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Oeral Bier
Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers
- From:
- Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers
- Belgium
- Style:
- Belgian Pale Ale
Ranked #24 - ABV:
- 6%
- Score:
- 88
Ranked #15,217 - Avg:
- 3.91 | pDev: 7.67%
- Reviews:
- 30
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jan 14, 2023
- Added:
- Sep 08, 2003
- Wants:
- 16
- Gots:
- 1
A Belgian Hoppy Pale Ale . A most unusual sessionable brew by De Dolle Brouwers at around 5.3% alc/vol
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by flagmantho from Washington
3.95/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
3.95/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Poured from 12oz can into my BeerAdvocate teku.
Appearance: medium golden hue with a moderate haze and a lot of apparent effervescence. Head is two fingers of frothy, pillowy ivory foam. Quite pretty!
Smell: good malt aroma with something that initially reads as sour but resolves as a crispy, orchardy, peary aroma. It is exactly in my wheelhouse, and reminds me of a good, subtle tripel.
Taste: there's definitely a little bit of sourness and funk to this beer -- the aroma did not lead me astray. Light malt, a bit of funk, and a moderate bitterness. It is taking me a few quaffs to decide whether I like the funk or whether it's a distraction. I think maybe I'd like it more with a more reserved funk. So it's not bad, but I think it could be cleaned up a little.
Mouthfeel: medium-light body with a huge carbonation and a very nice creaminess.
Overall: this beer is interesting. I still really don't know how to feel about it; the funk is bordering between "off flavor" and "rustic redolence". I think on balance I would not choose to order a second one, but if a second one were presented to me, I would drink it.
Jan 14, 2023Appearance: medium golden hue with a moderate haze and a lot of apparent effervescence. Head is two fingers of frothy, pillowy ivory foam. Quite pretty!
Smell: good malt aroma with something that initially reads as sour but resolves as a crispy, orchardy, peary aroma. It is exactly in my wheelhouse, and reminds me of a good, subtle tripel.
Taste: there's definitely a little bit of sourness and funk to this beer -- the aroma did not lead me astray. Light malt, a bit of funk, and a moderate bitterness. It is taking me a few quaffs to decide whether I like the funk or whether it's a distraction. I think maybe I'd like it more with a more reserved funk. So it's not bad, but I think it could be cleaned up a little.
Mouthfeel: medium-light body with a huge carbonation and a very nice creaminess.
Overall: this beer is interesting. I still really don't know how to feel about it; the funk is bordering between "off flavor" and "rustic redolence". I think on balance I would not choose to order a second one, but if a second one were presented to me, I would drink it.
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington
4/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a lightly hazy, light to medium golden amber with a two finger white head with good retention and solid lacing. Aroma of Belgian pale malt, lemon, tart apple and honey; a bit floral. Flavor follows, with pale malt, lemon, grapefruit, tart apple, clove, under-ripe pineapple and some sharp funk in the finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. A classic tasting Belgian pale of the dry, funky style. Funk is not as pronounced as Orval, but distinctive and enhanced by the clove and citrus rind character. Just at the border of my taste in tartness with the funky yeast adding some interest. I missed the flavor depth of the bigger pales made by De Dolle, but this has a lot going on for its ABV. Brewed in Belgium and canned in the US; interesting.
Nov 15, 2022Reviewed by jzlyo from Iowa
4.03/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Aroma is Belgian yeast, lemon/mild lime and a hint of sweetness. The flavor is lemon/lime/bubblegum, malts, mild tropical fruit and a tart/medium puckering dry finish.
Jan 15, 2022Reviewed by BubbleBobble from New York
4.09/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.09/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a golden, slightly hazy orange, huge, fluffy 3" head, excellent retention and lacing. Nose is heavily spiced (big amount of clove, spicy nutmeg, light cinnamon), gingersnaps, lemon, and earthy hop. Taste is very spice forward (nutmeg again most prominent here), followed by sweet, boozy yeast flavors, fermented pineapple, and herbal hops notes. Mouthfeel is moderate but definitely coating and with a strong suggestion of booze. Personally, the flavors are big and intense enough that I couldn't see myself sessioning this beer, but that's no knock on the beer itself.
Jul 22, 2021Reviewed by DefenCorps from Oregon
4.06/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.06/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Can from John's Marketplace.
A clear light orange with a dense, white head with great retention and spectacular lacing. The nose is firmly hoppy with earth, lemon, freshly cut grass, snappy, crisp and on-point. Minimal straw and water cracker for malt, a touch of clove, a light tartness. The palate opens crisp, snappy, earthy, lemony, a distinctive pineapple-clove blend that could only be Brett. Straw, snappy, crisp, firm cracker like malt character. Drying, crisp, snappy on the finish. Light in body, creamily and highly carbonated, lingering pineapple, lemon and clove on the finish. Deceptively simple, this is a session beer but isn't priced as such.
Jun 26, 2021A clear light orange with a dense, white head with great retention and spectacular lacing. The nose is firmly hoppy with earth, lemon, freshly cut grass, snappy, crisp and on-point. Minimal straw and water cracker for malt, a touch of clove, a light tartness. The palate opens crisp, snappy, earthy, lemony, a distinctive pineapple-clove blend that could only be Brett. Straw, snappy, crisp, firm cracker like malt character. Drying, crisp, snappy on the finish. Light in body, creamily and highly carbonated, lingering pineapple, lemon and clove on the finish. Deceptively simple, this is a session beer but isn't priced as such.
