De Ranke Père Noël

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

Pours a cloudy golden orange with decent head that receeds at a quicker pace. If you pour the sediment in, it is a dark golden brown. Nose is slightly yeasty with the same level (or less) of citrus and overall that Belgian beer nose you come to expect. What an...odd...flavor. Lots of things going on here, but nothing that stands alone. Sweet like honey at first, and then a strike of spices comes over your tongue. Then there is an almost metallic tone that hits the roof of your mouth and takes over- but I think it is from spices, not any metallic influence on the bottle. If you pour the sediment in, it seems to be smoother with a more balanced profile. Feel is standard and heavy with carbonation, but not overdone. Very drinkable, though not highly so because it is such an enigma on the palate. Overall worth trying I would say. But not because of any particular thing. It is just a very mysterious beer. Here, there, but nowhere. I suggest trying to mix up the sediment in the beer as it seemed to provide a more even and smooth experience.

750 bottle corked, capped, and wrapped in a nice paper. certainly some care taken in bottling this one. bb. 09/2012 bottled 9/2007 wish all bottles had this info. poured an orange amber in color with a one finger thick head of light tan froth and slowly rising carbination. nice looking with some light sediment. aroma has nice malt, spices, yeast, some sharp hops, and citrus. mouth feel is medium light with some creamy thickness and more carbination than it lets on with. good balance, nice malted body with layers of spices and hops. yeast adding a whole other floral spice layer. i can see with a little age how this could be really nice.

Bought at Cracked Kettle, Amsterdam. Amber cloudy beer with a nice foamy white head. The slowly opened aroma is spicy coriander and liqueric fruits, caramel, a little vanilla and floral hop. Flavor is spicy with coriander, a strong and good balanced hop, caramel and roasted malt, dried fruits like apricot and some raisins. Bittery, dry finish with coriander. Fine beer!

My son brought a bottle for the Holidays. Amber color, slightly hazy, modest head. Very nice balance with some fruity belgian yeast background. Nice level of spices

75 cl bottle from Ohtsuki. Another gusher from De Ranke! I need a plastic table cloth whenever I open their beers. Light copper colored beer with a tall, rocky head. Aroma of dry, citrus hops, pine, green apples, golden malts and honey. There is a bit of barnyard funk in there too, but just a bit. Controlled sweetness, dry, with a touch of caramel. Hoppy flavor with subdued caramel malt. Citrus, pine, honey, minerals. Very earthy, with a subdued fruity sweetness and big noble hops. Elegant, dry, and wonderfully balanced. Can’t tell what spices are in there. Love it.

soft efervescent nose, light citrus, star fruit quality with some spice. very pleasing nose. light hay, straw, clean light malts comming through, soft but dominating yeast flavor of fruity esthers, an underlying funky banana, light clove, way more belgian. all in all very light but quite pleasing.

Bottle 750ml (corked and capped)
Appearance: Murky ale , thick milky like appearance , good large top , medium fine lacing
Nose : Rich sweet honey , brown sugars , sweetness blended with good hop presence , caramel with yeast , spicy top 8-
Flavor/Palate : Clean bodied , light bitter feel. Rich fruity midlle. Smooth bodied with full mouthfeel . Late bitter ending . Harmonious brew . Solid offering.

750ML bottle, best before 10/06 drank on 3/03. Severe gushing when bottle is uncorked. Pours a cloudy orange with a small head. Yeasty light fruit aroma, light carbonation level. Finishes bitter and acidic.