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Brew Revue: De Dolle Stille Nacht
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Brew Revue: De Dolle Stille Nacht
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| Mr. Oerbier, cup in hand, as Mr. December |
| De Dolle Brouwers |
Yesterday, we stuck our nose in a Christmas beer book by local writer and beer guy Joe Sixpack. Today, we will stick our nose in a real Christmas beer. De Dolle Stille Nacht is an unspiced ale brewed in Esen, Belgium by a pair of brothers who rescued a historic 19th-century brewery for a lark, and ended up creating a renowned line of light-hearted but complex ales.
Stille Nacht, which means "silent night," pours a tarnished gold color, with a fluffy off-cream colored head. An initial nose into the glass reveals citrus and sour aromas, as well as a hot whiff of alcohol. At 12 percent ABV, Stille Nacht is best removed from the refrigerator and allowed to warm, still capped, for 10 minutes before serving.
The body is spritzy and effervescent, with flavors of orange zest and vanilla at first taste. As the beer warms, the flavors develop and change on the palate, revealing an amazingly complex ale driven by a seriously funky house yeast. From the first citrus splash, banana and spice flavors emerge, then stone fruits — mostly peaches — and finally toffee and candi sugar. Though the beer is dark golden in color, the body is full and creamy, with suspended particles of yeast creating a haze in the glass. Holding a mouthful on the tongue reveals the truly knockout (but well-integrated) quantity of booze in this ale.
De Dolle Brouwers means "the mad brewers," and the brothers have worked hard to make fine, unique beers that retain a sense of whimsy and magic. Due to cultish devotion to this particular beer, quantities are extremely limited. Bella Vista Beer is expecting a delivery of cases of Stille Nacht by Tue., Dec. 2. The $86, 24-bottle case is the perfect size: eight beers for drinking, eight beers for giving, and eight to cellar and drink on a future silent night.
Bella Vista Beer & Soda Distributors, 755 S. 11th St., 215-627-6465, bellavistabeverage.com
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