Gouden Carolus Tripel

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

Pours gold with a white head. Smells of bubblegum, oranges, dry malt, light spice, perfume. Tastes of citrus with a semi dry finish and some residual spice. Decent.

Pale golden, lightly hazy with a very thick creamy/fluffy white head. Truly beautiful-looking beer. Aroma is quite fresh, light malt, crisp bright spiciness. Light clove, apricot and lovely yeasty spiciness. A bit of mint and soft yeastiness. The flavour is just so well-balanced. A light wheaty/bready malt base, but it is still deliciously dry. Flavour is spicy and lightly fruity. Very delicate with a lingering mint/herb hoppiness on the back. Finishes very crisp and dry. Awesome.

Bottle, 75cl corked. Two years past BB-date. It pours a slightly hazy, sparkling golden body with a gigantic creamy off-white head. Fine lacings left. Slightly cellary or corked on the nose, with pale malt, fruityness, some citrus hints and spices and a little piney note. Well hidden alcohol. Warming, effervescent and full-bodied. Slightly cellar-like flavor too, with citrusy, piney hops, some bitterness balancing the white sugar sweetness, and a herbal touch. Pale malts as well. Also something reminiscent of dried apricots. Lasting finish with good warmth and a fine bitterness. It’s probably better when fresh, but the two extra years of cellaring sure as hell didn’t ruin it. Rating: 7-4-8-4-16-3.9. (090410)

Bottled, 0.33. A cloudy, orange beer with lots of floaties, and a huge, dense, lasting off-white head. Nice, sweet nose with oranges and spices. Sweet flavor with orange-peel, both fresh and dried fruits and black tea. Fullbodied, quite gassy beer, almost sticky mouthfeel. The finish is long, with bitterness, warming alcohol and spices. I love Het Anker. (061130)

Cloudy gold with a tall frizzy head, this ale has has a yeasty-fruit aroma laden with spices and a trace of alcohol. Light-bodied, it’s got honey, apples, oranges, and spices in the taste. There’s a dry, slightly bitter finish. A nice triple... nothing great.

75 cl. bottle. Dark Golden to overripe peach color. Cream colored head. Wide sweeping aromas. Licorice, mace, plumes, raisins, strawberries and petunias laces with white pepper. Flavors, thank heavens, do not completely match the aroma (I am not a licorice lover). Sweet spiced fruit bubblegum in the front. Middle with some pineapple, coriander and orange. Malt doesn't really come out until the finish - A merlot vinous quality with a hint of malt. A nice strong ale, but not high on my triple list.

Fresh lemon and orange aroma. Dark golden color, white head, good lace. Very citrus, sweet, alcohol well hidden, starts off with lemon flavors and turn orange. Long hoppy, little dry finish.

Pours a golden hazy triple color with a large puffy white head & sticky lacing. Aroma is musky and sweet with lots of hops for a tripel. Flavor also reflects the hops in this but isn't as complex as expected. It's good and complete but just doesn't go the distance.

Hazy antique gold colour. Not much head, but very spritzy and prickly on the tongue once it gets into the mouth. Spirity nose with sweet malt and rich spices hovering in the background. Very sweet initial hit on the palate but backed up by cocktail of citrus fruits and balanced by a clean yeasty acidity. Once the sweetness on the finish, a bone dry, sharp and flinty aftertaste, rather reminiscent of a young chablis lingers. Quite nice, but I wouldn't mind betting that this one would improve with age as the best before date was December 2005. Couldn't wait that long though. Bottle (33cl).