This beer was released late in 2020 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of De Dolle Brouwers on the 15th November 1980. Hence ‘XL’ (40) Pale Ale!
It is made from a simple recipe of original floor-malted Simpson Maris Otter Pale Ale malt and is dry-hopped with Poperinge-grown Whitbred Golding hops with the addition of bitter orange peel. And with a nod to the past, the beer was brewed in the old 1921 copper brewhouse that Chris recovered to start his brewery.
It pours a slightly cloudy straw colour, with a fluffy white foam. The aroma is of strong Belgian yeast, citrus, grassy or herbal hops and a grainy malt. In the taste there is a little early sweetness from the malt. The peppery yeast combines with the earthy hops and good carbonation for a lively mouthfeel.
The bitter orange peel comes through from the mid-palate and continues in the aftertaste. Quite dry in the finish with a firm bitterness, it is a different beer from the usual De Dolle offerings but one I enjoyed (a few times!)
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