Session # 165
De Dolle | Oerbier Special Reserva
Flanders Oud Bruin | Esen, Belgian | 13% ABV
One year ago: Mikkeller 1000 IBU
Belgium rarely releases anything as strong as some of America’s most extreme offerings. But when I read on the bottle of the De Dolle Oerbier Special Reserva that it was a 13% sour ale (aged in Bordeaux barrels) I got very intrigued. Sours rarely top the 8% mark, so you can see why this is a bit of an anomaly. When we poured it from the small 11.2 ounce bottle, we noticed that while it was a touch hazy it had a beautiful ruby red color topped with a light tan-colored head. The aroma was a touch sour but not like we would have hoped. The sweetness on the nose masked a lot of what we were looking for, but once we tasted the beer we pulled out the earthy brett funkiness that made this one interesting. We were also surprised that there wasn’t more heat based on the ABV, but we were happy that it was easy to put back this small beer and move on for the evening. Rating: 85/100
Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Doc Watson “Country Blues”
Let us know your thoughts by rating and commenting on this video.
Posted by Big Mike on April 25, 2011 at 6:54 PM
Nice review! Good to see you guys teaming up again.
Cheers!
Big Mike
Posted by thehopry on April 26, 2011 at 4:42 PM
We do it when we can. We live so far apart that it makes it hard with our busy schedules…
Posted by Eamonn Murphy on April 26, 2011 at 11:44 AM
I say this as someone who thinks the majority of beers “suitable for ageing” don’t actually benefit from the process, but Oerbier Special Reserva really doesn’t hit its stride until about three years in the bottle – it really needs that time. The sourness develops further and everything else rounds out nicely.
Since it HAS been released by the brewery any verdict is of course fair game, but I’d strongly recommend a re-appraisal with an older bottle.
Posted by thehopry on April 26, 2011 at 4:41 PM
I really fought to let this one sit, but I just really wanted to try it. Sometimes I feel better just opening something like this and moving on… But agree with your thoughts, too.