Saison De Dottignies - Brouwerij De Ranke

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

3.19/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

33cl bottle into a snifter

A: Pours a hazy golden color with a finger of dense white head. Decent retention, average lacing.

S: Very light aroma. Starts out with apricots and a touch of musty funk.

T: Musty with a bit of peppercorn. Light to moderate bitterness to balance. Very, very mild.

M: Medium thickness with moderate carbonation.

O: There's nothing wrong with this beer, but it's pretty bland.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2013 01:56:17 | More by coreyfmcdonald

humulus

Sweden

3.3/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: pours a cloudy, apricot yellow with a high, creamy foam.

S: grassy, citrus, melon and some acid. An unpleasant odeur of urine.

T: malt and fruit sweetness. Yeast, a saaz-type bitterness and green apples with an acidic punch.

M: high carbonation, small bubbles.

O: refreshing, but a little tame. Smell brings down the overall impression.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 19:19:52 | More by humulus

Sunnanek

Sweden

4.38/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: Pour is all all white, light head. After quite some time the slightly hazy, golden liquid rises while the head settles, but man it goes slowly. Nice lacings.

S: Dry, sour and yeatsy. Stable and some leather. Hay and freshly cut grass and nettles. Malty. Citric.

T: RIch malt with lots of yeasty and sour notes. Lots of stable and hay/grass/nettles. Well balanced and very complex.

B: Rather thin body, but with the sour yeastyness - that's not a problem. Carbonation is rich, but the small bubbles are smooth. Aftertaste is rather short and very sour.

O: A very well-crafted and complex Saison. The rather low ABV is not an issue - fantastic!

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2013 18:10:05 | More by Sunnanek

popery

California

4.06/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep orange color. Quite cloudy. Opaque. Big off-white head. Rocky. Good retention, lots of lacing. Solid clumps of bubbles stick to the glass. Fun paper-wrapping on the bottle. Lots of sweet, fresh grain in the aroma. Musty, yeast character. Smells dry. Very fruity. I'm getting a big tropical note with some stone fruit and citrus - pineapples, mangoes, peaches, apricots and lemons. A little bit of pepper spice. The taste starts with pale malt, nice and sweet. Lots of tropical and light stone fruit. Dry and dusty finish with a touch of hop bitterness. Medium body, fairly smooth. Despite the dry finish, it's still quite gentle. Very good beer. It hits the traditional saison notes and puts some of its own unique spin on the style. Happy to have tried it.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 05:32:49 | More by popery

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip, produced a rocky white head, showed average retention, but lacing is very solid. Colour is an orangey amber gold and quite hazy. Lots of carbonation visible, attractive beer. 3.75

S- apricots and light tropical fruits, pineapple. A full flowery yeastiness, barn floor, a bit of fruity acidity. Good balanced saison-style aromas, with a bit of aged dank lemon. 4

T- soft malty creaminess, then a subtle fruity yeast character. Lemon, hay, pear, a slight peanut. More drying acidity to the finish, crisp. A fair bit of interesting soft complexity, mineral notes, lychee, fields. Very well balanced and interesting with subtle complexities. Very tasty as it develops. 4.25

M- lots of soft carbonation, moderate light body with some balancing citrus bitterness. A clean refreshing finish, mild dry aftertaste. 4

A very good example of the style, well-made. Yeast is pretty understated and brings some interesting lemon citrus notes forward with a mild farmhouse complexity. It is rather mild and refreshing, light on bitterness, but with some cool things going on for sure. Worth a try definitely but not my favourite saison. Delicious and easy to drink. 4

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 20:03:06 | More by mick303

laituegonflable

Australia

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased on a recommendation from Adam at Platinum Liquor.

Pours a pale gold colour; cloudy. Head is cream-coloured, dense and fluffy on top. Retaining well. Lace is clingy and producing some inspiring patterns. Lovely.

Smells quite nice. Funky and organic, with notes of soil, farm animals and earthy spice, with a nice floating fruit aroma as well - some packham pear, apricot and underfermented champagne. Pleasant, but par for the saison course.

Taste is more saisony, even. Rubbery upfront, with some barnyard funk - soil and coriander characters, grains of paradise and, and some lighter floral notes of lavender and maybe frangipani. Very nice mix, lots of organic flavours. Quite an earthy funk, especially on the bitter back, but overall a very nice, drinkable BElgian palate, with lots of flavour.

Swills nicely in the mouth. Not too dry on the back. Really quite pleasant.

