Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor

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

Looks great. Aroma? Yep, just spot on. The classic Belgian ’hoppy’ aroma, in a very warm and round way, almost sweaty. It’s been a while since I’ve had a beer like this and it reminded me I need to drink them a LOT more. Great pils malt flavour - rich and supple and round - with nicely poised phenols and polystyrene hops. Fairly assertive bitterness for the style, nice alcohol warmth. Comes off as a slightly more rich, warm, open version of Hommelbier. Beautiful. How come Anker’s beers all taste better in Australia than in the brewery’s taproom?

I bought the bottle from the room temperature shelves at Greens and made the mistake of opening it without adequate chilling. The cork flew out in force and I had a gusher on my hand. The loss was only a small amount of beer though, so I will move on and get on with the review. The beer was poured into a Duvel tulip, and it looked pretty similar to that beer, as the body was pale in color with cloudiness, and had a huge head above it. The beer at first whiff did not smell very strong, but after deeper breathing, some spicy hop aromas were revealed. There was also a musty yeast smell typical of many Belgian beers. Taste showed that significant levels of hops were present here despite the lack of aroma. The hops were spicy and herbal in character and were the most significant flavor up front. More tasting revealed some sweetness in the form of pear, followed by a tart finish. The body was light and fluffy, and the beer was so quaffable, it was hard to believe the alcoholic strength. A nice melding of styles that seems to happen a lot more frequently recently as the Belgians seem to have taken on some of the fascination about hops American Craft Brewers have held for quite a while.

Flaske. Aftenens højdepunkt. Meget lys øl der næsten ligner en witbier. Flot hængende skumhoved. Duften er meget frugtig og en smule gæret, dog kan humlen også anes. Smagen er lidt ovre i en trippel dog ikke så frugtet, men bitterhumlen bringer tankerne hen til en amerikansk IPA. Virkelig forfriskende og lækker. Alkoholen brænder en smule men på den gode måde.

Bottle from Southbay. Dark gold pour with thick and persistent head. I love persistent head. Aroma is full of Belgian hops, mineral water, and old malt. Flavor is much the same with a dusty fruit/spice to tie it together. I think a better example of the "Belgian IPA’’ than even Houblin Dobbelen.

A palack óvatos nyitása közben hirtelen az apró résen már igyekezett is kifelé a söröm.Nem lassan hanem mint Usain Bolt a Pekingi olimpián.Gyors nyitás és már a pohárban is van az ital negyede mert a többi részt kitölti a hatalmas méretű kemény hab.Hosszú idő míg sikerül teljesen kitölteni az italt.Színe ködös,narancssárgás,igazi szüretlenes búzás.Illata citrusos,malátás és élesztős.Íze gyümölcsös,édeskés,fűszeres míg be nem törnek a komlók kesernyés zamatai.Minden kortynál egy másik oldalát mutatja a magas komló tartalom.Testes,olajos ital és a nyelvet folyamatosan csiklandozzák az apró buborékok.Utóíze száraz,ami a hosszú lecsengés közben gyümölcsösen és fenyőgyantásan bontakozik ki.Veszélyesen itatja magát.Aki csak az olyan söröket szereti amik nem keserűek az fejvesztve meneküljön!Én maradok ha lehet,kérem tisztelettel...

[Bottle] Pours about 20% hazy gold liquid, 80% whitish rocky head. Absolutely massive. Significant noble hop nose, floral honey, orange peel, a bit of bready yeast in there as well. I’m waiting patiently for the head to subside so I can get a taste... Nice light mouthfeel, plenty of hops, a bit of alcohol in there, but not overpowering, banana, and bready yeast. A mild bitterness finishes off the beer.

Very nice. Ample head, golden orange color. Super layered nose. Citrus, spice, satisfying. Lingering.

I think I’ve found my everyday IPA. Pours cloudy gold, persistant head, dissipates slowly. Aroma is llight of citrus and floral notes. The mouthfeel is not potent hoppiness, very well balanced. Lasting citrus after taste. A good beer.