with the trademark Stille Nacht nose. Oak is present with some fruity hints, some lighter fruits coming through. Slight vinegar.

T - Sweet malts start it off with bretted stone fruits coming through, stronger on the lighter fruits. The licorice evident in fresher bottles of Stille Nacht is found throughout the backbone. Oak tannins and notes of wine lead the finish. There is a hint of vinegar, like in the nose.

M - Medium body, much like regular Stille Nacht.

O - Quite fantastic, but that's probably a little biased. It's ready to drink now and I'm very curious about how it will age. I suspect that there may be some bottle variations based on the other reviews I've seen, before mine and on ratebeer. I got a lot of brett. Then again, I've noticed some difference in flavor as the bottle goes down. If it makes any difference, this bottle was distributed to Indiana. Gold cap.

EDIT - 2/2/13 - I just opened a bottle that came directly from the brewery. The beer is essentially flat, and there is no evident tartness. There is some brett that takes a seat in the background, as the wine influence dominates. There is acetone evident. This is not at all like the first bottle that I opened. I would rate this one 3.5/4/4/4.5/4. I greatly prefer the carbonated version I had. Silver cap, cork in great condition.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 03:44:55 | More by claaark13

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.46/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Served alongside the standard Stille Nacht 2010.

The beer is orange with a thin white head. Aromas of wine, barrels, musty basement, well water, mineral. Beautiful flavor. So smooth and graceful. Lovely wine character. Alcohol is disguised so elegantly, one could drink this too quickly. Lovely.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 05:44:21 | More by Huhzubendah

mdaschaf

Washington

4.38/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review from notes.

A: Pours a slightly hazy ruby color with a small off-white head on top. Streaky and random lacing forms down the sides.

S: A good bit of the wine barrel shows through on the aroma. There is some wood/oak, some grapes, and bruised apples. A little bit of cinnamon as well.

T: More apple and stone fruit in the initial flavor blast, then comes some oak and the wine flavors imparted from the barrel. Slightly tannic and some red grape flavor.

M: Medium bodied with low to medium carbonation.

O: Very impressed with this beer. At the price point, I probably wouldn't jump to get it again, but was very glad to have been able to try it.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 23:03:48 | More by mdaschaf

HopHead84

California

4.31/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

01/25/2013

Bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Very dark orange with two inches of bubbly white froth. Just a little lacing.

S: A complex marriage of bready and caramel malts with Belgian esters that are redolent of grape and plum. Pronounced woody notes blend with lactic and tart characteristics. There's a bit of floral character with apricot flesh and pit. Leather and almonds are evident.

T: Tart and very vinous with notes of raisin, unripe grape skins, and unripe plum. Very woody and tannic with a bit of buttery oak and leather. Bread blends with Belgian yeast, a firm lactic presence, and a light sweetness. There's a little vinegar in there as well. The finish is tannic, woody, dry, and lightly tart with some astringency and lots of unripe dark fruit. Alcohol is very well hidden.

M: Full body with medium carbonation. The mouthfeel is dry, tannic, sticky, and smooth with some warming.

Overall: A big and complex Belgiuming that's nice now, but will most likely benefit from extended aging (very rare for a beer). Recommended, but I wouldn't overextend yourself more than you already have in the name of advocacy to try it.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 05:27:00 | More by HopHead84

FosterJM

California

4.3/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

1748th Review on BA
Bottle to Cervoise
25.4 oz bottle

@Bavarian Lodge, Lisle, IL
Shared with BeerBob26 or Bnak26 on instagram

App- Out of the bottle this was a very interesting color. It was a bit copper with oranges, yellows and gold. A little tinge of red was intermixed into the glass. This was more like a wine with the bordeaux color coming out and creating a creamy off bubbly pour. The head was there and gone without an cling or lace.

Smell- The wine on this takes over for days. The aroma is of the oak intermixed with the grapes and then if you add a little bit of vanilla and some sangria and even more of a tannic aroma from the skins. Quite lovely. A bit dry and lactic and tart to round it all out.