Textbook saison, really. All the weird yeasty notes are present and vibrant, and overall it's tasty and drinkable. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 01:09:23 | More by laituegonflable

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From: Friar Tuck, Savoy, IL
Date: None
Glass: Tulip

De Ranke's saison plays up an interesting combination of saison yeast-influenced bubblegum character with caramel and/or toasted malts and a variety of hop and vegetation-like characters. One to keep an eye out for and pick up if seen, though a bit expensive at $4.30 for a 12oz bottle.

Pours a subtly off-white head, composed of small bubbles with high density, with fairly good head retention, the foam lasting a few minutes. As it descends, it leaves subtle strands of lacing, but nothing particularly substantial. Over time, the head collapses to a ring around the glass with wispy remnants of bubbles atop the rest of the body. The beer's body is about 75% opaque, a golden-brown with orange tint (light bringing out the yellow-orange hues). Carbonation is fairly vigorous and easily visible from the center and along the sides of the glass.

Aroma is of modest, but noticeable caramel malts, bubblegum, a bit of coriander, modest Brettanomyces, and unknown but other savory herbs.

Taste opens with caramelized sugar sweetness, slightly akin to baked butternut squash. The toasted malt sweetness develops on the front of the palate, eventually involving slight Brettanomyces-related plastic resin as well. Mid-palate brings in continued caramel malt sweetness, rich bubblegum, subtle bright fruit esters, continued mild Brettanomyces character, and underlying toasted malt sweetness. Closes out with renewed baked butternut squash-like sweetness tied to savory herbs, bubblegum, and mild Brettanomyces. Lingering aftertaste of mildly bitter hops and herbs atop toasted malt sweetness.

Body is medium to medium-heavy, with mid-level carbonation that leads to a beer that foams up on the palate rather substantially. The resultant mouthfeel is generally smooth and pillowy, interestingly accentuating the beer's heft. The finish is dry with a bit of savory and slightly bitter herb qualities across the palate.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 06:21:49 | More by falloutsnow

dansmcd

Australia

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a muddy river water colour, with a thick white head and swirls of sediment.

S - Mould, wet blanket, apple cider vinegar. Sour and rustic.

T - Bags of funky yeast here, peach, pear and apple cider.

M - Chalky in the finish, high carbonated and pritzy.

O - Plenty of farmhouse character.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 08:04:17 | More by dansmcd

gatornation

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

from 750ml wrapped bottle stamped BB 06.2016 its a little over 1 year old

A- pours a hazy golden yellow color with a 2 finger white head that recedes to a fresh cap just a touch of lazy

S- spicy, floral, musty and earthy

T-lemon bread with apples and earthy musty tastes with pepper and a slight hop bite

M- tart an fruity with a slight hop bitterness,nicely carbonated with a slight yeast funk

O- classic saison well done refreshing with nice layers of flavors as it warms

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 00:51:16 | More by gatornation

Cozzatoad

Italy

3.5/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

330ml bottle

A- Pours a hazy but still quite bright dense orange. One finger white head quickly recedes to a thin lacing. Decent lacing though

S- Refreshing herbal/grassy feel. Maybe a hint of spiciness. That's pretty much it, and it's also quite weak

T- Luckily, more than the smell suggested. Sweet entrypoint with maybe some light notes of caramel and honey. A refreshing herbal/grassy feel in both tongue and aftertaste, with a bit of bitterness to it, is nicely backed up by citric notes of lemon and orange. Light fizzy spiciness on the tongue. Grassy bittering notes remind of XX Bitter, though in a much lighter way

M- Light to medium body. Pretty high, but overall still pleasantly fizzy carbonation, expecially on the tongue. A bit too watery on the palate

O- This is an highly drinkable, easy beer, which also feels very refreshing with such high temperatures. A 4 overall can't be denied, but this is a pretty average saison

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 17:04:45 | More by Cozzatoad

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle, wrapped in a paper outer shell. Massive over-foaming at cap poppage - thank you, refermentation and 'taste evolution'.

This beer appears a cloudy, almost opaque without backlighting, medium golden hue, with a towering column of thin, boisterously foamy white head, which leaves a sudsy, 3 year old's idea of a landscape portrait of lace around the glass as it slowly and steadily recedes.

It smells of pale, grainy malt, black peppercorn, sharp, somewhat funky yeast, and fruity, grassy hops. The taste is edgy, wheaty grain, a bit of oily lemongrass tartness, more softly funky yeast, a weaker white pepper spiciness, and sparkly earthy, herbal, leafy hops.

