Gouden Carolus Classic

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

Pours a cloudy dark maroon color with a medium light beige head. Pretty good retention. Really enjoyed the nose on this beer, not over the top candy sugar and fruits like some tend to be. Got a bunch of banana, some light molasses, grapes, mild apple, with some sweet candy sugar as well. The flavor was also nice. Definitely on the fruity side as well, with the apple and grapes taking the reins and pulling along the malts and candy sugar. The alcohol was masked proficiently, with a lengthy fruity sweet finish. This is well crafted and very delicious. Quite an enjoyable experience.

The color is delightful. It is bright but gloomy and displays shades of orange, burgundy, green and maroon. Initially the lacing and head retention struggled but I poured the beer into my St. Bernardus Goblet instead of my Gouden Carolus chalice (The glass I poured it in to begin with) and everything was much improved. The lace was amazing. The type of lace that you have to scrub off the next time you wash it because it stuck and dried throughout the night. Yeah. The aroma is enjoyable. Delicate fruit and spice. Lots of fruit in the aroma, especially plums and oranges. The malt provides a lot of sweet scents. Lovely. Very dynamic flavor. Licorice characteristics up front, red and black, but mainly black. Caramel and toffee come about next and shortly there after, it moves to the fruit with plums and candied coated raisins. The finish is moderately yeasty, somewhat dull and displays flavors of banana and cookie crumb with a well known alcohol kick. I really like this stuff. It tastes very good. I have been very impressed with Anker’s offerings so far and am planning on visiting the brewery while in Belgium this summer.

Sampler from bottle at <a href=http://ratebeer.com/Place/illinois/orland-par Orland Parh, Yep, a dark brown color that gives no clue as to the stuff within. Taste is sweet; dark, but not roasty. Has an excellent all-around "beer" taste. Can also pick out a few deliberately staled hops.

Intense and warming with flavors of dried fruits, plums, dates, figs, raisins, molasses, brown sugar, orange rind, and very prominent alcohol fumes that intensifies as it warms. Very sticky, almost cloying mouthfeel. To be sipped slowly and savored, except that slows down the process of ordering and enjoying a second one!

Wow! I thought this was classified as a dubbel but it sure tastes like one! Beautiful dark brown pour with a generous 3 finger tan head. Aroma of yeast and dark fruit with caramel. Taste is strong and near perfect. A sandy mix of dark fruits, yeast, caramel and chocolate. Nice and thick mouthfeel that is perfectly carbonated. I need more of this!

Hazy dark brown pour, with a huge white head comprised of small bubbles, and nice lacing. Very nice nose. Fruit (grapes/ winelike,) hops, mellow malts and small hints of dough/bread. Grapes stand out a bit more in the flavor, almost seeming more plumlike. The wine similarity is there as well. Malts come out a little more as does the yeast and breadiness. Some spices; cloves and a little coriander. A nice rich body, spice filled palate, overall a very smooth beer. Very well balanced.

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!

Pour is a deep dark brown with a smallish tan head, Arom is full of brown sugar, molasses and alcohol. Flavor is much of the same but even better. Toffee,dark fruits sugar and nutmeg all come to mind. Alcohol is there at the end but does not overpower.