Gouden Carolus Tripel

Brewed by Brouwerij Het Anker
Style: Abbey Tripel
Mechelen, Belgium

75cl bottle, bbf 20-05-2011 L 0840, bought in superbest, allerød. the cork was almost self-ejecting, it went off as if it was champaigne. no beer spilled out. clear ever so slightly cloudy yellow, huge white head that soon becomes fluffy and collapses partly. very nice aroma balanced between citrus, spicy, and the sweetness of exotic fruits. flavor is quite sweet, banana, spices, aftertaste is liqueurish, to-the-point flavor, but also perhaps a bit too conventional. alc. reasonably well hidden. flavor is well balanced and rounded and does not, as some tripel’s have any sharp edges to it. this is a plus. honey. somehow almost reminds me of mead. beer is better than my rating, but then - i can’t give it 8 for flavor or aroma - that would need a wow! effect that i didn’t find. if you like belgian this one is a must to have sampled.

Medium white head. Golden body. Full, deep, soft golden fruity sweetish aroma of milky honey, malts, toffee, spice, and hops. Incredible harmony and balance; almost perfect. Sharp, spicy milky honey taste with notes of tobacco and fruit. Dry, musty malty tobacco aftertaste. (0.33l bottle from Dorstvlegel, Antwerp. Probably not a perfect bottle. Want to rerate. And rerate. And rerate.)

Clear dark golden with hints of red. Small long-lasting head. Lot’s of candied fruit in aroma; oranges, apples, and apricot. Lot’s of yeast. Malty and yeasty flavour with candied oranges. Quite spicy finish.

Not as fruity, sweet, or complex as some others of the style, but still a very good beer. Substantial body. There is a thick white head that lasts so long I was getting impatient to drink the cloudy, dark orange beer. Powerful aroma of sweet fruit. Flavor is primarily sweet with a bit of the alcohol coming through. Sweet malt in the finish. This can’t stand up to Tripel Karmeliet but is vastly superior to Westmalle and many others.

Bottle. Light amber color with a big white head. Lots of yeast in aroma along with apple, banana, spice, and sweet malt. Sweet malt/candy sugar flavor with spice and lemon. High carbonation. Alcohol present.

Appealing aroma of fruits, spices and yeast. Hazy orange pour with a thin white head. Very good flavor of thick malt with fruits, spices and yeast, the finish is sweet. The body is medium with a creamy, slightly powdery texture and soft carbonation. Excellent, true to the Gouden Carolus standard.

Spicy, citrus aroma. Orange, cloudy coloured. Good head. Sweet taste, spices, some malts.

Almost clear blonde body topped by a long-lasting medium white head. Thick body with lots of crisp malts. Alcohol is apparent. Main flavours are cereals, honey and alcohol with a touch of caramel and some aromatic grassy and floral hops with no bitterness at all. Sweetness level is average. Enjoyable well put together beer with a nice mouthfeel. Despite all its qualities I found it rather simple although the aromatic floral hops kept me entertained. The foundation of a great triple is there and it could acheive that status if given a little more complexity (spicy twist, fruity notes, something...). Still this was very good, basic, reliable and effective, this beer is to tripels what steak & fries is to fine cuisine.