The carbonation is still rather fizzy and frothy, the body a medium-light weight under all that, and more or less smooth in the face of that general tart, herbal character. It finishes just off-dry, the grain asserting itself to a degree, as the pepper, yeast, and hops dance a merry tango.

A decent enough saison, nice and peppery and kind of fruity - hell, I weirdly had a sneezing fit halfway through, as the pepper essence executed its little transformation. Anyways, a rather enjoyable affair, after that messy start.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 05:09:45 | More by biboergosum

ccrida

Oregon

4.2/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is murk burnt gold with a fluffy, loose white head leaving scattered, foamy lace. Bottle best before 7/2015, so this very well may be fresh if only stamped out 3 years.

Smell is laden with tropical fruit esters. Nose tingling seltzer like quinine. Earthy hops. Sweet cereals as it warms, the esters growing more lime like.

Taste is also classic, but the earthy, herbal hop flavors are much more robust than the esters, unlike the nose. The finish is spicy.

Mouthfeel is dry, slick, medium light bodied.

Drinkability is pretty high, a classic, rustic saison, but with a modern twist from the big punch of nobles.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 00:31:01 | More by ccrida

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-golden amber color with a nice white head and minimal lacing

S-yeast, malt, lemon , grass

T-malt, lemon grass, earthy notes, slight yeast funk

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, crisp sharp mouthfeel

O-a nice Saison with good balance and earthy flavor! Good summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 22:22:59 | More by MDDMD

mdwalsh

Iowa

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A fantastic authentic saison aroma, but the taste could be sharper. Bright white head could have lasted longer. Its about a year old so the "massive hoppiness" is gone. Mouthfeel is smooth, almost creamy. This would not be the most refreshing on a hot day but the complexity is wonderful.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 00:40:28 | More by mdwalsh

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.33/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had been waiting pop this one for about 8 months. It's nice outside, it's Spring-time. It goes pop...

Very nice looking beer. The only non-5 is the retention and lacing. Otherwise a brilliant gold, semi hazed, nice rocky white foamy head.

Faint aroma of apples, lemon zest, white pepper and sweet biscuits.

Flavors are good, but just very soft. Nothing pops out and takes control or even says "hi, how ya doing". Lemon and orange zest slumber, white pepper goes away, no coriander or herbal spice. While there's nothing bad in it, it's just a ho-hum profile. Slight bite with the hops, but...

very dry, too. Like air-dry rather than biting dry. It evaporates.

A good salad beer, easy drinking

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 18:00:28 | More by Mebuzzard

jneiswender

Massachusetts

4.9/5  rDev +23.7%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured out of a 12 oz bottle into a chalice. Served cool.

Pours a gold yellow body with a hazy reddish hue. Off white head that is the proper thickness for the style.

Nice aromas. Immediately smelling mown grass and clay. Some lemon and coriander notes as well.

Herbal notes for taste. Some lemon and very quenching. Well balanced.

Mouthfeel is light and not over the top carbonation.

I think that this is a spot on saison. A saison the way it was meant to be. Very quenching, easy drinking, flavors that are subdued but present. Not a bland beer in the least.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 23:06:08 | More by jneiswender

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into tulip.

Pours a nice layer big layer of white head. Color is a clear vibrant gold. Nice lace.

Aroma: dry with earthy notes. Pears and spice. Spices. Bready malts. Herbal. Some lemon citrus.

Taste: apple skin and pears. Bready malts and spices. Belgian yeast favors. A little alcohol shows. Apple sauce. Earthy and herbal flavors.

Mouthfeel: crisp and clean. Very dry. Lighter bodied with a good amount of carbonation. Ends a little dry.

Overall, a nice saison that drinks easily. Very traditional. I could drink a fair amount of this.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 04:36:39 | More by mothman

Filosoof

Netherlands

4.58/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Another lovely beer of The Ranke. Perfect bitterness.

L: trouble, wheatbeer look, unequal top, last less long than I expected;
S: perfect; spicy, hopbitterish;
T: difficult to describe, in line with the smell, tiny sweety, perfect bitter ending; this beer holds the middle between a wheatbeer (though there isn't wheat in it) and an BIPA.
M: alcohol and aftertaste are nice; carbonation could be a bit stronger;
O: great spicy, fresh beer, longing for the sun to return.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 12:55:31 | More by Filosoof

Monkeyknife

Missouri

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle a cloudy apricot color with two fingers of thick white head. Sticky lacing all around the glass.

Aroma of grass, lemon, black pepper, herbal notes, yeast and a touch of malts.

The taste matches the aroma pretty well. Grass, lemon, spicy herbal notes, yeast and black pepper. Finishes clean.

