Saison De Dottignies - Brouwerij De Ranke

ritzkiss

Ontario (Canada)

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

33cl bottle as an extra from EskimoDave - cheer man!

Pours a darker than normal golden, creamy white head which leaves light sticky lacing down the glass.

I feel this one is a little heftier in the malt category, bready with a hint of mineral. Some really lovely musty funk dominates the nose and weaves its way through the body, quite well hopped for a saison, grassy with a pleasant bite in the finish. Lemon, a light tropical fruitiness, sweet malty body with loads of complexity. Mouthfeel is chewy, a touch over carbonated for my liking but solid.

This was really fantastic, though I thought the carbonation brought down the drinkability a bit. Still, this is world class. Thanks Dave!

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2010 19:29:52 | More by ritzkiss

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Hazy gold pour with a big creamy white head that laced exceptionally well and had good retention. Bready, slightly herbal nose, with some lemon and pepper mixed in. Intriguing...

Good flavour has the breadiness as a backbone, overlaid with lemon pepper, minerals and earth with the slightest kiss of honey. Some saaz-like bite in the finish. Wonderful soft mouthfeel has the kind of pillowy carbonation that I love, and works perfectly for this beer.

An awesome saison as you would expect from De Ranke. Cheers Eric!

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2010 01:12:49 | More by bobsy

liammaloney

Rhode Island

4.08/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A thick color of liquid gold & a fluffy head you could rest your noggin on. Poured with some sediment for a glowing opacity. Light fruit & alcohol on the nose, some light green, mossy notes. Big, expansive carbonation, some banana & bitter orange zest. An off-dry medium bitter finish with a hefty mouthfeel and a light heat that comes in late.

Overall - short, dry, & to the point, like an unseasonably warm early spring day.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2010 03:48:58 | More by liammaloney

timtim

District of Columbia

4.47/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very nice. This one is up there with the best of them. Farmhouse without tons of the funk and sour. Just a light, slightly spicy, very hoppÝ (more so on tap, but wonderful in the bottle as well) proper saison. The hop character and the purity of the water, ingredients and brewing process really make this one a stand-out. Almost creamy mouthfeel with just the slightest prickle of pepper. Delicious and hard not to schwill at 5.5%. So glad to see this in the US. So glad to see this style getting the recognition it deserves.

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2010 13:29:07 | More by timtim

augustgarage

California

4.35/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 330mL bottle into my Troubadour tulip.

Orange peel to amber gradient, cloudy, with sunglow highlights. A smooth magnolia layer of micro-cream blankets the liquid like a fine layer of snow. Sticky pasty lacing - good retention.

Cotton candy, sourdough starter, tangerine, and faint soapy wildflowers in the nose.

Surprisingly dry, earthy, and hoppy on the palate. Grassy/earthy flavors are supported by a lightly tart citrus note. Moderately bitter, crisp, mineral-laden, winter-fruit-like finish with a kiss of peppercorn. Excellent.

Well carbonated - somewhat spritzy in fact - medium-light bodied yet with the impression of being mores substantial than it is.

One of the more hop-forward Belgian examples you'll find, without abandoning tradition like many domestic versions do. Tasty, and a good value.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2010 21:06:12 | More by augustgarage

brentk56

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Arrives with a clear goldenrod color and a one finger head that still curtains the chalice

Smell: Bready, with hints of grassy and herbacious elements

Taste: Cracker malt up front with a grassy, herbacious character that develops by mid-palate: funky, herbal character after the swallow, with the saaz hop flav0rs lingering in the finish

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with effervescent carbonation

Drinkability: While I am not crazy about the combination of the grassy Saaz hops in a Belgian Saison, this is an interesting beer that is worth a try

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2010 22:43:40 | More by brentk56

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I got to try this on tap and loved it, and so when I found bottles at State Line the other day, I made sure I grabbed one.

Pouring a hazy orange with a dense, off-white head that falls off to a disk leaving a moderate amount of lace, this is a good looking beer. The nose is dominated by Saaz hops, though not as much as the version I had on tap was, with grass, earth and lemon. The mildly diminished hop character (and the fact that I have the yeast in my glass), makes this a rather significantly different beer, this is rounder and softer, with some honey, a little bread and a delicate spiciness.

