The Dissident
Deschutes Brewery

The DissidentThe Dissident
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From:
Deschutes Brewery
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
Flanders Oud Bruin
Ranked #7
ABV:
10.9%
Score:
93
Ranked #2,939
Avg:
4.2 | pDev: 10%
Reviews:
560
Ratings:
1,522
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 25, 2024
Added:
Aug 19, 2008
Wants:
  968
Gots:
  673
Flanders style sour brown brewed with dark candi sugar and Oregon Montmorency cherries, aged in Pinot Noir barrels.

30 IBU

First release (9.0% ABV) - August 2008
Second release (10.5% ABV) - November 2010 (~118bbl)
Third release (11.4% ABV) - October 2012
Fourth release (10.7% ABV) - December 2014
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.97 by emptyglassagain from Massachusetts

Jan 25, 2024
 
Rated: 4.5 by brpendergast85 from District of Columbia

Jan 16, 2024
 
Rated: 3.76 by Prospero from Colorado

Jan 05, 2024
Photo of Rug
Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts

4.27/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Bottled 7/25/23

I’ve only had variants of The Dissident to date, this is my first time with the base beer. The marionberry and raspberry variants were both really good though, so I have high hopes for the OG. Let’s pop it open and see what’s going on

Pours a cloudy brownish orange with a finger of loose off white head that fades to a thin ring and leaves minimal lacing

The nose is quite sharp, but in no way overbearing. I’m picking up on aromas of black cherry, brown sugar, cherry pit, tart plum, red wine vinegar, toffee, light molasses, and sweet vanilla

Things are a tad smoother in taste, though with a quick hit of sharpness up front. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting black cherry, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, dark bread, brown sugar, toffee, light raisin, and dry oak. The swallow brings notes of black cherry, jammy red wine, sharp oak, brown sugar, cherry pit, old leather, light raisin, and vanilla

A light medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a crisp beer. Finishes bone dry and drinks well below its abv

Yeah, the base beer is definitely the best of the 3 I’ve had so far. It drinks remarkably easy
Nov 30, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by Nyoder

Nov 26, 2023
 
Rated: 4.18 by not2quick from Missouri

Aug 22, 2023
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Reviewed by StJamesGate from New York

4.04/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
2016 version.
Leggy white front over hazy garnet; pomegranate, wine barrel, cherry stone and light cheese on the nose; cherry juice, cider, tin, vanilla, winey wood, and cotton candy finish; tart, round, sticky.

4 4.25 4 3.75 4

There’s a good oude bruin in there somewhere but it’s buried under a ton of cherry.
That’s good news for anyone who can’t handle the tartness, but for anyone else, there’s something getting lost. (If it was a Flanders Red, maybe I could see this much fruit…)
There’s some wood and only the vaguest funk after 7 years, and the wine serves to double up those cherries.

Deep and fun in its own way, but just too sweet.
Jul 25, 2023
 
Rated: 4.27 by arini10 from Oregon

Jul 16, 2023
 
Rated: 4.75 by hopley from Massachusetts

Dec 02, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Feb 08, 2022
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Reviewed by TheBricenator from Oregon

4.34/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
*2019 Reserve with Cherries, 10.5% ABV
Look: A fairly clear and light cherry red with a minimal head that suds up quickly and rapidly dissipates to only a ring of film encircling the beer and leaving no lacing behind
Aroma: I could smell it on the pour. Tart pie cherries, oak barrels, lactic acid notes, ripe dark (Bing, etc.) cherries, wood tannins reminiscent of a Cabernet Sauvignon or similar red wine, and wafts of some funky barnyard-like notes
Taste: Ripe dark cherries hit the palate first as layers of woody oak quickly join in the mingle with the cherry. For a split second those notes hold before the quickly building acidity crescendos and as it does, wet straw, some leather, and barnyard notes become evident and hold center stage until cherries reclaim the spotlight and lead to a very tart, spritzy, and acidic finish with zero detectable alcohol heat
Mouthfeel: Light but full, very clean throughout, looks low but drinks like it’s medium to highly carbonated, and wonderfully dry on the finish
Overall: Wow, this is straight up blowing my mind right now and in a very good way. My sister-in-law gifted this gem to me for my b-day and I’d only had it one other time in my life – 2008, when these folks first made it and my palate being much more developed now, I can appreciate how good it is. It’s like a fine, bold red wine meets tart and dark cherry juice, meets Orval – super complex, lots of cherry and oak, some funk, spritzy like a champagne (though not that much so), and absolutely no way to tell that it’s 10.5% ABV. Phenomenal and highly recommended for any Oud Bruin fan out there
Jan 15, 2022
Photo of siskiyoucellar
Reviewed by siskiyoucellar from Oregon