Taste- Im a little taken a back by how good this was. I really wasnt expecting to love this as much as I did. When this first opens up it has a bit of apricot flavors with a little bit of pit behind it. Then it moves into a little bit of oak and tannic flavors. The wine then takes over and give a little bit of a grape juice flavor with some skin flavor. A balance beer for sure. The flavor lends itself to a little bit more of than what it is with the Belgian flavors. Old ale? Brett? Pale Ale? A great mix for sure.

Mouth- A bit lacking in the feel department. The beer itself is a medium body with a bit of a still medium carbonation behind it. The residual flavors are that of oak, booze, caramel, wine and grape skins.

Drink- One of the few beers I havent minded paying the price for. What a great beer. I was sad to see this one finish in my glass. I would love to trade for another one. Dont see that happening anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 02:41:03 | More by FosterJM

MasterSki

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared with friends at Local Option. Served in a snifter.

A - White foam settles to a thick collar, leaving behind spotty lace. Hazy amber body.

S - Huge jammy red wine flavors mingle with vinous oak, fruity esters, and caramel malts. There's a bit of toffee and dough to round out the malt bill as well, and not a trace of alcohol. I don't get the massive brett character that I noticed in the 2008.

T - The taste is again a nice mixture of vinous oak barrel, fruity yeast, bready malts, berries, stone fruits, and caramel. Super smooth considering the 12% ABV, and delightfully well-integrated. Smell and aroma are more of a 4.25, so I split the difference.

M - Medium-full body, light wine tannins and oak in the texture, lower carbonation, and no obvious alcohol. Goes down really smooth and easy.

D - I think I liked the wild '08 a bit more than this, but the '10 vintage is still quite excellent and gives some hints as to what the '00 might have tasted like way back in the day. Should age gracefully for a number of years, but ready to drink right out of the gate.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 03:55:39 | More by MasterSki

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.26/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

750 ml bottle generously shared at the Peg's tasting on 3/8/13.

A- Pours a hazy caramel color, thin white head.

S- Fruity aroma, cherry, grape skin, along with a bready caramel and toffee malt.

T- More fruity flavors, dry pear and some yeastiness, grape skin and wine, some oak, bread, caramel and toffee.

M- Medium-bodied, smooth with a really nice dry, tannic, vinous feel.

O- A very tasty, interesting beer, the flavors are very nice and unlike anything else I've had from de Dolle.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 04:24:37 | More by WillCarrera

mltobin

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750 mL bottle, shared amongst a few people. Served in a snifter.

Appearance is brown-orange with a small white head. The nose on this hits with oak right away, dark fruit, toffee; pleasing so far. For the taste, it contains belgian yeast, sugar, red wine, more of that oak, some caramel. Mouthfeel is medium-heavy, more sugar in the finish. And although there is quite a bit of sweetness, it is fairly well rounded with the other characteristics of this beer. Such as the alcohol, which also is nicely balanced with the other components. I was glad to have the opportunity to try this beer, very nice overall.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 03:10:18 | More by mltobin

Treebs

Illinois

4.24/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I think Sean shared this one, thanks! 750 ml corked and capped bottle served in a CCB snifter.

A: Pours a dark apricot color with a thin white head forming on the pour.

S: The Bordeaux barrel really came through in the nose. Lots of oak, red wine, red grape skin with some malty sweetness. There is a restrained funk in the background.

T: The Bordeaux barrel again is beautiful upfront. Lots of oak, some red grape tartness, bitter grape skins and a little vanilla sweetness. The Belgian yeast really comes out in the taste, especially as it warms. Fruity and phenolic, stone fruit comes to mind.

M: Light bodied with a nice, soft carbonation level. Slightly dry, but refreshing finish.

O: Quite the interesting beer. The base held up well to the long term aging and the barrel didn't completely overwhelm the base which tends to happen with a lot of red wine barrel aged beers in my opinion. Would love to try again in a few years and see what time did to it.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 14:19:40 | More by Treebs

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.18/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

75 cL bottle, shared by Starr. Thanks!

Pours a clear copper with a wispy off white head that fades to a thin collar. Aroma of red grape, oak, Belgian yeast, plum and brown sugar. Much more balanced and subdued than regular version, but still a little heat in the finish. Flavor is mildly tart and Bordeaux forward with stone fruit, light brett and oak. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 22:13:05 | More by yourefragile