De Ranke Noir De Dottignies

Brewed by Brouwerij De Ranke
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Dottignies/Dottenijs, Belgium

Nice dark brown, some hints of black too color. Very strong nose with roasted malts ans chocolattones. In the taste first some yeastaromas, developing into roasted malts ,some say burned, and dark chocolatebitters. Aftertaste with hnts of bayleaf, licorice. Very special beer.

Poured a dark, red amber color with a small, off white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of dark fruit, citrus, yeast, spices, and toast. Taste of ripe fruit, some cocoa, wood, yeast, and a bit of alcohol in the finish.

mmmmm ohhhh, yes! this is a very good beer! Poured with a very nice light tan head that lasts and a lot of lace. Color is a dark aged cherry wood. Aroma is great with brown bread, ginger, a hint of coffee, cherries, licorice, malt, and caramel. Flavor’s very similar and yummy. Licorice stands out especially in the finish. Body is very good and ditto carbonation. Just enough bitterness and earthiness to counter sweetness. I can drink this beer. Very well done!

From tap at Bruxellensis 2008. Cloudy copper-brown with a big, steady and lacing tan head. Cinnamon, fruit, chocolate aroma. Milk chocolate blending with tart fruit cannot go wrong, can it? Especially not if balanced by healthy bitterness. Quite full-bodied. One of the best Wallonian brunes?

Slightly older bottle from the basement. Pour is a dirty brownish red color with a nice tall beige head. Aroma is very dry, lightly woody, dry hop, light red wine, and faint plum.. Flavor is lightly malty up fron with a big dry hop kick in the middle. Very dry, very crisp, and very easy to drink. The finish has some light pinot noir tones with some light grape juice. Alcohol is no where to be found. This is a wonderful drink. Nice body, nice palate, and a nice clean flavor.

Bottle - Deep chestnut body with a huge lasting beige head; Very pleasant very malty nose with the right hops balancing; Very full dense malt body, very nice; Long very dense finish, lots of malt aromas. Very good very drinkable dense beer!

Bottle. Head is initially large, frothy, light brown, mostly lasting. Body is hazy dark brown, bottle conditioned. Aroma is moderately malty (toasted grain/bread, cookie), moderately hoppy (herbs, flowers), lightly to moderately yeasty (cobwebs), with notes of pepper, wood, cinnamon, gum. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, velvety texture, lively carbonation, lightly to moderately alcoholic. Brightly aromatic, well-balanced, well hidden alcohol, etc. A delicious beer.

Crimson rust. Tight voluminous foam adorns the glass with ornate lacework. Plum jam, red licorice, hops (earthy, tealike, lightly grassy), peach skin, molasses, chalky yeast, and toffee/nutty malt aromatics. Soft carbonation quickly swells as it hits the tongue. Initially sharp, perfumey and earthy with leafy hops, assorted citrus zest, and peppery esters. Vivacious phenols scrub the palate just as they link up with the pungent aniseed-tinged hops. The juiciness and complexity of the malt is mirrored by its immense depth as well as sparkling cleanness. Black cherry and plumlike notes temper the toffee while whispers of creamed coffee, chocolate and honey-drizzled biscuits lurk beneath the fruitier notes. Plasticlike phenols waver in and out amid the softer malt textures and crisper roast. Prominent yeast deposits delightful chalky dustiness but is also somewhat soapy which causes the bitterness to come off ever so slightly impure and overly leafy. Bitterness fades toward the finish as the fruit and nuanced malt continue to flourish. Really nice beer that would have perhaps been slightly improved had they chosen a more refined, flowery hop varietal (e.g. Styrian Goldings or Hallertau).