Pranqster - North Coast Brewing Co.

Robert_Ray

Arizona

4.76/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Wow! This one blew me away. I was expecting a good ale based on the reviews, but wow! Fruit and honey notes. Strong alcohol at 7.8% and a nice feeling afterward. Belgian Ales are my favorite and I like finding an American beer that is up there with Chimay and Duvel (which are of course, gifts from God).

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 02:27:48 | More by Robert_Ray

Benish

Wisconsin

4.18/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a snifter glass. The beer presented a somewhat hazy appearance, not too cloudy, it's almost clear as opposed to most traditional wheat beers. I did not smell ripen bananas (I thought traditionally you would with Belgian Ales?) but I did get the smell of orange juice - some subtle citrus but not overpowering citrus like you get in IPA's. I'm new in the world of Belgian Ales but this was what came to mind.

The taste was great. I got spices, some cloves, maybe some lemon zest and fruits, I'm thinking particularly Turkish Apricots. It was also tad bit peppery. The beer lingers in my mouth after swallowing - consisting both the sweetness and bitterness. Almost as if I ate an orange peel. Awesome.

Overall great beer! My dad and I picked this up at Trader Joe's one day and thought to try it.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 13:37:17 | More by Benish

faulkster4

Virginia

2.5/5  rDev -37.8%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.75

Cloudy pour, no head, smells like sewer water, and called pranqster! Should I be surprised that this isn't the best beer I've ever had? Not sure who has rated this beer highly because it really has nothing to offer other than it has a nice light feel in the mouth and the taste does not linger. I really try to appreciate the positive attributes of every beer but this one really challenges me. At least it has a 7.6% alcohol content. Bottom line: they named this beer perfectly. I won't fall for their joke twice though!

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 23:09:54 | More by faulkster4

Braz

Washington

4.01/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased at 99 Bottles.
Appearance: Clear gold with tall white head. Leaves beautiful soft lace on top.
Smell: Dry apple and slightly tart fruit.
Taste: Sweet with a good dose of boozy character. A bit of plum or pear flavor. Light spice notes, coriander perhaps.
Mouthfeel: Full and slippery after feel. Very smooth, medium to high carbonation.
Overall: Quite good. Only complaint is it's a little too sweet for my palate.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 03:59:23 | More by Braz

T100Mark

California

3.94/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle in a pint shaker glass. Funny label.

Appearance - Golden color. Hazy. The head is made up of very fine bubbles. The head sticks around for a while but there is no lacing to speak of.

Smell - Belgian Sour.

Taste - Sour. Tangy. Mild citrus flavors. Herbal? Slightly bitter aftertaste. Fine, fizzy carbonation.

Mouth - Fizzy. A little oily. This beer difinately has a presence.

Overall - This is a very unique (odd?) beer. An interesting mix of flavors. I enjoyed it but I would not push this beer on others. An acquired taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 02:00:52 | More by T100Mark

YieldToNothing

New York

4.51/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

this is very reminiscent of duvel. extremely easy to drink. smell has that belgian funk going on, but it certainly doesn't overpower.
taste is crisp and clean. very easy to drink given the abv. if you're into belgian golden ales, try this beer, you will enjoy it, well crafted, not controvercial at all

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 04:49:36 | More by YieldToNothing

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.94/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A nice golden color with a tall white head on top. The head though tall fades quickly and fizzles as it fades. Not a lot of lacing.
Malty aroma with some sutle hints of spices and yeast.
Taste is pretty good. There is a light sweetness on my first sip followed by malts and spicy yeast esters hinting on cloves and earth.
Drinks smooth and soft almost flat but drinks well.
I think this is a good beer that could easily stand up to the beligum boys.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 11:16:53 | More by micromaniac129

RevRaymer

North Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

So, perhaps it isn't really fair for me to review this beer because I have very limited experience with Belgian Ales. However, I'm reviewing it because if this is a good example of Belgians than I might just have to try and find some more.

The beer pours a dark amber with very little head. You immediately get a great smell. Lots of floral with this beer.

It has a very nice feel that and a nice smooth taste. The malt and hops are very well balanced. There is a bitterness but nothing overpowering.

Overall, it is just a very pleasant beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 02:00:32 | More by RevRaymer

frankiepop

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Looks gold to orange.

Smell: Malty.

Taste: Coriander spice with malty sweetness though seems very simple. Taste almost like or just like some good Belgian tripels. Sweet and simple. A bit too fizzy. Rocks for a pale ale. Reminds me of a good Belgian tripel.

Beer goes with a little rock and roll. Todd Rundgren's Beatlesque 'Deface the Music' would be an excellent complement to this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 21:09:57 | More by frankiepop

BeerlyLegal

California

4.2/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Although named "Pranqster" this brew isn't joking around. One of the best Belgian's I've had.

A very smooth taste with a sweet/sour finish. A great beer to start the night off with. An ABV of 7.6% two of these will have your ready for any occasion.

Very light fruity taste that still delivers a punch. Smell of apricot, grape and lemon. It has a fair amount of carbonation and many floral attributes.

North Coast does it again!

