De Ranke XX Bitter

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

Quite unique and good. 750 ml bottle from Holiday Wine Cellar. Pours hazy golden color with a huge, fluffy head. Aroma is very hoppy and bitter with light tangerine and sugar cookie malts, a little pineapple, prominent floral and herbal hops with hints of evergreen. Toasty, fruity malts, some funky yeast character, hugely bitter, grapefruit rind, spruce and lemon. This is hoppy in a European IPA style, rather than the brash west coast IPA style. Medium body, creamy carbonation, smooth but prickly texture.

My 100th rating, thanks to my wonderful girlfriend for getting me a bottle of this (plus two glasses from the brewery) for my birthday. Pours a very hazy light gold color with a massive white head that dissipated quickly. Moderate lacing. Aroma of light malts, lots of Belgian yeast and bitter hops, but with a sweet nose to it. Flavor is pretty well balanced overall, some citrus, fresh bread, banana, bit of candy sugar and pear. Ends crisp and bitter with lively carbonation. Good mouth feel, could be a little smoother though. Reminds me of a strong Saison. Nice beer!

Hazy golden color with a pretty big white head. Aroma is somwhat grainy and musty with some hop aroma mixing in. Taste is grainy with lots of yeast, but the hop power is surprising for anything Belgian. A little rough at first, but complex and enjoyable. Props for putting a unique beer like this together.

Cloudy pale straw yellow with a massive bubbly head that demonstrates excellent retention and lacing. Immediately after pouring the aroma was predominantly of sweet pears and bready yeast, but as the head settled a bit the piney hop aroma became dominant. Semi-sweet, lightly yeasty, very grassy and overwhelmingly bitter-- so bitter that there is an ominous ammonia edge to the palate that would be very unpleasant if it were stronger, however this beer manages to remain well-balanced and interesting without being harsh.

Draft. Aroma: Slightly sweet bready malt, an assertive pine/resin hoppiness, some musty funk, and a touch of lemon zest. Smells like a super hopped Saison. Appearance: Medium golden in color and slightly hazed. White head was full and frothy with good retention. Nice lacing. Flavor: A brief taste of bready malt before the hops kick in. Pine and slightly resinous hops with some grass and earth notes. Some musty/dusty funk in the middle with a bit of lemon into the finish. Assertive bitterness that comes early and stays long. Palate: Medium bodied. Medium-high carbonation. Overall: A good beer, but not something I’d drink every day. Bitterness was a bit harsh at times.

Somewhat hazy golden with big fluffy head. Aroma is citrus and funk, with a small spritz of pine. Taste is... well... less reminiscent of week-old perspiration than Orval, and certainly hoppier, but you will not catch me consuming either of these products again anytime soon. I have had more than enough of the bretts and their ilk. $5/11.2oz

fresh light citrus(lemon), pine, hop aroma with a hint of yeast. pours a cloudy gold with lots of lacing and a very large foamy white head. flavor is of citrusy hops and bitter pine. dry finish.

Bottle. Hazy golden colour with a large white head. Aroma is hoppy and a little bit funky. Taste is hoppy with grape fruits & slightly yeasty.