Gouden Carolus Classic

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

Bottle from Super Saver. Hazy deep brown/ruby pour with minimal tan head. Aroma of big banana nut bread at first, with caramel, brown sugar, vinous notes, and figs after sniffing for a while. The flavor is caramelly, slight burnt toasty malty, with some toffee, brown sugar, vinous fruit, banana, and almond hints. Very complex palate and fklavor profile which gets a tad tarter and fruitier as it warms. This one is outstanding.

Dark ruby with a big off-white head. Rich aroma of caramel, dried fruits and spice. Sweet and fruity flavour with a vineous warming alcohol.

Dark bown ale with a thick off white head. Wonderful aroma of coriander, orange peels, and caramel. In mouth, rich and warm malt, candi sugar, coriander, curacao, licorice, and plums. Nice alcohol warmth develops. Rich bodied, with a lightly oily moutfeel. Bottle at l’Autre Oeil, March, 3 2006.

Bottle. Head is initially large, frothy, light brown, mostly lasting. Body is hazy dark orange-brown, bottle conditioned. Aroma is moderately to heavily malty (caramel, molasses, toasted bread, roasted grain/nuts), lightly yeasty (cobwebs), with notes of plum, raisin, Bit-O-Honey candy, brown sugar, orange zest. Flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Medium to full body, velvety/watery texture, lively carbonation, lightly to moderately alcoholic. Solid and reliable, but never quite jaw-dropping. A bit too sweet, but overall quite enjoyable.

(March 2004) 750 ml bottle, no date but purchased a year ago. Ruddy brown, nearly opaque, largish off-white billowing head. Massive, wonderful caramel-chocolate-banana aroma that I could bathe in, mmmm. Yeastiness fairly prominent in the taste alongside a huge caramel malt profile; if I didn’t know this was Belgian I’d swear it was a doppelbock. Extremely rich and full-bodied, sweet and decadent as a Viennese torte, this seems quite unlike any other Belgian Strong I’ve had lately, strange wonderful and unique. A classic, a masterpiece, fit for kings.

(May 2008): 750 ml bottle from City Market in Burlington, VT, no date that I could see, served at cellar temperature from a Duvel glass. Stable dark caramel-tinted meringue head fills 2/3 of the glass atop the very dark and nearly opaque maple body....aroma of deeply caramelized sugary malts, chocolat, and apple-banana esters, an enormously complex yeast profile....the body is powerful and full without losing suppleness, without being heavy, chocolaty-caramel with light fruity hints (banana, strawberry perhaps), just the faintest hint of alcoholic tang....low carbonation, juicy, rich and serene, a beautiful slow sipper and every bit as awesome as the first time I had it. Rating numbers unchanged.

pleasantly sweet. a little heavy in the mouth

Bottle 33 cl. Creamy off-white excellent mostly lasting head. Red amber colour. Moderate malty heavy hoppy aroma. Nice complex bitter flavor. Average finish. creamy palate. Not as great as expected but alright beer.

750 ml bottle from Wine Specialist. Nice mahogany color with a rapidly diminishing beige/tan head. Rich malty aroma with a little yeast. Near medium body with creamy carbonation. The flavor is sweet malt with some medium dark fruit. Finish is more sweet than dry, but there is a little bitter. I think it is really delicious.