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 07:03:31 | More by BeerlyLegal

alex_hart

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

7.6 % abv...taste some bitter hopps at the very front of the mouth at first taste..it then becomes very smooth in the middle and leaves a sweet taste of Belgian yeast at the back of the mouth ...not overly hoppy so it is a good way to get untrained taste buds to start getting acclimated

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 04:25:58 | More by alex_hart

glb3

Washington

4.49/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It's nice to see some of our American breweries producing quality Belgian style ales. Pranqster is one that competes very handily with those coming from across the pond. The fact that it is easy to find is a bonus. I actually like this ale better than Duvel. The flavors of Pranqster are a little bolder, thanks to the Belgian yeast "funk", and it's not quite as carbonated as Duvel. Pranqster is a beer that I can drink often, and not get tired of it.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 21:52:39 | More by glb3

Bernardkowalski

5/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: i thought a beer could not be more gold and then i saw this one being poured. came out with a clear white head too it, so beautiful so bright like the sun. funny thing too is it made a diamond design in the foam settling in my beer. the beer in its self seems to be alive, just subtle, not too jittery.

S: Has that citrus sharp Belgian unique aroma too it, can't ask for anything better.

T: Nice sharp entrance too it, goes right down the pipe and leaves no trail to hate on. almost can taste every ingredient that makes a beer sour in here... you have tangerine, lime, lemon, citrus, peach and so much more. honestly love it so much. high in carbonation tho, so if not a fan, stay away.

M: one you could just sip on for hours and hours and hours :)

i have too say overall this beer is just fucking fantastic, i have been living my life in one big lie this whole time, until this beer told me the truth. Thinking that i was a huge fan of IPA's was nice and all, and hell i got a lot of common folks saying the same thing, but in reality that just was not me. I am not gonna say that i hate them because that would be a fib as well, i enjoy IPA's, that is a fact. BUT I LOVE BELGIAN STRONG PALE ALE'S !!!

thank you pranqster.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 05:00:57 | More by Bernardkowalski

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter.

A: Cloudy golden yellow with two-finger, white, fizzy head that lasted a minute or two. Not much lacing.

S: Citrus, Belgian spice and yeast.

T: Moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Spice, bubble gum, and citrus. Apple.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. Crisp and slightly dry.

O: Well rounded, above average Belgian Strong Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 03:56:17 | More by SolipsismalCat

heygeebee

Australia

4.3/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

From Camperdown Cellars.

Pours hazy light gold. Head stays for a while then recedes to film.

Aromas of Belgian Yeast, sugar, orange peel, nice.

Taste is delicate, yeasty, sweet-ish, but perfectly balanced. Hint of banana.

Mouthfeel lightly carbonated. Maybe too lightly.

Good, really solid effort at style. Not quite Duvel, but quite close. Just lacks the champagne mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 10:35:37 | More by heygeebee

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

4.24/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance - Pours a golden straw with a finger width of bubbly white head.

Smell - Belgian yeast, clove, spices, lemon zest.

Taste - Spiciness and Belgian yeast along with the citrus and clove flavours.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Light fluffiness to the body. Dry finish.

Overall - A nicely crafted Belgian pale ale by North Coast. Nice drinkability and upholds all the characteristics of the style (citrus, clove, etc).

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 04:07:43 | More by leaddog

Resuin

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 ounce bottle purchased as part of a 4-pack poured into a Golden Monkey Goblet. Dusty bottle.

Appearance: Pours a hazy gold with a solid inch+ of white fluffy head that doesn't hang around too long but looks wonderful before it fades. Looks pretty well carbonated and light-bodied.

Smell: Banana and bubblegum up front - smells like a hefe. Very pleasant and not overbearing at all.

Taste: After a sip I feel deceived by my nose. This tastes like a belgian ale, not as much like a hefeweizen as the smell indicated. A bit of the banana, bubblegum flavors stick around but they are definitely in the background. Maybe some lemon in there with the bread and yeast tones.

Mouth-feel: Pretty well carbonated and relatively light bodied. It does not feel like it is 7.6%, it's very light and fluffy.

Overall: A surprisingly adequate beer. Overall, I was impressed. Extremely drinkable and refreshing, I would call this more of a Belgian Pale Ale (leaving out the strong), but it is not a conventional pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 05:17:37 | More by Resuin

jgammoniv

Maine

4.29/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Nice amber color with thin dense head.
sweet fruity nose
A very sweet golden ale. you can taste the sugar syrup.
The effervesence helps lighten the syrupy qualities.
Overall a very easy drinking Belgian beer.
Reminds me of summer.
I will have to try again with BBQ.

after trying several more bottles I have noticed a lessening of the sugary syrup quality and think it may have just been a very 'fresh' bottle. I have also grown to like this beer even more.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 04:26:09 | More by jgammoniv

SerialHiker

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a lovely, hazy golden color…medium transparency, I can see tons of bubbles in the middle…little head formed and nothing really retained…it looks a little flat, but it does pick back up when I swirl it around…there was tons of sediment still at the bottom of the bottle, making me wonder how old exactly this beer is…it’s still a very lively beer though, bubble action has lasted 15/20 minutes…(3.75/5)

