A very special tasting

Now I know that the festive period is just a distant memory but what I'm about to review now is what has undoubtedly been my "Holy Grail" since my love affair with Belgian beer first began.

It's no secret that my favourite beer is the mind blowing Stille Nacht from the mad brewers of Essen and what we have here is the highly sought after barrel aged version, namely Stille Nacht Reserva.
A beer that is only released once every 5 years (since 2000) and in very limited quantities.

The release here is the latest 2010 Reserva (yes even though it was released in 2013) what it is in fact is the regular 2010 beer (hence the date) matured for 25 months in Bordeaux barrels then bottled and released to the eager waiting public.

The bottle in question belonged to our great friend Filip Geerts (who runs the outstanding site Belgian Beer Board) he most generously brought that precious bottle (and a bottle of the wonderful Winterkoninske Grand Cru) to the recent bottle share that was held during the weekend of the 6th Bruges Beer Festival - the location for this magical evening that great bar of Rudy's - De Bierboom (located on Langestraat and well worth a visit)

Now for the taste..............................

The Reserva pours a clear deep amber with the slightest suggestion of a faint white head that in the blink of an eye vanishes, leaving behind a sticky, oily film - a result no doubt of the lengthy barrel ageing process and the formidable 13% ABV.

A powerful aroma of woody oak-like tannins, sticky sweet caramels, red skin grapes, along with that there's the regular Stille Nacht jammy characteristic - only this time very much in the background.

Taste....WOW........instantly you get the barrel ageing then grape like vinous notes along with slightly tart red skinned fruits, then you get the toffee, jammy sweetness combined with rich plum bread before  an alcoholic Port like finish.

So there we have it, my search over - and was it worth the 10 year wait.....HELL YES!!!! now it's just a waiting game until the release of SN Reserva 2015.