De Ranke Père Noël

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

Bottle immediately gushed upon opening. Pours a murky orange color with a big, fizzy, white Belgian head that fades quickly to a thin layer of lace. The aroma has lots of spicy and peppery phenols blended with grapefruit, banana, alcohol, yeast, and candi sugar with a faint graininess. The flavor is much more muted than the aroma. There is some hop bitterness but it’s more sharp and piny than the grapefruit aroma would suggest. Somewhat sour, acidic finish with an odd metallic/vegetal quality lingering on the palate afterward. Dull grassy, wheaty, slightly burnt caramel malts make up the background of the flavor. Sticky medium body with soft carbonation. I’m guessing this was potentially infected judging by the off flavor and the gushing.

bottle, pours light gold, tall frothy white head. Aroma is spicy malt and hops with a hint of alcohol. Light malt backbone turning moderatly bitter with a touch of light spice(pepper?) in the finish. Pretty refreshing.

.333->trappist: Pours a small, frothy, lasting, white head atop a hazy, lightly cloudy orange body. Aroma of caramel and light hops, honey and brown sugar. The body is medium, the texture sticky, and the finish astringent. The flavor’s duration is average, being moderately acidic and bitter with a hint of minerals. An OK one time try, but I’m not crazy about it.

Dark amber color with a nice cloudy white head. Slight dark fruity aroma, the hops are nicley presented. Slight yeast flavor. Lightly sweet a little tangy. Hoppy and a little spicey. Medium bodied, has a zesty aftertaste somewhat dry. Yes, it needs to sit a little while.

In the ridculously paper wrapped bottle from Beertopia. Pours cloudy golden with a huge ivory colored head. Very carbonated. Has a mild orange aroma. A fairly hoppy aroma. The flavor hops are big. Due to the strong bitterness, this does not taste very Belgian. This could just as easily be an American pale ale. At room temperature, this seems so harshly bitter that you really can’t drink it.

Part of 3 sampler, 10 cl poured into white wine glass at Birra Artigianale di Qualita in Milan. Egg/pennies aroma. 2 finger head disappears quickly after the pour. Some minimal lace. Good bite on the tongue, very smooth and crisp not what I expected from a Christmas ale but still interesting.

Bottle. Pours a hazy amber/orange with a small, firm head, which stays. Nice lacing. Aroma has oranges in the vicinity of the glass. In the glass it’s hops and yeast. As it warms, it becomes spicy with a heavy alcoholic fruitiness. Flavour has a bit of plastic first, then hops, yeast and alcohol. Slight tartness as it warms. Bitter alcoholic finish mixed with apple notes and remote hops. Notes of salmiac as it warms. Lingering bitterness. Although not a fantastic flavour (but decent), it’s a good, robust one, and not too alcoholic, although the alcohol’s there. 04-02-09.

Bottle thanks to dchmela. Best before September 2013. Pours with a foamy, off-white head and a murky orange body. Aroma of spicy and citrus hops with white grapes, pears and dryness with an ever so slightly funky yeast. Taste is very dry with a touch of earth and, dirt and pine hops. Quite a bitter finish which sort of marred drinkability in this beer. Lively carbonation and dry mouthfeel.