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York
4.44/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.44/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
This one pours a golden, shining, and slightly hazy yellow color, with a big fluffy head, and lots of lacing.
This smells like bitter fruit rind, stone fruit, clove, fresh cut grass, and grapefruit.
This gives off a serious Orval-like vibe for me (hence the name?), which is obviously a good thing. It doesn't quite have that elegant restrained funk that Orval has, but that distinct clovey, spicy, and hoppy dryness is right there for me. It's grassy, spicy, and just slightly grapefruit, almost a black tea like flavor too. There's clove and peach skin, pear, and apple skin. It's so fresh tasting in the can here - I wish I had a lot more of it.
This is dry, crisp, clean, and super drinkable, with a very smooth but slightly biting finish.
This isn't quite the singular achievement in beer that Orval is - but it's pretty close. I can almost always expect De Dolle to bring the heat.
Apr 29, 2020This smells like bitter fruit rind, stone fruit, clove, fresh cut grass, and grapefruit.
This gives off a serious Orval-like vibe for me (hence the name?), which is obviously a good thing. It doesn't quite have that elegant restrained funk that Orval has, but that distinct clovey, spicy, and hoppy dryness is right there for me. It's grassy, spicy, and just slightly grapefruit, almost a black tea like flavor too. There's clove and peach skin, pear, and apple skin. It's so fresh tasting in the can here - I wish I had a lot more of it.
This is dry, crisp, clean, and super drinkable, with a very smooth but slightly biting finish.
This isn't quite the singular achievement in beer that Orval is - but it's pretty close. I can almost always expect De Dolle to bring the heat.
Reviewed by Alieniloquium from Florida
3.58/5 rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.58/5 rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12 oz. can. Pours a little hazy with a big pillowy white head. Smells of strong Brett yeastiness. Earthy, a little plastic, a touch fruity. Tastes about the same. This time the fruit is up front. Light sweetness comes through, too, but it's mostly Brett. Pretty intense bitter yeastiness in the finish. Medium body and well carbonated. It's all brett. Does it well, but it's all brett.
Feb 15, 2020Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado
4.18/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.18/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
really cool these guys canned one, or had it canned, and that its now for sale in idaho, its been ages since i have seen anything new from these guys, evil arabier if i remember right, which was years ago, and life changing. this is less dramatic, a belgian pale through and through, and maybe not new, but new to me. i havent been in love with some of these import cans, if this is in fact one of the beers shipped over and canned domestically, it hasnt been great for quality in my limited experience, but its rad it makes these beers available and more affordable, so you take the good with the bad. this has held up better than others on the voyage, its still brightly hoppy, and gorgeously driven by their house yeast, which is rugged and raw and distinctive to me, estery and classically belgian, but with so much more character and complexity than any of the cultured common american strains of belgian yeast, its just so distinctive, and i know it well from their other beers. some peppery spiciness here, frothy bready grains underneath, very dry, herbal and tea-like on the hops, with some good bitterness too, and hints of rock candy, bubblegum, and green pear as well. its pretty complex, but its majorly drinkable too, effervescent on the feel, fresh enough tasting given where it came from, and very distinct. i love this yeast, and this is a cool way to showcase it. a textbook example of the belgian pale ale style! hope to see more from these guys come into idaho!
Nov 10, 2019Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky
4.08/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.08/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Perhaps the most prestigious of all the ales of Belgium belongs to the nondescript Belgian Pale Ale style. Rustic, refined and effortlessly complex, the brewers of De Dolle create a taste to rival the greatest of these beers.
Pale straw and with hazy hints of gold, the yeasty Oeral quickly builds a bright and soapy froth. With strong floral overtones, a burst of candied fragrances join with rose pedals and lavender for an inviting upstart. Underneath lies a spicy, yeast scent of hay, peppercorn and white wine ahead of an initial sweetness that greets the tongue with honey wafer, fresh bread and a slight doughy tone.
As its militant carbonation breaks up the sweetness and malt creaminess, a dryness settles onto the middle palate with those racy wine notes along with a grassy, spice that’s remiss of cumin. Lemongrass, lemon balm and herbal green tea invite a biting late palate of leaf, stem and hay once more.
Medium light on the palate, the beer’s early creaminess develops a swift and bubbly dryness that allows for an effortless, drinkable and refreshing session that’s not short on complexity. There’s a delicacy and earthiness that extend into medium length aftertaste of bitter straw and melon rind.
Sep 26, 2019Pale straw and with hazy hints of gold, the yeasty Oeral quickly builds a bright and soapy froth. With strong floral overtones, a burst of candied fragrances join with rose pedals and lavender for an inviting upstart. Underneath lies a spicy, yeast scent of hay, peppercorn and white wine ahead of an initial sweetness that greets the tongue with honey wafer, fresh bread and a slight doughy tone.
As its militant carbonation breaks up the sweetness and malt creaminess, a dryness settles onto the middle palate with those racy wine notes along with a grassy, spice that’s remiss of cumin. Lemongrass, lemon balm and herbal green tea invite a biting late palate of leaf, stem and hay once more.
Medium light on the palate, the beer’s early creaminess develops a swift and bubbly dryness that allows for an effortless, drinkable and refreshing session that’s not short on complexity. There’s a delicacy and earthiness that extend into medium length aftertaste of bitter straw and melon rind.
Oeral Bier from Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers
Beer rating:
88 out of
100 with
45 ratings
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