Smell: Very light and crisp…tons of Belgian yeast aroma blended nicely with zesty citrus (orange, lemon), green apple, grains and floral hops…a nice, but expected Belgian ale smell…(4.25/5)

Taste: Yeast, fruit (green apple, d’anjou pear), honey, grains, banana, orange peel, coriander, sweet bready malts, wheat and a tiny bit of bubblegum…tons going on here, a very lovely Belgian beer…(4.25/5)

Mouthfeel: Crisp, light to medium body with light carbonation...a refreshing brew…some what tart and bitter in the after taste…(3.75/5)

Overall: A nice, drinkable, sessionable beer here that has risen towards the top of my favorite Belgians…classic Belgian profile in smell and taste, my only knock is the mouthfeel is a bit soft…other than that, there’s really not much to sum up here, it’s a good brew that deserves to be drank…(4/5)

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 01:55:55 | More by SerialHiker

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.11/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A finger and half of head on a slightly hazy, light golden colored body.
The aroma is bright and sunny: light lemon, grain and flowers.
The flavor is lemon with a little malt, hardly any sweetness and finishes with a dry bitterness.
Smooth texture with a slight fizz. Moderate carbonation and medium body.
Quite delicious. Find it, buy it, drink it.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 04:19:00 | More by Fatehunter

Mojo

Alabama

3.8/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle -> World Market tulip.

This beer pours up a medium gold that is a little hazy due to suspended yeast. Not much of a head, no retention, and no lacing. The nose is floral and bananas. Taste is kind of lemon, clove, and banana on the frotn end morphing into a very dry not very bitter finish. Mouthfeel is excellent with a lot of carbonation. This one is okay. Not great, not world class, but not a cull.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 02:51:22 | More by Mojo

Tomhet

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A slow, relaxed pour yields a fleeting finger and a half eggshell white head that leaves only the faintest trace of lacing. Appearance is a cloudy golden hue with a small, suspended colony of yeast moving about. Smell is somewhat par for the course regarding the style, but there's something surprisingly complex about it. Banana and spiced clove hits you first, followed by some sweeter peach notes and a small stinging boozy note that meshes pretty well with the fruit notes (though I REALLY had to dig for it).

Banana hits the palate immediately, followed by the spiced clove. What follows is a somewhat lackluster middle that quickly returns to livelihood with a waxy, bitter finish. I do notice that the bigger sips you take, the bolder spiced fruits come to life and give this beer another dimension that's certainly worth experiencing. Carbonation is medium to light, and the mouthfeel is quite wet and slick. Overall, this is a remarkably drinkable beer that is ideal for sessions.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 05:42:22 | More by Tomhet

tectactoe

Michigan

3.91/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a banana yellow, cloudy wheat color. Somewhat volatile on the pour, producing a thick white head that settles pretty quickly; no real traces of lacing left behind. The aroma is on par for a BPA - full of some earthy but mainly fruity esters; bananas and slight pear. The Belgian yeast is apparent with the clove spice and ever-so-slight bubblegum hint in the background. On the palate, the fruitiness of the esters is somewhat subdued and the clove plays a larger role. Some slight white pepper comes out, along with a light phenol alcohol character. Midway through, a small, leafy hop character pokes its head in, bringing a little bitter bite to balance the estery sweetness of the brew. Heavy wheat, bread, and yeast flavors in the aftertaste, including the aforementioned clove spice; biscuity, somewhat dry. Thin-medium body, heavy dose of carbonation, to be expected from a Belgian ale.

Pretty good BSPA, although the flavor was a little toned down compared to some others. Clove was the lead-man in this one, which was nice for a change. Well made and well crafted, this is a very good beer that I'd never turn down if someone offered it.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 16:32:24 | More by tectactoe

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Beer is light golden in colour. Moderate white head, fades very quickly.

Nose is quite floral, almost perfume like. Light fruits. A bit of spice and some yeast.

Taste contains light fruits, honey, yeast and some spices. For the style, slightly on the sweet side, but the finish is a bit dry.

Medium bodied, strongly carbonated.

Overall, pretty good BSPA. Not excellent, but certainly good. I would be happy to have it again but wouldn't seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 15:10:36 | More by jrenihan

sevenarts

New York

2.05/5  rDev -49%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A: Translucent golden orange, very small and quickly dissipating white head, no lacing.

S: Ripe, sweet fruit, almost like bubblegum, very bright and bold. Kind of artificial and one-dimensional.

T/M: As with the nose, this is dominated by flavors more usually associated with a hefeweizen than a Belgian pale: banana and bubblegum, along with sugary fruits, a touch of sweet malty caramel, and some peppery spices. The bubblegum is layered over everything else though.

O: Not really a fan of the flavor profile on this one. The bright, sugary, artificial bubblegum dominates both the aroma and the taste, and the result is just overbearingly fruity. A very simple brew in comparison to true Belgians, and pretty disgusting to boot. Couldn't even finish a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 23:45:45 | More by sevenarts