Dulle Teve Special Reserva 2003
Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers

Dulle Teve Special Reserva 2003Dulle Teve Special Reserva 2003
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From:
Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers
 
Belgium
Style:
Tripel
ABV:
11%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.91 | pDev: 13.04%
Reviews:
34
Ratings:
40
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 09, 2014
Added:
Jun 24, 2005
Wants:
  9
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by bros:

  None found.

 
Rated: 4 by WynnO from Florida

Sep 09, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3 by Dcunicelli from Pennsylvania

Jul 12, 2013
 
Rated: 4.75 by WOLFGANG from South Carolina

Jul 05, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by djrn2 from New Jersey

Apr 23, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by claaark13 from Indiana

Feb 08, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by ygtbsm94 from Utah

Dec 30, 2011
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

3.7/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to emerge077 for making this one happen. Served in my Kuhnhenn tulip. This was the 2003 (and only) Reserva aged on Calvados wood.

A - Pours with a big, billowing foam, that dissipates almost immediately to a tiny ring of foam. Not much in the way of lacing. Body is a hazed golden color.

S - Booze! Well, if seven years hasn't blunted the nose, then nothing will. Lots of oak, spicy spirits, apple brandy, and then finally some caramel malt. More wood and vanilla too! How long was this in barrels!? I have an odd urge to visit Pays D'Auge.

T - The taste has mellowed considerably, with more of the apple and less of the brandy emerging. Again it's woody, and there's a yeasty aftertaste that is about the only thing reminscent of a tripel. Flavor profile is now reminiscent of dry, light, toffee and apples - a nice combination.

M - Low carbonation, smooth finish, with less heat than I was expecting from the fusel nose. Body is medium, and probably too thin for 11%. Not as tannic as I would have guessed, although that mellows with time.

D - Got more drinkable once I got past the harsh nose, but a third of a bottle was plenty for me to get a sense of this one. Probably wouldn't bother to seek it out again.
Jul 11, 2010
Photo of tmoneyba
Reviewed by tmoneyba from Ohio

4.12/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle shared by alexsdad06.

Poured hazy brown color with an average creamy head that lasted with excellent lacing. Complex spicy fruit and yeasty aroma. Medium to full body with a sticky texture and flat carbonation. Medium to heavy fruity balanced flavor with a medium to heavy sweet finish of moderate to long duration with a small alcohol bite.

This is a standout beer.
Oct 20, 2009
Photo of orbitalr0x
Reviewed by orbitalr0x from Illinois

4.12/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Hazy copper orange pour with a wispy white bubbly head on top that becomes a quick ring around the top of the brew. Aromas of sweet, bready malts mixing with fruit and yeast esters. Rich apple brandy and spice. Hints of wood tannins and some vanilla that sneaks in as well. Bright and vibrant, everything plays together nicely.

First sip brings sweet and spicy bready malts engulfed by a wall of fruit flavors that are big on apple brandy. Yeast esters mingle in with wood tannins. Calvados and spice lingers on.
Quite dry overall with a definite kick of heat on the finish.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth with a bit of a slickness. For the abv this one is a sipper and a good nightcap. Its drinking good right now and I am glad I popped the cap since I've been hanging onto it for awhile. Regular Dulle Teve is damn good, but hopefully they will age it again sometime as well.
Sep 03, 2009
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is a special one, harkening back to one of the first local BA tasting events I can remember. Six years seemed long enough for this one, decided to pull it from the cellar tonight.

Rocky foam, bone white, on a dull orange body. The Oerbier glass is soon laced with spots of foam. Each swirl rekindles it, but then slowly breaks like clouds dissipating. Musty, fruity aroma, it's begun to show it's age a little. Some apple juice, apricot jam, sugar cookies, and cellar must. Rich, strong, still somewhat boozy after all these years. Fruity and bitter...jammy, and warm like calvados should be. This is one untamable beast. Long dry finish with apples simmering in a spiced liqueur. Rich and savory despite the warmth of the brandy barrel. A sipper for sure, after a few swirls the excess carbonation fades. Not sure that this will improve with more time, or ever lose it's alcohol edge, but it was a tasty experiment and worth the wait.
Aug 18, 2009
Photo of Floydster
Reviewed by Floydster from California

