Introduction

Brouwerij De Ranke, in Dottignies, Wallonia, is a bit of a fairy tale story for many beer enthusiasts and echoes the story of many craft breweries. It saw its beginnings in 1996 when two home-brewing friends, Nino Barcelle and Guido Devos, decided to turn their love of crafting ales into more than just a hobby. The beer you hold in your hand was the first beer that they released, followed quickly by XX Bitter. In 2005, after 11 years of brewing at Brewery Deca, Nino and Guido decided to start their own brewery and began increasing the number of products being offered. By 2015, the brewery had a whopping six employees and was looking to double their production. Oh, and their name? It tells a story of their love for one of the four main ingredients in beer: hops. It refers to the vines on which hops grow.

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How it looks

Pours a lovely amber with a nice, one-finger head that recedes but never quite goes away.

How it smells

Aroma is caramel malt and Belgian yeast with some nutmeg, earth and cut grass. Hop aromas come out strong but the yeast phenols are the stars.

How it tastes

This beer is malty and smooth with bright orange fruitiness, a touch of liquorice and is accentuated by Belgian yeast and a dry, bitter finish. A medium-bodied beer with good carbonation and mouth feel. A beautiful Belgian Christmas ale without the sweetness and spice of most seasonals making it a refreshing difference on the standards ales of the season.

Recommended food pairing

A knockout when it comes to food pairing, you could go fancy and pair this with roast goose or duck (the crispy, fatty skin is complemented by the smooth, caramel malt) or pair it up with the easiest of all the meals; Chinese take-out.