De Dolle Stille Nacht (Silent Night) is usually one of the more anticipated winter beer releases of the season for those who chase Belgian beers. Brewed with pale malt and white candy sugar, Stille Nacht packs a big punch with a big ABV. To balance out the sweetness needed to generate the high alcohol, an extra dose of Nugget hops is added to ramp up the balancing bitterness. The brewery is proud of this beer and encourages its fans to mark the year on the cap and cellar this beer for while. Last year, they even did a full vertical test from 2000-2014. You can read the results at this link.
This review is for the 2014 vintage and was tasted on February 26th, 2015. The 2015 edition will be hitting stores soon!
Appearance: Gold, light haze, off white head, great retention.
Aroma: Banana, spice, banana creme, vanilla, mango, fruity, citrus hints.
Taste: Orange, Banana, spice.
Overall Impression: For as high as the ABV is, this is an incredibly smooth beer. Full bodied with a big bite, it has a very creamy mouthfeel that finishes long. Most of all, the big dose of hops really does bring the beer into balance. If you’ve never had a De Dolle beer, seek them out. And if you find this one, jump on it while you can. It’s worth the search.
Availability: Seasonally in very small quantities. Imported byB. United International.
12% ABV
If you’d like to read more review of De Dolle beers, you can do so on my page dedicated to brewery.
