De Ranke Père Noël - Brouwerij De Ranke

thequeen711

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A nice Belgain Winter Ale, well balanced malts and hops. The malty flavours hit the palate initially, then ends with the bitterness of the hops. Light mouthfeel, easy to drink, not a heavy winter ale like most winter ales. Suggest this for a change to a light winter ale.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2010 02:07:57 | More by thequeen711

Hermthegerm

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

05-13-2013 00:07:48 | More by Hermthegerm

bigsquirrel

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%

04-15-2013 20:00:05 | More by bigsquirrel

UCLABrewN84

California

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

On tap at Lucky Baldwins in Pasadena, CA.

Pours a clear orange with a foamy bone head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, fruit, and slight spice aromas. Taste is much the same with spice and hop flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a low level of carbonation with an almost flat mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but the mouthfeel on this one isn't too good.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2013 23:50:38 | More by UCLABrewN84

beernads

Florida

3/5  rDev -21.3%

04-11-2013 07:19:42 | More by beernads

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.94/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

From: Binny's, Champaign, IL
Date: Best by 9/27/2017
Glass: Tulip

I'm not sure why this is considered a Christmas beer, considering it lacks the spices and obvious heaviness of many holiday-themed beers, but I suppose its winter release schedule is justification enough. Pere Noel is a complex, varied Belgian-style ale that manages to still come across as clean and distinct, rather than muddied, despite the myriad flavors from pale and caramel-like malts, bitter and grassy hops, and Belgian yeast. Hoppy, but not as intensely so as XX Bitter, I substantially enjoyed this beer, and like most in the De Ranke portfolio, found it ending far too early. If only this brewery's beers were more affordable, I'd happily enjoy them on a more frequent basis.

Pours a tall (>3cm) head of off-white to light beige foam, composed of small bubbles, looking fairly dense, yet declining in about a minute to a modest ring around the glass with some hazy residual foam atop the body of the beer. Lacing is present, nothing amazing, some moderate lines and clumps of foam remain attached to the walls of the glass. Beer is a semi-hazy (40-50% opacity) cold orange color, with light bringing out pale yellow and orange hues. Carbonation is visible through the haze, rising up from the bottom of the glass.

Aroma is sweet and malty, yet prominently featuring spicy hops and phenols. Background scents are somewhat grassy, with backing Belgian yeast and slight bubblegum. In general, complex and enjoyable.

The major flavors in the beer are pale-meets-light-caramel-malt sweetness, European hop bitterness with floral and grassy tones, and yeast with complex yeast-produced esters/phenols. Think of the experience as a hoppy, light caramel-colored Belgian ale. Front of palate finds floral and grassy hop flavors tied to a moderate malt sweetness (perhaps pilsner with a touch of some light caramel and munich malt?). Mid-palate is a well-balanced mix of pale and caramel malt with bitterness arising from European hop choices, and some interesting and hard-to-place flavors from the yeast (at different times I've gotten pie spices, coconut, ) that always seem to complement the beer fairly well. Back of palate is of European hop bitterness with light, sweet maltiness behind it, along with the continuation of the complex secondary yeast metabolites. Aftertaste is pleasantly bitter with a background of slight breadiness with pale to amber-colored malt sweetness, slight bubblegum and phenolics lingering from the yeast.

Beer is medium-bodied with carbonation of medium intensity, resulting in a slightly foamy, smooth, never fizzy mouthfeel that blends unobtrusively with the flavors. Closes quite dry, with modest stickiness lingering across the palate.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 05:08:30 | More by falloutsnow

acevenom

Louisiana

4.06/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter glass. The beer pours hazy orange golden with a thick off-white head that dissipates slowly. Some lacing is left on the side of the glass as the head retreats. The beer smells of barley malt with some nice fruity notes. I get lemon and banana as well as some clove and pepper spiciness. I'm also picking up some grassiness as well. The grassy hop notes provide a nice flavor for this beer as well as back end bitterness. I get the spice from the nose, but more of those pepper notes than the clove notes, but the clove notes do come out more in later sips. I also get plenty of that bready malt after the first sip. I don't notice the 7% ABV at all. The flavors are nicely balanced. The body is medium with moderate carbonation. The beer is smooth and there's a lingering aftertaste of hops from this beer. While the alcohol isn't present in the flavor, it brings a nice warming feel after a few sips. This is a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 00:12:42 | More by acevenom

zonker17

Illinois

4/5  rDev +5%

03-24-2013 23:41:50 | More by zonker17

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

03-20-2013 23:16:44 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

tfsimpkins

Florida

4/5  rDev +5%

02-25-2013 13:53:52 | More by tfsimpkins

hustlesworth

Ohio

3.09/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A- pours a hazy warm honey orange with a thick and creamy eggshell colored head. The foam has that hoppy look to it and there are chunks of lace stuck all over the glass.

S- nicely fruity and somewhat spicy aroma with plenty of yeast character. Melon, pear, banana, woodsy notes and peppery spice. Hops are lemony and grassy with a noble aroma. Kinda smells like a very yeasty pilsner.

T- interesting flavor. Almost chocolatey in a way so I'm wondering if there is any spice added to this beer. After a few sips, I also start to notice an odd flavor transition. The flavor isn't very fruity and it starts off with this weird sort of carob flavor, then on to some woodsy possibly grainy notes intermingled with what seems to be a combination of hop, yeast, and alcohol bitterness with some peppery spice. Finishes with a weird spice and slight tartness.

