De Ranke Pere Noel 11.2 oz

Hoppy Belgian Christmas Ale

Brewed by: De Ranke Brewery
Country: Belgium
Style: Christmas Ale Ale
Color: Amber

ABV (Alcohol by Volume): 7%
Ratebeer.com rating: 94
BeerAdvocate.com rating: 85

Unlike most Christmas Ales that pair sweet with spicy, Pere Noel (ABV 7%) from De Ranke Brewery showcases instead a surprising and delightful hop-centric profile that balances rich malt, fruit, and bitter hops.

Top fermented and bottle conditioned, the brew pours a dark amber color with a frothy off-white head and an ABV weighing in at a solid (though well-hidden) 7%.

Aromas include citrus peel, fresh hops, apple, mango and pear as well as notes of pepper and banana. Taste opens on a wonderful grapefruit bitterness followed by dense notes of citrus, bready malt, caramel, melon and even hints of anise. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with lively carbonation; the finish is long, bitter and dry. 11.2 oz bottle.

Food Pairings

Pairs well with roast goose or roast duck – the crisp skin is perfectly complemented by the smooth caramel malt, and the hops will cleanse your palate after each bite. Or just crack this one open and order Chinese takeout – they're awesome together. Serve at 50-55 degrees F.

Brewery Information:

The De Ranke Brewery was founded in 1996 by good friends Nino Bacelle and Guido Devos, hobby brewers who turned a part-time obsession into a successful commercial venture.

At first brewing only on weekends using the equipment and facilities of an existing craft brewery, De Ranke soon established a reputation for producing robust and flavorful ales with a massive hops profile; hops, in their philosophy, are the single most important ingredient in any ale. They embraced traditional brewing methods (without eschewing helpful new technologies) and used only the freshest natural ingredients like real hop flowers instead of cheap hop extracts like many of their larger more commercially driven counterparts.

As a result, De Ranke brews grew steadily in popularity and demand; in the late 2000s, De Ranke was able to relocate to its own brewery in Dottignies in the Hainaut province of Belgium.

Today, De Ranke Brewery exports award winning hop-centric ales to nine different countries including the United States, India, France and Japan.