One of Belgium's Most Interesting Breweries
In the village of Esen, near Diksmuide in West Flanders, is one of Belgium’s quirkiest breweries – De Dolle Brouwers. De Dolle is Flemish for The Mad Brewers, and they live up to their name. The history of the brewery building goes back to 1835, but its current incarnation began in 1980, when owner and brewer, Kris Herteleer, and his brother Jo, restored the brewery space and established De Dolle Brouwers as a producer of non-industrial specialty beers. His first beer was Oerbier (“Original Beer”), which is still the flagship beer today. The product line now consists of nine core brands plus limited releases. De Dolle continues to get critical acclaim and win awards in Belgium and abroad.
Brewer and Artist
Kris Herteleer is not only a brewer but an artist, graphic designer and architect. He designed the unique brewery artwork and labels, along with portraits of local people, which adorn the walls as you enter the building. One of his prominent creations is the “Oerbier Man,” basically a budding yeast cell caricature, that has become the symbol of the brewery, along with their slogan “Nat en Straf” which translates to “Wet and Strong” in English. While “Straf” means “strong,” it also means “daring” and that describes De Dolle well, since they are true trailblazers.
Special Beer Revival
When De Dolle opened in 1980, the global conglomerate, Interbrew (predecessor to AB InBev) had bought out many of Belgium’s small artisanal breweries and was putting out a lot of overly sweet fruit beers and sugared blondes. Also, Pilsners from Germany and the Czech Republic were putting Belgian breweries out of business. Herteleer was one of the first brewers to resurrect the small artisanal Belgian brewery with De Dolle. Soon, other artisanal and family breweries followed suit. The “special beer” revival was underway and Belgians embraced it. In addition to unique recipes, Herteleer pioneered hoppier beers, the use of multiple malts and aging in wine (rather than spirits) barrels.
The Brewery
De Dolle Brews the Traditional Way on Old Equipment
De Dolle’s brewing system may look a bit cobbled-together but it produces some of the finest beers in Belgium. It includes an antique mash tun, a brew kettle that is insulated all-around, a coolship and an old, but efficient, bottling line. There is a collection of ancient brewing devices scattered around the brewery.
De Dolle’s tasting room is small and quaint, but warm and friendly. Off the tasting room, there is an outside terrace looking out onto a beautiful green farm field. The are few places in the world that are better for sipping a fine beer on a nice day.
De Dolle’s Beer Lineup is Broad and Diverse
Oerbier – De Dolle’s “original” beer – dark, strong (9.0%) and malty (seven malts) with a nice wild character, from souring bacteria and wild yeast. Oerbier Reserva, a wine barrel-aged version, is released in certain years.
Stille Nacht (Silent Night) – a strong (12%) blonde winter beer that has been voted Belgium’s best Christmas beer no fewer than eight times at the annual Christmas Beer Festival in Essen (not to be confused with Esen). Stille Nacht Reserva, a wine barrel-aged version, is released every five years.
Arabier – a hoppy (60 IBUs) amber ale that comes across as an IPA (although Herteleer won’t call it that) with a wonderful yeast profile. 8.0%ABV.
Dulle Teve (Mad Bitch) – a 10% ABV Tripel.
Lichtervelds – an 8.0% Strong Golden Ale.
Extra Export Stout – A strong (9.0%) Belgian-style Stout with wild yeasts and bacteria in the tradition of the original English and Irish Stouts.
Boskeun – a strong (9-10%) Easter beer named after Kris Herteleer’s brother, Jo, who helped build the brewery before moving to South America. Rich and complex.
XL Pale Ale – an orange-colored pale ale with malty, spicy and fruity aromas and flavor and a touch of citrusy sourness. 6.5% ABV.
Oeral – a 5.3% ABV hoppy Belgian Pale Ale.
De Dolle is widely recognized as producing some of the finest artisanal ales in Belgium, or anywhere else for that matter. They are hard to find in the U.S. but if you do find them, scoop them up. Better yet, visit the brewery the next time you are in Belgium. It is truly an unforgettable experience!
