De Ranke Père Noël

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

On tap (well actually poured out of a jug) at the Foreign Bar, Bedford BF ’08. Copper with a small white head. Why, according to the Commercial Description, is copper a ’festive’ colour?Sweet slightly leafy aroma. Fizzy, underarm malt taste. Some late bitterness. Not very good, to be honest, considering this was two quid (GBP) for a half pint.

Hazy amber-orangeish hue, with a fluffy white head, yeasty, fruity ripe apple nose, with a nice floral hop accent, with a hint of spiciness in the aroma follows through on a medium-bodied palate with a yeasty, raw grainy, malty character, with some light fruity notes, a flowery hop citrusy bitterness, leading towards a floral hop bittering finish.

Aroma:light caramel,dark fruit,light brown sugar... Appearance:Clear amber,good creamy head.. Flavor:light bitterness,light cramel,light fruit...

Bottle; from a Christmas in Belgium pack; I think this is my final one. Poured an amber/orange color with a huge off white head. Head lingered with a milky looking top. Aroma of yeast, caramel, vanilla, vegetables and herbs. Pretty good flavor; nice and dry, with a hint of earthy hoppiness. Alot of yeast, some fruit and bread; some apple, fruit and flowers to.

Notes from beer tasting back in December 7th@ Delilah’s. Finally found out the full name of this. Poured amber with a thick beige head. Big malty/fruity aroma. Yeasty, fruity flavor. Light alcohol finish. Hints of cream in the finish. Nice.

33 cl bottle. Creamy white good mostly lasting head. Orange colour. Heavy malty and hoppy aroma. Great orange notes. Moderate bitter flavor. Very fruity. Moderate bitter average finish. Oily palate. nice.

Bouteille de 330 ml obtenue via Importations Privées Bièropholie. Arôme: Odeur de caramel et d’épices avec une pointe d’houblon. Apparence: La couleur est ambrée voilée avec une fiable densité de bulle. Présence d’un large col crémeux et d’une large dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût d’houblons avec une pointe d’épices et de caramel. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement crémeuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Légère amertume d’houblon en arrière goût. (Rating #1885)

Bottled August 2007. A luminescent pour of marigold and a firm, but thin cap of white, slowly to recede. Aroma of cinnamon and pear flesh; herbal, sweet, and dark. An adhesive-like spicy-tart character that suggests the interplay of mature yeasts with still-fresh hops. Lightly papery with whispers of phenols, and abundant herbs and flowers; I can almost feel the bees gathering on this aroma. Still, it’s hidden in the basement; musty, dingy and damp; the best quality of the aroma is certainly the playfulness of the yeasts with the sparkly sharp edged hops. It seems at a pretty ideal point of age for that reason.

Flavor is a dried out apple, dusted in dandelion petals, autumn leaves, and jasmine flowers. A bright mineral glint, but it’s soft, and hazy. Coriander seeds. A bit of lemon. Flavors seem to pop up suddenly and all with great subtlety; none there to steal the show but for cameo only; this is a perfect approach for a beer of this style and exemplifies what’s so lovable about it. A creamy calm of wildflower honey in the middle, tempered in a plain wooden bitterness; at times seeming somewhat empty, but righting itself quickly, into a pleasant white fruit flavor toward the finish.

Palate is brisk and bright, while somewhat autumnal in feel; medium body, slightly sharp, and long in the end; bitterness of dandelion and herb character that gets quite papery. Good yeast and hop character throughout, with enough firmness underneath for it to seem fulsome despite its general light-heartedness. Another fine offering from one of my favorite breweries.