Gouden Carolus Classic

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

Deep rich brown coloring, that has an interesting appearance just watching the pour meld into this deep beautiful auburn color,with a slightly creamy head. On tap at Flying Pie, so it was very cold, so while I was eating, I let it sit for awhile and warm up. The taste and mouthfeel to me was very much like prune juice, very full and complex and full bodied. LOts of dark fruits, figs, dates, raisins and of course prunes. Very sweet and easy to drink.

750ml Bottle: Sweet, vinous aroma with notes of malts, alcohol, medicine, dark fruits, light caramel, grapes, raisin, and wood. Poured brown with a slight hint of amber in color and a small, rocky, fizzy, tan head that greatly diminished. Slightly hazy. Slightly sparkling. Flavor is medium sweet. Tastes of malts, raisins, dark fruit, toffee, resin, alcohol, vitamins, and plum. Medium body. Mineral texture. Soft carbonation. Malty, lightly sweet, woody, resinous finish.

Nice compact head on an inviting copper/amber body. Aroma of alcohol, raisins and sugars. Flavor is subtle (perhaps even "subdued") but complex. Vinous initially, then many flavors push their way through - apples, grapes, raisins - then come heavier, maltier flavors, with caramel and maybe even brown sugar. Warm, medium bodied. A nice little belgian indeed.

33 cl Bottle. Storage 2 year. Beautiful in dark brown colour, and a dense brown head. Wonderful aroma of choclate and dried fruit. Complex in taste and hints of toffe and choclate and a warm aftertaste. Really a great beer.

The aroma has raisins, brown sugar, yeast (basement aromas), and malt. The appearance is hazy brown with a red tint. The flavor is much like the aroma and adds some bitterness and warming alcohol. The palate is average. This beer is nice.

(Draught at Akkurat, Stockholm) Colour is brown, with hints of dark amber and ruby. Nose is roasted with coffe, some tobacco and dark fruit. Taste is roasted and fruity with hints of dried fruit (figs, raisins) and coffee. Complex and very well balanced.

On the pour, the beer appears to be a somewhat caliginous cherry red color, the head Bunyanesque in size, the texture creamy, with sticky sheets of lace to caress the glass. Nose is fruit sweet, over ripe apples and or banana comes to mind, malt tones and light caramel hints also present a treat for the old honker to sniff. The start is honey sweet, the top lean, the finish is pleasantly acidic, cheerfully hopped, dry and somewhat alcohol bitter aftertaste. Yes, it does “Warm the Tummy”, and should definitely be put in the “Winter Warmer” category. If you like strong high ABV beer this is a must try, but you may find it a bit pricey at $10.49 a 750ml bottle. Personally I don’t mind the price, because “I’m Worth It Baby”! Ranks #279 on my current 1000 beer master list.

Fine head on a orange brown body. Aroma of roasted malt, toffee, caramel - sweet and full. Flavor starts sweet but turns nice and bitter hoppy. Distinctive Gouden Carolus flavor (yeast?). A very good and well balanced beer.