Style: 70% sour ale / 30% Lambic
Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke
Origin: Belgium
Size: 75cl
Alcohol: 7%
Price: 108kr
Systembolaget: 11507
Nino Bacelle started Brewery Nino Bacelle in 1994, then teamed up with Guido Devos to form De Ranke. The name means “vine”, referring to the hop plant that they say is the most important part of the beer making process. After 11 years of phantom brewing, they decided to start their own business. As of 2005, De Ranke now brews all its beers in its own brewery located in Dottignies in southwest Belgium. Cuvée De Ranke is a mixed fermentation ale, with a combination of oak barrel aged beer and lambic. Rated 99/100 on RateBeer, this is classed as a world-class beer. I can understand why this is judged so, but I can’t say this is really a beer for me
This was a soft orange colour with a hint of haze detected. A light, fluffy white head formed when poured that had medium retention. The beer had massive vinous sour hits in the aroma along with gooseberry, lemon and a hint of wheat. When tasted, an unripe gooseberry hit was first detected, with a copious amount of vinegar along with hay and cellar farmyard funk. A crab apple cider intensity enveloped the senses, almost like a not quite finished scrumpy. The aftertaste was long-lasting, with the acidity rolling over the tongue for quite some time after swallowing. The carbonation was high, which I think helped to raise the intensity of the beer.
This was all a bit too much for me, it must be said. This is one genre of beer I’ve never been completely at home with drinking, and although I don’t mind a small amount, anything more than a sample is just a bit too much. I understand why some people love this, as it was well-made, and I can’t fault the production at all. It’s just not really something I would want to drink again anytime soon.