De Ranke Père Noël from Brouwerij De Ranke
Rating: B+
Appearance: Light brown in color, more than amber. Clear. Nice head, moderate retention and lacing.
Smell: Complex aroma of spicy hops, toasted malts, Belgian yeast, and interesting assortment of Christmas spices in the background that fortunately remain in the background and nondescript.
Taste: Solid bitterness, which I was expecting from de Ranke. Sweet toasty malts, Belgian yeast flavor and caramel are balanced nicely by the bitterness. More complex and balanced than the XX Bitter, but I think I prefer that one in the end, precisely because it is less balanced. Works as a seasonal, however.
Mouthfeel & Drinkability: Light-medium body, appropriate carbonation. Perhaps drinkability would have been improved by dropping the spices. Otherwise, XX bitter plus more malt is a good description. As a Christmas seasonal, though? One of the best.
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed on: 01-26-2008 17:00:50
Rating: B+
Appearance: Light brown in color, more than amber. Clear. Nice head, moderate retention and lacing.
Smell: Complex aroma of spicy hops, toasted malts, Belgian yeast, and interesting assortment of Christmas spices in the background that fortunately remain in the background and nondescript.
Taste: Solid bitterness, which I was expecting from de Ranke. Sweet toasty malts, Belgian yeast flavor and caramel are balanced nicely by the bitterness. More complex and balanced than the XX Bitter, but I think I prefer that one in the end, precisely because it is less balanced. Works as a seasonal, however.
Mouthfeel & Drinkability: Light-medium body, appropriate carbonation. Perhaps drinkability would have been improved by dropping the spices. Otherwise, XX bitter plus more malt is a good description. As a Christmas seasonal, though? One of the best.
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed on: 01-26-2008 17:00:50
No comments:
Post a Comment