De Ranke XX Bitter

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

Bottle. Pours a hazy gold with a one finger fluffy white head that quickly reduces to a thin white ring. Next to no lacing. Nose is apples and spicy hops, tending more the citrus (lemon & grapefruit) than to pine. Palate is tart and clean, with more citrus, lemon drop candies, bubblegum, and spicy hop character rather than bitter, though there certainly is bitterness. Brett comes through once the beer has warmed, showing mild barnyard and nice bright sourness that slowly overtakes the hops in the nose, but does not dominate. Very good.

Body of the beer appears to be beige slight orange, and is cloudier then London ( can’t believe how lame that sounds ). Very nice pillowy head that has some awesome retention, lacing was acceptable, beer looks good not great just good. Beer smells like nuts, sour stinky nuts sweaty if you would, and that’s pretty much all I can smell is sour nuts it’s not really offensive but it’s not making me want to drink this be either. The longer I sniff this beer the more I smell something that reminds me of hand cream and that’s just not a sent I want in my beer. Taste is strong sour and vile, it taste very soapy to me. This is just nasty did I get a bad bottle? A very yeasty back bone to the flavor buts its way to strong for my liking. Not enjoying this very strong flavored brew to aggressive with its vile sour soapiness. Nasty beer I got no enjoyment out of this, I’m finding myself having to force myself to finish it, horrid beer but there are worse out there."

Pours a hazy whiteish yellow with a fine layer of white bubbles forming a well retaining head. The horse blanket smell creeps out of the bottle even before poured. Aroma is very citrusy. Lots of lemon. The unmistakable barn yardy funk of brett dominates this aroma. Subtle floral notes and oranges are also present. This beer defiantly lives up to it’s name. This beer most likely has the highest IBU’s that I’ve encountered in a Belgian ale before. The bitterness rolls across the tongue and lingers in the finish. As the bitterness rolls on it shows a very nice flavor profile. Lemon, orange, pine, honey, Turkish delight, Belgian yeast, a hint of sour cherry, and a little musty basement. Mouth feel is nice. This beer is really nice, I would love to drink this on a hot day.

Indeed there are some hops on the nose yet well hidden behind more typical yeasty Belgian notes. I find it a touch soapy to the nose also, lemony and lightly caramelized. In the mouth I am lost looking for anything ’remarkably hoppy’. It is actually quite dusty cereals that come across strongly for me. A strong tingling carbonation is apparent but nips out the back quickly. It leaves a straw and toffee finish which is tasty as hell. It is a darned tasty and drinkable beer but dang I wish it didn’t go on about how hoppy it is. Maybe my bottle is old but it claims to expire in 2013 so I guess it can’t be too bad. God knows how dead it must be by then.

Bottle, 33 cl. The beer looks blonde, hazy with a nice big white head lacing nicely. The smell is hoppy, but rather weak. The taste is: bitter and hoppy, the whole beer long. Also a bit yeasty, but for all: bitter. And refreshing. Some people like this beer, some won’t. I like the beer, but not more than that.

Bottle. Pours with a huge white head over a hazy golden body with great belgian lace. Aroma of orange peel, dust, hops and straw. Taste is quite bitter and grassy with notes of bread and hay. Sorry no brett characteristics here...I wish...just quite bitter. Small and lively bubbles.

Cloudy straw pour, medium head, light lace. Skunky aroma. Unique dry flavor, followed with a light cinnamon/vanilla golden flavors. Aftertaste is definitely sour, this may be alcohol.

pours hazy yellow with medium head. aroma is hop flowers, sugars, fruits, and bread/yeast. drinks sweet but floral and bitter at the same time...odd beer but good to try it.