De Ranke Noir De Dottignies

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

Extreme dark brown with a small but thick cap floating on top. Sweet raisins, metallic, vanilla, brown sugar ............... aroma finishes with hints vinegar. Sweet hints of cheery, plum, raisins....dark fruit is what I’m trying to say. Elements of soya sauce but so very mild, candy sugar that is slightly burnt. Wow this is sweet... almost to sweet. Yeast but not really, I guess I taste yeast but its been obliterated by sweetness. Medium to thin body. Very strange aftertaste that’s not winning me over. Charcoal in the finish with lingering sweetness. Good enough brew to drink but nothing great.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

This beer was quite nice, puchased in a growler in Edmonton at Wine Spirits and Beyond. Slightly sweet, some yeast and canfy sugar, quite the opposite of dry, and medium to light bodied. All the belgiany things were there (raisins, dates, etc.) but in a very conservative way, and the hops we're let to shine through a little bit. Nice.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

It pours a very dark-brown and burnt-orange with an inch-thick light-tan head and some spotty lacing. An aroma of roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, caramel, oranges, dark fruits - raisins, prunes, plums, some nuttiness, and a vast array of spices. The mouthfeel is smooth and rich. Flavors of roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, oranges, raisins, prunes, figs, plums, molasses, nuts, and spiciness. Mmm .. this is the one of the better I have had in awhile ...

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Pours out in a cloudy dark brown colour with a creamy off-white head. Fruity aroma of raisins and blueberries with touches of roasted malts, caramelized sugar and spicy hops. Nearly full-bodied with notes of prunes, raisins and blackberries with hints of chocolate, earth and yeast. Long balanced aftertaste of dried dark fruits and spicy hops.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Bottle arrives plain wrapped in labeled paper. Pours dark brown with a decent tan head. Aromas of dark fruit. Mouth is hoppy and full. Flavor is dark fruit, hops. Best way to describe this is a Chimay Blue with added carbonation.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Bottle: Poured a dark cloudy deep brown color ale with a medium foamy head with good retention and some minimal lacing. Aroma of spicy yeast with candi sugar and some very nice deep caramel malt backbone. Taste is sharper then I was expecting with a very spicy yeast and some candi sugar with a huge malt backbone with caramel and toffee notes. Body is quite full with limited filtration and good carbonation with light alcohol notes. Very well made though some aging wouldn't hurt.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Sampled on 10/2/2009. This Belgian Strong Ale pours a dark brown color from a 750ml bottle. Large sized white foamy head, with nice lacing and long lasting retention. The aroma is fruity, raisins, estery and hoppy. A medium bodied Belgian Strong Ale. The malts are fruity and sweet, lots or raisins. The hops are earthy and floral. Lots of hops in this beer, in the front, the middle and the end. They just sort of hang around and gather on the street corner and then mug you for your spare change. Lots of hop flavors without a lot of hop bitterness. Nice carbonation. This beer is a semi sweet BSA, with all that entails, but the hops just stand out. Mouthfeel is full and round. The finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.