Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor

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

Yellow color, nice white head. Incredibly tasty, starts almost sweet (in the classic Carolus style) and then you get the full hop explosion, with a definetely unusual combination of them. Found it pretty easily bottled in north Italy belgian beer pubs, and now even on draft.

A lovely, frothy, dandelion hued pour with a mountainous rocky foam. Crushed red pepper, almond pastry, soft coriander, pungent clove and a gorgeous mist of floral-herbal hops in the aroma; the spiciness, the sweetness, and the bitterness delicately woven together, and each soft as silk. It couldn’t be further from quiet, though; it’s like a garden of grain and sharp herbs and flowers that’s presently blossoming all at once.

Lemongrass, lavender, and coriander flavor; each with a candied kind of smooth sweetness on it. Fresh grass. Pistachio-leaning malt. Cotton candy. It tends to get somewhat musky with the interaction of herbal-tinted hops, yeasts and its considerable alcohol, and while this is a likable characteristic, it dulls the brightness of the hops somewhat. The sweetness it offers in the middle is quite crispy and autumnal, like lavender and fire-roasted chestnuts, and gloriously dry while still sumptuous in impression. Consistent shades of fruit tend to be soft and sunny; white peaches is what it makes me think of most often.

Full and effervescent texture at first, becoming somewhat more lean toward the finish, where a lovely saffron and floral perfume dryness spreads out, leaving a soft bittersweetness that while dry remains quite flavorful and memorable even long after. Every element is in place for a refreshing, but fulsome and interesting at every turn experience. A new favorite!

Mais uma excelente cerveja da Het Anker! Aparência FANTÁSTICA: coloração âmbar clara, turva, com espuma gigantesca, muito densa, cremosa, duradoura (mesmo após uns 20 minutos ela era ainda de cerca de um dedo), deixando marcas nas laterais da taça e lembrando demais a espuma da Duvel. Notas acentuadíssimas de lúpulo (a proposta é essa mesma), com intenso amargor, tudo porém muito harmônico e na medida. Carbonatação média. Final lupulado, bem amargo e looooongo! Essa cerveja é um primor, um verdadeiro presente aos "lupulomaníacos". Clap! Clap! Clap!

Tasted at zythos beer festival. Nice and tastfull. Really hopy beer with good bitterness On draft is it more bitter. Realy nice

Gold colored beer. Slightly hazy and low carbonation. Long lasting white creamy head. Grassy and herbal hop aromas. Tastes nicely bitter. Maybe a bit one dimensional bitter.

Bottle, from a recent private order, thanks Mat for coordinating. Looks nice - medium hazy yellow, gigantic fluffy bubbly white head. Aroma is hoppy, spicy, some alcohol, nice. Taste - excellent. Spicy strong light malt, lots of hops and even more in the finish. I mean a ton of hops in finish, almost sweet in nature. Complex, sneaking warming alcohol. Floral in the taste as well. Damn good beer, wish I had bought more of this one!

Bottle, 33cl. It pours a cute, hazy, yellow body with an orange tint. Good carbonation going on. The long-lasting white head is big as can be, making it a difficult beer to pour. Citrusy, resiny hop aromas start escaping the glass while pouring, and a deeper inspection reveals white sugar, wheat, some alcohol and a little yeasty note. It’s highly effervescent, full-bodied and sweet, with an intense bitterness. At least for a Belgian beer. Fruity, citrusy and slighlty wheaty flavor with a hint of yeast. Some brett-like flavors and aromas too? The finish is very long, with citrusy, resiny hops giving a good bitterness that lasts longer than the other flavors. A good alcohol warmth also spreads in the mouth, and follows you for a long time. And then, suddenly it’s gone, and all that is left are the lacings. And of course some bitterness in the mouth. A really pleasant twist on a strong, Belgian ale. (090417)

Pours dark gold into a tulip. Fluffy conglomerate head with excellent retention leaves spider lacing as it slowly recedes. Orange and anise aromas. Sharp upfront with pine and a lasting bitter resin finish.