Lighter bodied with a sharp carbonation.

Delicious.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 22:54:26 | More by Monkeyknife

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.4/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a hazy gold with a compact white head that laces fairly deep into the glass. Carbonation seems fairly sluggish compared to many Belgian saisons.

S: Aromas of hay, lemon, grass, and tea are balanced by a hint of minerality. Neither as funky nor as yeasty as I was expecting. I'm not sure this really smells all that much like a saison.

T: Notes of lemon, wet hay, grass, minerals, pineapple, white pepper, herbs, honey, and tea dominate the palate. There is a slight hint of yeasty funk on the backtaste. The finish is bitter and grassy with herbal, citrusy hop notes balanced by flavors of pepper and tea.

M: Light bodied and dry with crisp carbonation. Unfortunately, the beer loses its fizz around mid-palate and finishes on a slightly watery, flabby note. This seems to happen with many younger saison brands (I had the same issue with Saison de St. Feuillien).

O: This is a solid saison, but is not really all that representative of the style. I'm not sure why it is rated so highly on here. Overall, I can say that this is a pretty good ale, but there are far better examples of the style out there. Also, this is probably the weakest beer in De Ranke's outstanding lineup. Don't avoid this one, but make a point of trying Saison Dupont, La Moneuse, Saison de Pipaix, Fantome, and Saison D'Epeautre first.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 13:32:40 | More by mrfrancis

DCon

Missouri

3.6/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bought a 11.2 FL. OZ. bottle of this from Randall's Wine & Spirits in St. Louis, MO for $6.49. Poured from the Dark green bottle w/ a yellow castle within the circle into a Wine Glass. Does not have a bottled date or best by date...

Aroma- Very sweet and yeast filled in the nose. Only a bit of citrus in the aroma but has a slight sourness that makes up for it. Decent but very light and not easy to pick things out from this one.

Appearance- Pours a 1 finger head that lasts. Has a cloudy, dark orange body with tons of lace lasting on the glass.

Flavor- Good lemon and sweet tastes. Not much sourness in this taste and the acidity is low as well. Has very light hops involved and almost no bitterness.

Mouthfeel- Light-Medium Bodied, High Carbonation, and leaves tons of wheat and citrus on the palate.

Overall Impression- Interesting... From the label and the "talked up" BA rating it has, I was not one who appreciated this one as much. I would definitely promote this one but won't be having this for a while. Not worth the price either! See if you can find it for less.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 00:59:35 | More by DCon

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy yellow to orange-ish color with a white head. In the aroma, a small tartness and quite barnyardy. In the taste, quite earthy and a nice mixture of citrus and tartness. A small bite and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry earthy aftertaste. Earthy, tart and citrus notes, I can drink this all day.

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2011 21:28:41 | More by OWSLEY069

illidurit

California

3.9/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

33 cl bottle poured into a Saison DuPont glass. Unclear bronze color with a firm eggshell head. Nice classic saison nose: slightly acidic, grassy, floral. Just a tad faint. Well-balanced flavor with a mildly sweet maltiness and plenty of drying grassiness. Very slight lemony note provides some quenching acidity. Bone dry finish with a great bitterness, highly refreshing. Mouthfeel is a little heavy midpalate but it dries back out pretty quick. Carbonation is on the bubbly side of average. An overlooked gem as far as I'm concerned.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 06:05:49 | More by illidurit

BradLikesBrew

Missouri

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mostly clear yellowish gold body with a white head.

Aromas are herbal, floral, yeasty and maybe just a little fruity.

Herbal, almost tea like, with notes of white pepper, damp hay, vaguely lemonesque with medium hop bitterness and a dry finish. A little earthiness from the yeast, but this does not seem like a sour or even brett driven take on the style. More staright forward, balanced and complex.

Medium bodied with plenty of carbonation.

Drinkable, complex, not life changing, but very good.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 23:25:20 | More by BradLikesBrew

willjschmidt

California

3.85/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a Sierra Nevada hop tulip glass.

A: Pours a golden color with a lot yeasty cloudiness and a huge 4 inch head.

S: Yeast, a hint of light spice, some light fruit.

T: A pretty good saison. Very grassy, herbal, with a hint of lemon. Green apples present as well. Some light spices in the form of white pepper. No sourness, very little tartness.

M: Very highly carbonated, too much actually. It affects the drinkability until come of it dissipates. You also have to wait several minutes for the 5 inch head to recede.

O: An above average saison but the over-the-top level of carbonation hinders this one a bit.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 02:55:29 | More by willjschmidt