Game Day Beer Review: Brouwerij De Ranke Père Noël Belgian Strong Pale Ale

Photo by Scott Beale / Laughing Squid

Tasting notes from the holidays, during which time we sampled this delicious small production beer:

(7.00% ABV) Père Noël is the color of toffee, with a thick white head, much the same color as Santa's beard.

Smells of yeast and citrus.

Very yeasty and lemony upon swallowing.  Peppery spices noticeable, too .  Extremely dry, muted finish, with virtually no aftertaste.

Bubbly, and medium bodied. B

Game Day Beer Review: Oskar Blues / Sun King Chaka Belgian-Style Strong Pale Ale

(8.00% ABV) Billed as a "CANlaberation between Oskar Blues Brewery of Longmont, Colorado and Sun King Brewery of Indianapolis, Indiana, Chaka Belgian-Style Strong Pale Ale marries the king of craft beer in a can (Oskar Blues) with a true up-and-comer in the brewing world (Sun King), and represents the first -- to my knowledge -- of Oskar Blues' new 16 ounce line of cans. With it's bold new shape -- including a resealable cap, which can be screwed back on to save some beer for later-- and four extra ounce of quality product, this is an advancement that will be warmly greeted by the craft beer drinking public. With that out of the way, let's get down to the rebiew:

Chaka pours a clear as a bell reddish-brown, almost amber, with a lively off white head.

The smell is yeast and bready maltiness.  A certain sense of Belgian candy sweetness also comes through, as well as a tangy sourness that reminds me of apples -- it could be the Shagbark Hickory Syrup, which was added to the beer by Sun King.

Chaka has a rich and tangy flavor -- definitely reminiscent of the many Belgians I've drunk over the years, but also representing something new. It's got some cidery notes upfront, and a bit of sourness on the tail, but in between it's a rich, yeasty and spicy sweetness.

It's got a medium mouthfeel and sufficient carbonation to keep the taste buds involved.

At approximately $16 for a 4-pack, it'll be interesting to see how this new beer is received, but I've made up my mind already: I'll have another. A-

Game Day Beer Review: North Coast Brewing Pranqster Belgian Strong Pale Ale

(7.7% ABV)  Poured from the bottle into a chalice, Pranqster was a thick orange color, with some suspended particles visible. There was a slight head noticeable, although it didn't stick around very long.

The smell was sweet oranges, clove, and a certain Belgian spiciness.  I got yeast upfront upon tasting, followed by a zesty citrus.  This beer has a great, bubbly mouthfeel, and is perfectly balanced. The flavors seem to blend from one right into the next.

I love this beer. It's easy to look past North Coast on the shelf because I see it so often, but I never regret my decision to buy their beers. They are ultra-dependable, and always delicious. If you're trying to introduce a friend or family member to craft beer, there aren't many better breweries to expose them to than this Northern California gem. A

Game Day Beer Review: Collaboration Gnomegang Belgian Strong Pale Ale

(9.5% ABV). This beer is a collaboration between one legendary brewery and one legend in the making: Brewery D'Achouffe of Belgium (the legend) and  Brewery Ommegang out of Cooperstown, NY (the up and comer). 


Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a chalice, Gnomegang is a rich straw color with a slightly off-whitish head that quickly fizzles away.  It's definitely a belgian through the nose, yeasty and reminiscent of a saison, with a bready smell and just a hint of lemon zest apparent. Gnomegang is plenty carbonated, which gives it a crisp, clean mouthfeel, and it has a rich, spicy yeastiness that combines with a faint candy sweetness upon tasting. 


I'm also getting the taste of apples, and the alcohol definitely comes through before it's all done. With two breweries like this working together, I'd like to see some more joint efforts! A-