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
11.2 ounce bottle purchased from Stuffed Sandwich a few years ago for about twelve dollars, has been in the cellar ever since, also consumed on 2/25/09, reviewed from notes, poured into my Dogfish Head snifter, I figured I would drink this the same night as the Grand Reserva from De Struise since both of these beers were aged for two years in Calvados barrels, the color of this brew is a vibrant orange with some amber mixed in, small 1/4 inch bubbly white head that did not stick around very long at all, smell consists of lots of sugar, mild tarty scents, ripe fruit, sweet yeast, mild spice, wood, bready malt, and honey, flavor was similar to the aroma with more fruit up front that you might expect, middle is mostly fruits and candy-like sugar, finish is slightly warming with more sweetness and a bit of oak, once it warms there is lots of apple and sugar, like the little tart bite in the finish, moutfeel is sweet, slightly hot and tart, even dry at times, medium bodied, moderate level of carbonation, could drink the bottle which I did and a few more ounces, sweetness could get heavy eventually, booze are still out in the open and not quite hidden, pretty smooth though overall, this is drinking better than the first time I had it after five to six years of age, it has held up well probably because of the eleven percent to thirteen percent ABV and complexity of malt and sugars, supposedly the alcohol content varied by bottles, will drink again hopefully, recommended
Mar 01, 2009
Photo of ATPete
Reviewed by ATPete from New Jersey

3.97/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
11.2 oz bottle

Poured right down the center of my snifter, rigorously but just gentle enough not to disturb the 1/4 inch of yeast at the bottom of the bottle. The '03 DT Reserva pours a dirty orange yellow color with a small peach colored head, lots of stick-age after all of these years. Super funk on the nose, wow, orange skin and lemon tartness, stale, dry hops are detectable, wet wood, herbal tea and bitterness, alcohol, mint leaves and malt. Still very bright with carbonation, causing this beer to really transform mid-palate, faded notes of calvados soaked wood, sweet malts and sour lemon tartness. This is a sipper for sure, damn acidic but truely a wonderful beer. I think this is due for another run...

reviewed 12/7/08
Jan 07, 2009
Photo of Douglas88
Reviewed by Douglas88 from Utah

3.95/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
Big thanks to hopdog for this bottle. 2003 version drank in 2008. Pours a clear orange color with some reddish tint. A large white head that goes down a bit. The aroma is very nice; loads of yeast, apples and citrus notes, some wood, and a hint of sourness. The flavor is very nice; not as sweet as the original, this version is more fruity and has lots of yeast. A large barrel aged character, and a strong alcohol presence. Pretty mellow though, the five years aging, plus two in the barrel will do that. A lot of apple cider flavors here, some sweet sugary notes too, but not too much. Very nice.
Nov 11, 2008
Photo of homebrewhawk
Reviewed by homebrewhawk from Kansas

4.59/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
11.2oz bottle served in a Duvel tulip. Hazy gold with a fine bubbled white head. Spritzy mouthfeel. Fantastic aroma with apple, sugar, hint of alcohol and some sourness (brett?). Lots of spicy flavors, very complex with citrus. Medium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel and a warming, drying alcoholic finish. Really nice beer.
Jun 29, 2008
Photo of dsa7783
Reviewed by dsa7783 from New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Slender, slim, 11.2 oz bottle with a red front logo sticker purchased for $5.99 from Super Saver in Somerville...
"Special Reserva Aged In Calvados Casks 2003"...
Appearance is a hazy and murky deep golden color with an impressive foamy head... Sediment visible at the bottom of the bottle, which apparently was produced some five years ago...
Aroma was replete with alcohol, lemons, lime, tangerines, and florals...
The five years that have elapsed since this beer was brewed have added a distinct richness and oak characteristic... The alcohol is certainly noticeable, as are the powerful oak-aged, floral and fruit characteristics which completely dominate this brew... Very spicy, rich, and complex with an intricate blend of interwoven flavors...
Rich, creamy mouthfeel...
Drinkability took a hit due to the hefty alcohol percentage and strong flavors found in this one...
Good stuff, although I must admit that I prefer the original Dulle Teve over this aged one...
Mar 14, 2008
Photo of yinzer
Reviewed by yinzer from Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
1/08

appearance: cloudy abmber w/little floaties, head is small like a Orval head in training

smell: star anise, where's the oak?

taste: a hint of oak, slight yeast, mild alcohol

mouthfeel: semi-dry finish, I bet it's lost some carbonation in the finish

drinkability: very enjoyable but very mild flavors compaired to the other Reserva's
Jan 07, 2008
Photo of xav33
Reviewed by xav33 from Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
De Dolle Dulle Teve Special Reserva
12 oz bottle
Moderate pour in a tulip glass.
Bottled 2005, enjoyed 05/07.

Poured a hazy amber with a big fizzy white somewhat diminishing head.

Smelt of tres strong apple cider, sherry, biscuity malt, butterscotch. It's kind of like a caramel apple in a way.

