De Ranke Père Noël

Brewed by Brouwerij De Ranke
Style: Belgian Ale
Dottignies/Dottenijs, Belgium

Bottle. High white creamy and lasting head. Hazy orange body. Fuit malt aroma. Alcohol dominated dry malt flavor with long aftertaste.

Rating # 990

Bottle from Christmas 2005
Pours a slightly hazy but luminescent amber body with a full ivory cap of head. The aroma is dry, fruity and rustic. The yeast is raw, woodsy, and faintly biscuity. The hops are present in the taste moreso than the aroma. Some cedar woodchip spicyness, some black peppercorns, and as the description says “a cellar aroma” yeah… I do get that, but in the flavor… it’s musty and funky… kind of like old papers that have been in a box in the cellar… like oxidation but not… Make any sense? There is a placid sweetness in the finish that is masked by that “cellar” thing… I suspect it’s yeast and hops combination? Anyhow… a profoundly complex straightforwardness all blended together made for a grand drinking experience!

Pours muddy golden yellow. Tiny white head. Powerful aroma with vinious tones. Flavours of sweet malts and vinious feel.

2004 – Clear amber body, thick off-white head; Quite big nose, it has both depth and complexity but could have more of both, lots of soft and sharp spicy aromas: anis, sweet chili, fresh bay leaf, fresh thyme, but also ripe sweet tomato, orange peel and chestnut; The body is a bit watery textured, has a sharp carbonation and is a bit bitter; It finishes of with a harshness that lasts quite long, but has only very little aroma. Maybe this beer should only be drunk very young? This one seriously lacks balance between nose and body.

Bottle at Bruxellensis Festival. Cloudy amber, thick beige head. Very hoppy aroma. Some spice. Very attractive, very suppable, very drinkable. Good hop on end. Bit of apricot fruit.

MMMM darn the bottle is empty. Poured a yellow color with a good head and good lacing. Aroma was oaky, grapes. Flavor was a good blend of light fruits hopts and a little funkyness. Solid beer and i enjoy the whole thing.

Another great beer from De Ranke, less bitter than XX but still worth every drop.

Cloudy yellow pour, very generous initial head with good retention and lacing. The aroma was sweet, oaky, and champagne-like with white grapes coming through. Flavor was nicely balanced with a medium amount of bitter hops cleaning up a palette of white grapes (not vinous), light apples, oak/wood, and some spicing I couldn’t place (anise?). Something almost rye-like or otherwise farmhouse funky in the background, but it was elusive to identify, yet pleasant and integral to my experience with this one. Mouthfeel was moderately bodied, significantly carbonated, and the alcohol well-hidden. A nice beer.