De Ranke Hop Flower Power....$14.99
A new one from De Ranke with HopFlowers from 2009 both dried and fresh
De Ranke Cuvee de Ranke....$12.99 / 750ml
Rated 98/100 RateBeer
"This exciting "new" beer is actually the base for the delicious Kriek that brewers/friends Nino Bacelle and Guido Devos have been brewing for years at Brasserie De Ranke. They just never thought to bottle it on its own. Until now.
Cuvée de Ranke is a somewhat sour, somewhat hoppy beer based, on an old style that has recently become more popular among craft brewers in Belgium and throughout the world. Until now, many modern brewers were afraid to combine sour and bitter in the same flavor profile, but years ago this was a most popular and refreshing union.
The Cuvée de Ranke is roughly a 70/30 blend of a beer brewed with top fermenting Rodenbach yeast and aged Giardin lambic. According to the Belgian government, this beer could actually be called "lambic", and, although it isn't an extremely sour beer, it actually contains about 5 times as much authentic lambic as some of the more popular products that call themselves "lambics". But unlike the makers of artificially-flavored, heavily sweetened, commercial concoctions, Nino and Guido simply have too much respect for authentic lambic producers to use the term for their Cuvée. Instead, Cuvée de Ranke stands on its own for what it is: an elegant yet rustic, well-balanced, traditionally styled beer." -- importer
De Ranke Noir de Dottignies...$12.99 / 750ml
Belgian Dark Ale
"This dark ale comes in at 9% vol. alc., with a very rich taste due to the use of no less than 6 different malts. These give the brew its rich, deep, almost black color. The generous dose of Challenger and Saaz hops provide the balance between sweet and bitter." -- brewery
De Ranke Guldenberg...$12.99 / 750ml
Rated 93/100 RateBeer
"De Ranke beers are robust and flavorful and famous for their massive hoppiness. Made in small batches only on the weekends, they are quickly gaining a reputation as the best specialty beers of Belgium. A strong blonde ale of about 8.5% alc. by volume that claims vaguely to be an “abbey” beer, Guldenberg bears no resemblance whatsoever to any Tripel you may have sampled, except in color perhaps. It is very hoppy and malty (though not quite as assertive as De Ranke’s XX Bitter). A wine-loving friend of ours pronounced it “too good to be beer.” We’ll just say that Guldenberg shows just how good beer can be." -- importer
De Ranke XX Bitter...$12.99 / 750ml
Rated 94/100 RateBeer
"The hoppiest and some say the very best beer of Belgium.
The De Ranke brewery was founded by two good friends, Nino Bacelle and Guido Devos. Their story is a classic in Belgium, where the very best craft brewing usually begins as a passionately pursued hobby, not an occupation. For Nino and Guido, brewing is literally a weekend obsession. For a few hours on Friday and Saturday, every week, the marvelous turn-of-the-century Deca Brewery in West Flanders is turned over to the De Ranke brewers, who make small batches of what many consider the best specialty beers of Belgium. Their beers are robust and flavorful, and famous for their massive hoppiness.
XX Bitter is a very weighty beer, aggressively brewed to be the hoppiest in Belgium. Some more delicate palates are put off right away. Those warriors who accept the challenge, and take time to sort through the barrage of sensory impressions, usually end up loving it. It is first of all remarkably hoppy – and it persists in its hoppiness unto the bitter end – but it does not want for balancing maltiness. In the middle is a “barnyard” Brettanomyces yeast character that is very reminiscent of Orval in its heyday.
You might say this beer is Orval with everything turned up to 11, which is exactly what the brewers were seeking." -- importer
De Ranke Kriek de Ranke....$14.99 / 750ml
Rated 97/100 RateBeer
De Ranke Kriek is simply splendid – a very dry, very fruity beer, radiantly ruby-colored, with only a hint of sweetness; wonderfully aromatic, with full fruity notes, deep earthy tones. It is perfectly refreshing, yet possesses depth and complexity to please the most discriminating connoisseur of Belgian beers. Beautiful, poised, and sophisticated, this may well be Belgium’s greatest Kriek. It is certainly the rarest. About 1500 bottles are made per year. You will savor every precious drop.
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