Gouden Carolus Classic

Brewed by Brouwerij Het Anker
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Mechelen, Belgium

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.

Bottle 0,33ltr: Dark brown/reddish ale from this great brewery with well balanced swwet from chocolate, caramel and other sweetness.

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.

Bottle in antwerp ... Deep bron ... yeasty light roast malt ... belgian yeast... dark vine fruit caramael and plums.

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.

04/04 0.33 l bottle at Hopdevil, Zagreb. Poured dark reddish brown body with medium brownish head. Quite nice aroma of yeast (banana, orange, dark fruits), fermented grape (wine), caramel and roasted sugar malt. Flavor is fine, dominated mostly by sweet caramel and sourish, pretty simple and leaves watery impression, although definitely not thin bodied. Alcohol is very well hidden. Finish is nice, follows the flavor, with its sweet accent. Although nice beer of course, expected much ore from this one indeed, as it’s favorite style from my favorite non-trappist brewery.

330 ml. Cloudy, toasted pecan color with a three-finger head that lasts and laces well. Aroma is earthy banana, caramel, brown sugar, and toasted nuts. Flavor is deliciously similar, with a bit of earthy-spiciness, scorched brown sugar, and rum trying to balance. Near medium body is a tad frothy with carbonation, but mostly smooth and dryish. Excellent, malt-rich bomb just like I like ’em!

(3/1/08) Draught sample at Zythos Bier Festival 2008 in Sint Niklaas. Amber color with a creamy beige head - looks lovely. Malty aroma with caramel, some roasted notes, and maybe some light hints of yeast as well. A very sweet and caramelly flavor with a bit of biscuits, some fruitiness and some alcohol. Medium to full body, a bit syrupy.