MF- feels almost watery although its not, and even thought there's plenty of carbonation it feels strangely flat and one-dimensional. Somewhat dry and clean on the palate.

D- I don't know about this one. It's not a bad beer but it seems all mixed up.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 03:43:47 | More by hustlesworth

Giantspace

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5%

02-22-2013 22:40:59 | More by Giantspace

Blanco

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5%

02-19-2013 03:58:29 | More by Blanco

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.6/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Served in a tulip glass and thanks to Luis for splitting the bottle.

Appearance: A hazy-cloudy amber with a ridiculous amount of bubbling on the body. `Real thick white head that the frame barely disappears that rose to just under a finger's length.

Smell: Light yeasty feel almost like baked bread. It is light or i would have gone a little higher.

Taste: Heavy yeast but comes off sour as well. I would best compare the taste to lemon skin meets rye bread. Hoppy, still bitter not too bad but not on the level of greatness.

Mouth: Medium, and sticks pretty well.

Overall: Not a bad brew, not sure if it's "Christmas" worthy. Worth trying but not keeping. Hope you have enjoyed better than me. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 01:50:35 | More by BlurryVisi0n

bsopko

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

02-16-2013 17:51:10 | More by bsopko

Mantooth

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

02-15-2013 00:51:30 | More by Mantooth

buckyp

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

02-05-2013 23:39:15 | More by buckyp

rolltide8425

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5%

02-05-2013 20:32:59 | More by rolltide8425

impending

California

3.45/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

B

750ml into a tulip. Pours a hazed amber, towering dense orange tinged head recedes to clumpy froth, excellent lacing.

Sweet spicy powdery yeast aroma. Clean and upbeat. Apple, apricot and ginger.

Low in sweetness, not particularly fruity. Sharp dry twang intros a surprising amount of equal part grass and earthy hop bitter which is pleasantly short lived. Bit more than thin bodied lively mouthfeel.
where's the licorice
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 06:28:48 | More by impending

Fatehunter

Oregon

2.49/5  rDev -34.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Three fingers of head on a cloudy, dark straw colored body.
The aroma is barnyardish with some wet hay and grapefruit. Tough to really like.
The taste is a mixture with a sourness throughout. There’s some lemon bitterness.
A fairly crisp and light texture with a nice fizz.
The mixed up flavor profile really set this back.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 02:28:55 | More by Fatehunter

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.91/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

I was happy to find this beer on my trip. I put that in the cart immediately.

I like the vibrant orange in the tulip glass. THe four inches of foam retained really well. This led to some very good lacing on the glass.

Off the top I get some really nice hoppy characteristics. There is some belgian yeast in the background (with a touch of sour). I get some decent spice presence on this one.

There is a lot going on in each sip. The belgian character comes through more in each sip.

Overall this is a good beer. It has good balance. I recommend trying it out.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 22:06:40 | More by ummswimmin

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5%

01-12-2013 04:31:48 | More by mick303

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer wants to be better.

Red-rose color (or copper?) - juicy glow. Head keeps good collar. Not a terribly inspiring to gaze upon. Caramel-malty and berry-jelly aromas. Some oxidation. Otherwise weak.

The taste hints at something more. Was this a weathered keg?

It's malty, mostly. Subtle background berry/spiced-apple fruitiness, vague smokiness starting midway, capped off with a warming, band-aid-y phenolic finish. Further along, a flavor I can only describe as tangy dough slurry, joins in.

Altogether, lacking in complexity and it, at best, shows moderate depth. The little dextriny roll on the tongue and dry snap is something to be positive about.... Nothing to recommend here.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2013 04:22:41 | More by Bouleboubier

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - bottle erupted in foam as soon as it was cracked, consequently pouring to about 50% head on the first glass, swampy yellow brown
S - spicy and funky sour citrus yeastiness, touch of leafy greens
T - pepper and mineral qualities up front, light sour orange and lime citrus, somewhat grassy and metallic, all good BPA qualities but nothing really making it specifically and xmas beer
M - fairly light with big Belgian carbonation, slightly puckering, dry mineral finish
O - it is definitely a quality BPA where both the Belgian yeastiness and Pale Ale hoppiness are married well, however nothing really speaks to this beer related to Santa or the hoiday seasons in any way other than the label which is a little disappointing

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 02:26:22 | More by joemcgrath27

StJamesGate

New York

4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Clear pale tangerine with lumpy, creamy, peach-tinged head that leaves snow drifts on the inside of the glass.
Waxy yeast, banana and yellow apple, and fresh herbs on the nose.
Butter cookie and ripe yellow pear, some esters, a bit of yeasty white pepper, and mild spice hops.
Lemon curd finish and coriander spice linger with some chalky bitterness.
Medium, super soft and creamy, round.

Smooth as velvet. Hops could stand taller, given XX as a cousin to this beer, but incredibly well integrated. Wouldn't notice the liquorice, it's more a rooty, birch beer flavor than the black candy type. 5 year BB date, and I could see laying it down. Not very Christmassy, but that hardly matters.

De Ranke get it right again.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 20:32:08 | More by StJamesGate