4.36/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
This is a 2016. Five full years in the cellar have worked magic with this exceptional ale. Too bad I don’t have a fresh one right now to try it against - the difference is phenomenal. Super smooth and mellow, much less sour but a bit more funky, more juicy dark fruit.
Nov 04, 2021
Photo of kitch
Reviewed by kitch from Hong Kong

4.04/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A 1 pint 6 fl. oz. waxed bomber, 2015 Reserve, with a best after date of 30th October 2016. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.

Appearance: A mostly clear amber brown colour with a one finger beige head that had decent retention and left some nice lacing.

Aroma: Tart, cherry, vinous, light acetone, oak, caramel notes, and a touch of vinegar.

Taste: Lightly sour and tart, cherry, red grape, plum, vinous, oak, caramel, light boozy.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall: ABV was higher than expected, although the waxed bottle probably should have hinted in that direction. There was a slight boozy feel, but despite that it was still smooth, enjoyable and easy to drink.
Oct 24, 2021
Photo of Roguer
Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut

4.13/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Four year old bottle.

Nearly flat beer, murky brownish color.

Wonderful nose: moderately sour, with tons of oak, vinegar, tannins, lemon, and cherry.

Flavor follows, although it shows the age and oxidation much more than the nose (surprising, perhaps, given that part of the mystique around a wax cap is that it should help prevent oxidation). Flavor profile is otherwise the same as the nose, along with notes of peach and leather.

Unbelievably drinkable for the high ABV; it drinks like a sour at 50-75% of the ABV.
Sep 01, 2021
Photo of trevormajor
Reviewed by trevormajor from Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
22 oz bottle, 2015 vintage, poured into a snifter at 50 degrees F:
L - Brown/Red with an off white head that lingered at the edges of the glass
S - cherries, oak
T - medium funk on the nose, then cherries, and oak with wine tannins on the finish
F - light mouthfeel with medium carbonation
O - complex and interesting beer, very good
Jul 07, 2021
 
Rated: 4.52 by blisscent from Rhode Island

Jun 20, 2021
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
500ml bottle into a tulip. 2019 reserve.

Looks interesting in the glass. Deep, deep, hazy amber body with good carbonation replenishing a creamy, foamy slightly off white head. This head persists throughout, impressive given the abv. Layers of lacing.

Aroma of tart cherry, a little wine, some wood. Manages to smell sour.

On tasting, the sour and tart notes bounce off each other, making for a pleasing blend. Cherries are evident, but not strong or luscious. A little apple at times. It's warm, but the abv seems less than advertised.

Mouth between medium and full. Finish is a mouth puckering tart and sour mix, with a cherry presence.

Overall, one of the better sours I've had. Sour and tart mix sits very nicely on this palate.
May 02, 2021
Photo of LeBron_James
Reviewed by LeBron_James from Canada (ON)

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours a lightish red colour with a medium tan head and left quite a bit of lacing on my glass.

Smells of cherry, oak barrel, some light ethanol, and kind of like a sour vinegar smell.

Taste follows the nose but is even better. Lots of tart cherry and general dark fruit character. Booziness is less pronounced. There's this nice light funk present from start to finish that's more toned down than the brett version but quite pleasant. Alcohol still comes through more than I'd like but It's not terrible. The tartness balances the sweetness and the malt character really ties everything together

Mouthfeel is medium-full with lots of grippy tannins.

Edit: I came back to this a year after my first taste and, now that my palette has developed a bit, I love this one more than ever. Absolute must try! I'm surprised that I think this was worth the money since it's on the pricier side, but this is definitely going in my regular rotation.
Apr 06, 2021
 
Rated: 4.4 by craigbelly from Iowa

Feb 15, 2021
Photo of Magpie60
Reviewed by Magpie60 from Missouri

5/5  rDev +19%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Was given this as a gift for Father’s Day. Opened it on Christmas Eve . It didn’t disappoint, an amazing cross between wine and beer, only side project approaches this .
Jan 01, 2021
The Dissident from Deschutes Brewery
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 1522 ratings