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Gouden Carolus Classic

Gouden Carolus Classic - Belgian Strong Ale

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 Percentile 
98
overall
Brewed by Brouwerij Het Anker
Style: Belgian Strong Ale

Mechelen, Belgium

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
6643.84/5.03.83/5.08.5%94.5Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler
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Commercial Description:
Het Anker Brewery still brews "The Emperor’s Beer" which is top-fermented and bottle conditioned following traditional methods. Its high gravity (O.G. 1080-85) combines the warmth of wine and the freshness of beer. Gouden Carolus is one of the strongest and most exciting beers in the world. After lengthy maturing and conditioning, it is bottled unfiltered, giving a beer which is rich in vitamins and 100% natural. Gouden Carolus has unlimited storage (it even improves with age) and will charm you with its warm coppery colour and rich bouquet.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 CapedBrewsader (260), Brasschaat, Belgium
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/104/513/20
Apr 22, 2008  
33cl. bottle at home: Ok, confused... its says unfiltered and bottle-conditioned, yet the bottle has absolutely no sediment on the bottom and the beer is gorgeously clear! Rich brilliant deep red/garnet color with an almost perfect creamy tan head, if only it could stick around a bit longer. Powerful aromas of dark rich fruits in sweet delcious cake... I suppose we would call that fruitcake. Plums, raisin, dried berries mixed with winter spices and light-molasses or treacle. Just a bit of dark Havana rum soaked deeply into the fruitcake. Quite sweet taste with black grapes and mixed dark fruit infused tea leading way to an almost lactose sugar quality. Just as it crosses the "too-sweet" threshold it pulls back into deep malt, dark caramel and burnt sugar. Finally reaching into light coffee and a slight herbal yeast. Considering it’s upfront sweetness, it dries out enough in the end to not be sticky sweet. Halfway down the glass and that upfront sweetness does start to fade (or you get used to it) and the beer benefits from that. Alcohol fades in and out through burnt sugars.


 tomciccateri (496), Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/58/104/516/20
Apr 21, 2008  
Pours a dense, dark amber color. Smooth, full mouthfeel, nice rich malty flavor. slightly sweet flavor balance. Slight estery note and alcohol character.


 MrManning (1634), London, Ontario, Canada
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/104/514/20
Apr 20, 2008  
Boutelle ka piwa- Bottle at Chaucer’s. Poured a deep chestnut topped with a frothy, long lived mocha froth. Roasty, coffee, toasty nose with an interesting integration of dark fruit and banana and a touch of spice. Sweet, dark fruit up front, with toffee, roasty flavours and bananas with moderate spicing. Creamy and drinkable as hell. I went to Chaucer’s and ordered what they had....boy am I glad I did.


 Pinball (2692), Allerød, Denmark
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/59/104/516/20
Apr 20, 2008  
small bottle. aroma was a bit subdued, perhaps bc it was too cold. Looks real great. dark and clear. Flavor is fantastic. quite sweet, but lots of interesting stuff going on underneath. alc. burns you in the aftertaste - sweeet. good mouthfeel, almost perfect for the style imo. perhaps i should’ve rated it higher than this. but somehow overall it’s "only" a 16.


 goozen (1061), Leiden, Netherlands
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
4/103/57/104/518/20
Apr 19, 2008  
Bottle 0,33ltr: Dark brown/reddish ale from this great brewery with well balanced swwet from chocolate, caramel and other sweetness.


 MBison (548), Southern Highlands, Australia
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/104/515/20
Apr 13, 2008    Updated: Aug 25, 2008
RE-RATE: Bottle (330ml). Poured dark ruby brown with a large, dense, frothy, tanned head which lasted well. Aroma was of ripe banana’s with chocolate custard, yeasty malts, toffee, dates, sultana’s, vanilla and a hint of alcohol. Flavor was of toasted toffee malts with creamy/milky chocolate, caramelized dates, mild banana/clove-like notes, hints of licorice and a warming peppery finish. Medium to full bodied with medium carbonation, a dry/creamy mouthfeel, syrupy texture and a good finish.


 cgarvieuk (4159), Edinburgh, Scotland
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/514/20
Apr 8, 2008  
Bottle in antwerp ... Deep bron ... yeasty light roast malt ... belgian yeast... dark vine fruit caramael and plums.


 Skeegle (476), Maryland, USA
4.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/104/510/104/518/20
Apr 7, 2008    Updated: Aug 5, 2008
Another beautifully complex masterpiece. Buckets and boxes of candied fruit and a few minor vinous notes to follow the pride. Pours a beautiful thick brown like apple cider. No yeast what so ever in this one, almost like an extremely toned down sour ale. I loved it, and at a mere five bucks a 1pt 9oz bottle, I’ll be picking this on up regularly, along with anything else I see from Het Ankler. I am so impressed with their beers I wondered how I haven’t had more--so many more--before.



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