Flavor was upfront strong sherry and apple cider bitterness and moderate sweet bread and caramel and sour apple followed by a strong bitter woody taste (oak?) and pungent mossy mushroomy smell with light sweet and sour apple compote with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg and allspice on a long

Palate was medium bodied, oily, scarce but stinging carbonation, strongly alcoholic and moderately astringent.
Overall, the odor took over the room when I poured it. Awesome. Once you get past the alcohol, flavors were intense and jammed packed with beautiful complex flavors. A good marriage of strong cider and malt flavors.
May 30, 2007
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

4.47/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Polished brassy orange with sheets of rapidly ascending bubbles. Within moments, they settle down to a less frenetic pace, while still keeping the massive, parchment colored cap from deflating too quickly. The head is softly rocky rather than firmly rocky and deposits chunks of soap sudsy lace on the glass.

The nose is sour fruity, clove spicy and very slightly ethanolic. I wouldn't have expected all those years in the bottle to have eliminated the alcohol altogether, nor would I have wanted them to. Although I wouldn't have been able to come up with it on my own, I swear that I can smell the apple brandy character imparted by the Calvados barrels.

This is damn good beer, especially if you like your Belgian tripels on the big, burly, boozy side. I wouldn't have wanted to drink it any younger, that's for damn sure. Way back in 2003 it must have been a beast that was pretty close to undrinkable. If you're cellaring a bottle, it will probably be good for a few more years at least.

I don't remember what the standard version of Dulle Teve (Mad Bitch) tasted like, other than the fact that I loved it. I know that it didn't taste like this. Now I'm sure that I can appreciate the influence from the Calvados barrel aging. A bottle of Calvados was one of the first liquors that I ever purchased and I distinctly remember enjoying every drop.

This is one wang dang doodle of a strong, bracing, complex beer. Every bit of the 11% ABV is noticed, yet I wouldn't have it any other way. The warming alcohol is so well-integrated that it dovetails beautifully with all the other members of the flavor profile, which include brandy-soaked apples (especially) and pears. Ground clove is present as well.

DDDTSR 2003 wouldn't be nearly as good if it was sweet. Sure, there's an undercurrent of candi sugar-coated pale malt, but for the most part, this is a dry, snappy tripel that is even drier and snappier on the finish. I'm amazed at how the flavor profile changes over the course of each mouthful. The final constellation, the one that lingers, is the best of all.

The mouthfeel is full without being sticky or syrupy. Simply put, it's a perfect match for the flavor. How is it that the best Belgian brewers are able to bubble the hell out of their beer and make it work? Like the rest of Mad Bitch's attributes, the carbonation is a force to be reckoned with and dares you to love it or hate it. I love it.

If I had to choose, I'd take the regular Dulle Teve over Special Reserva. That doesn't mean that I don't love what those Calvados barrels have done. While the $6.49 price tag is a bit steep, I don't know if I'll be able to resist grabbing another bottle or two if the opportunity presents itself. What a wild ride!
Jan 14, 2007
Photo of weeare138
Reviewed by weeare138 from Pennsylvania

4.57/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
From 2005 notes...
Thanks to bkelley68 for sharing this after the Stoudt's fest...
Appears a hazy, orange toned gold with a fluffy white head that refuses to yield. Tons of spotty lacing left all around the glass.
Smell is of funkadelic oak, tart apples, mild horseblanket, vanilla cream, lemony citrus jumping out with obvious infection not quite as big as Rodenbach but there enough to raise your eyebrows and take heed. It's really addictive with the sweetness melding together with tartness.
The taste is of the mentioned aromas with an addictively sweet & tart brew backed up with gentle amounts of sugary caramel, along with some yummy berries. Delicious.
Mouthfeel is bold with vinous notes, tart brett, obvious alcohol, and a dryness in the swallow.
Jan 08, 2007
Photo of Golden2wenty1
Reviewed by Golden2wenty1 from Wisconsin

3.65/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Courtesy of expatsteve. Part 3 of a 5-part De Dolle flight.

Pour: auburn/orange under several fingers of white foam that fades to a skim.

Nose: brown sugar/caramel apple from the calvados aging over standard fruity tripel esters and dry spicy yeast.

Taste: sweet apple skins up front, followed by a souring brandy and burning alcohol that dries it out substantially.

Feel: slick and airy, tickling carb flattens out a bit as it warms.

Drinkability/Overall: a unique experiment, but comes off just a little too boozy and dry in the end.
Jan 04, 2007
Dulle Teve Special Reserva 2003 from Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 40 ratings