De Dolle Stille Nacht 11.2 oz

Belgian Pale Strong Christmas Ale

Brewed by: De Dolle Brewers
Country: Belgium
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Color: Golden

ABV (Alcohol by Volume): 12.0%
Cellaring: Yes
Ratebeer.com rating: 99
BeerAdvocate.com rating: 93

De Dolle Stille Nacht (ABV 12%) is a Belgian Strong Pale Ale specially brewed for Christmas, with pale malt and white candy sugar. Nugget hops give extra bitterness to balance the extreme sweetness due to the beer's density. The sweetness is further complemented with some acidity from the fermentation. De Dolle highly recommend this beer for cellar aging, and have kept samples from every bottling with satisfying results.

Stille Nacht pours golden orange with a massive, frothy, off-white head and aromas of fresh bread, honey, orange, toffee, and vanilla.

Taste follows the nose, with sweet, malty, floral, and spicy notes supported by a medium-bodied mouthfeel with lively carbonation, and a finish that is slightly bitter and dry.

Brewery information:

Located in Esen, a small town in the West Flanders region of Belgium, the brewery of De Dolle Brouwers ("The Mad Brewers" in English) was founded in 1980 by brothers Kris and Jo Herteleer.

A closed and dilapidated brewery site with nearly 150 years of history came to the attention of the brothers Herteleer, one a medical student and the other an architectural student and award-winning home-brewer. Looking to take a chance and make a change, they purchased and rehabilitated the brewery. Friends and neighbors told them they were crazy to pursue such a venture (perhaps the reason they called themselves The Mad Brewers) but skill and persistence paid off.

Their very first commercial offering, Oerbier, was released to high acclaim both locally and internationally and remains to this day the brewery's flagship ale.

Relying on meticulous attention to quality, a tried and true application of brewer's savvy and innovation, and an irrepressible talent for witty and whimsical promotion, De Dolle Brouwers built (and maintains) a loyal and vocal following and remains a revered and formidably successful producer of the Belgian Strong Ale style with exports worldwide.