The palate opens hoppy with the grassy and lemony hop character being most noticeable, along with the dry, cracker-like malt and an excellent bouquet of delicate herbal and spice character. Almost thyme-like with some pepper, this is excellent stuff. Just a touch juicy in the mid-palate, this beer is quite excellent. The finish is excellent, long-lasting and delicate with the hops and the spices in great balance. A little yeasty as well, I really like this. Light in body, this is soft and rounded, with a crisp carbonation. Excellent stuff, I'd gladly drink more and prefer this out of the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2010 03:40:33 | More by DefenCorps

bum732

Maryland

3.83/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

S: Musty, yeasty, slightly floral, grassy, touch of fruit.

L: Cloudy orangish yellow, nice fluffy head, decent retention, great lacing.

T: Grassy, earthy malt, slightly grainy. Some mineralness and herbal bitterness leading to a fairly dry finish. Touch of fruit in the bitterness.

M: Very smooth medium body. Med-high carbonation.

A solid saison, i really enjoyed the flavors, i just wish the flavors were a little more bold, felt like everything was too subtle.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2010 04:48:46 | More by bum732

Halcyondays

California

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

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours a cloudy goldenrod with a foamy white head out of the tap. Some lace.

S: Dry grainy notes, definite hop character, yeasty.

T: Possibly the hoppiest saison I've ever had, De Ranke certainly likes their hops. Lots of raw grass/hay type flavours, some floral aspect mixed with a tasty pils type malt component. Yeasty and rustic which I liked and added another element.

M: Super dry, medium-bodied, very smooth.

D: A similar hop profile to De Ranke XX Bitter which I wasn't the hugest fan of, but everything is integrated a lot better here. Nice ale.

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2010 22:30:21 | More by Halcyondays

bruachan

Rhode Island

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

pours a slightly peachy gold with a luxuriant froth. excellent lacing

sweet and fruity aromas with perfumy hops. nectarine sweetness and peach fuzz. touch of white pepper and wet hay hops

very sweet tasting for a saison, and with strong bitterness. not nearly as refined of flavor as the bouquet. grassy and zesty hops contribute quite a bit to the flavor profile and even bully the more delicate yeasty contributions. a shadow of allspice and coriander. there is no brett in here, contra a prior beeradvocate

mouthfeel is a little chewy for a saison--enough that i wonder if a saison strain did the fermenting. to be honest, between the high hop rate and notable sweetness, in a blind test i would have IDed this as a tripel or belgian pale. it's eminently tasty, but lacking in some of the features i seek in a saison (but you'll notice, i haven't docked the brew too much for this "transgression")

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2010 01:47:56 | More by bruachan

philipquarles

Louisiana

5/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I've pretty much given up on reviewing beers, but this one inspired me.

Pours a perfect, slightly cloudy yellow with a billowing white head. It leaves something that's more akin to webbing than "lacing"...must be loaded with hops. A little whiff confirms that--crisp, floral, grassy hops abound. Light pilsner malt aroma with slight yeasty hints. The taste is also quite hoppy, but in a mostly aromatic sense. That's not to say it isn't bitter--it is--but it's a dry, refreshing bitterness. Very light sweetness from the malts at the start, but it finishes without any hint of it; very well attenuated. Substantial body for a Saison with just the right amount of carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2010 05:18:17 | More by philipquarles

rtepiak

Poland

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

had it at moeder lambic in brussels in june... saison season... or at least the end of it. great pour of a proper straw color orange murky with a nice lacy head. nose not as funky as some but still backed with a nice saaz hop core and herbal quality. palate is dry yet fruity. nice citrus mild and delightful straw must quality. thyme and licorice. orange and grassy. a great example and very well rounded. could taste the freshness in the bottle. would like to see what its like in 6 months.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2010 22:13:00 | More by rtepiak

koopa

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I consumed this bottle at Bruge Beertjie on 4/23/10 upon the recommendation of Daisy (the owner) when I asked for a flavorful saison.

Appearance: Pours a radiant tangerine with the slightest honey folds, a 1 finger white crown, moderate retention, and great lace.

Smell: Apricots, tangerines, loads of brett (but not much lemon surprisingly).

Taste: Same as nose but more brett dominant. Really "soft" brett bomb.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, light bodied, refreshing.

Drinkability: Outstanding.

My favorite De Ranke brew to date....Home Run!

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2010 15:54:50 | More by koopa