Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw/Blue

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

Tasted while on a trip to Tysons Corner (Vienna) Virginia. Picked up at Whole Foods Vienna. Recommended to me by a very helpful and friendly store clerk. Sampled in a hermetically sealed plastic hotel glass...yum. Pours somewhat thick, massive head, thick and off white color. The underlying beer is a reddish brown with some clarity. Aroma is spicy, with hints of caramel and brown sugar. Flavor is sweet, with a very candy like boldness. Finishes with a burnt caramel taste at the back of the tongue. Overall quite pleasant.

Pours a dark, reddish-brown with a nice head. The aroma is full of spices, with bits of malt coming through. The taste is amazing... three distinct hits, of spices, then yeasty malts, then the final aftertaste of alcohol to deliver the coup de grace. I’ve never had a beer that’s been this consistent (I’ve had 6 bottles and every one has been the same, even one purchased in Strasbourg and drunk in Belgrade a week later). Not only is it one of the most reliable beers I’ve ever encountered, it has the quality of the Platonic ideal of BEER, with all the components of yeast, malt, alcohol and spice dancing together in a perfect interplay. While I question the claims of the guy who recommended it to me of being ’better than Rochefort 10’, it has the ability to be drunk every night and not get old or be too intense in the way Rochefort 10 is. Amazing.

[Bottle] Pours a clear ruby/brown with a large beige head. Aroma is sweet dark fruits, raisins, spices, caramel, brown sugar, and alcohol. Flavor is quite raisin-y, lots of figs, plums, and prunes, some warming alcohol, and more dark fruits. Very light and lively in the mouth. Extremely complex and delicious beer. One of my favorites.

Pours a dark red with a frothy head that lasts. Woody aroma with some dark fruit sweetness... a hint of toasted marshmallow also. flavors are similar... earthy with a strong raisin/date note to it and again, marshmallow. Finish is clean and dry, with a kick of the 10% alcohol. Very complex... will try again, and likely age some of this... I imaging that after a couple of years this would get up to the mid 4s on scoring.

A whole lot going on here, strong aromas of plums, molasses, brown sugar, raisins. It pours a very dark brown with almost no head. First taste you get a whole lot of different flavors to sort out, i get a raisin flavor at first with a sort of molasses thing going on, overall very sweet and impressing I really really like!

Poured a nice clear ruby color with a beateful head. A sweet fruity smell. Full bodied with many complex flavors. A great beer.

I have shared this with my neighbor a few times and there is a reason we kept the bottle for display...we only keep the bottles of really high quality beers. This one is wonderful. Yeasty, malty, banana, fruit, and bread aromas. Flavor is dried fruits, wood, malt...great beer.

Having had their amber (Ambrio), which was enjoyable, but not fantastic, I was prepared to drink another "average" Belgian ale. Not so! This ale, 2007 Vintage, had an incredible body and mouth feel. It pours well with a moderate head. Hops were balanced/hidden by richness and alcohol. Some banana esters mixed with dark dried fruits and a hint of molasses. The mouth feel was unsurpassed. At 10% it was sort of sneaky and seductive. I drank the entire bottle in one sitting by myself -- not entirely recommended. Yet I do recommend this fine ale. It ranks right up there with the best.