Gouden Carolus Tripel

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

Pours with a clear, rich, concentrated gold color and is topped by an easily three-finger thick, frothy, light tan colored head that leaves some lacing on the sides of the glass. The aroma is quite herbal; perhaps a mix of fermentation character, hops and even a touch of grassy malt. Notes of vanilla peak through a base of dry weeds (which give this some sharp biting notes), . There is a nice aromatic note of both sweet and toasty malt here that has vague nuances of butterscotch, a just lightly malty caramel note, some dry soda cracker notes, and the aforementioned grassy grain character. There is a touch of higher alcohols in the nose, which only seem to accentuate that sharp, sort of weed-like herbal note that seems to be the most dominant note.

Sharp up front with a herbal astringent note, but the beer immediately softens up a bit with a sweet malt character. Notes of honey are certainly in evidence and mix quite well with the herbal notes; the combination makes me think of some sort of greenish wild flower nectar. This beer has a way of lightly sticking to the palate, letting one no that this is not a beer to take lightly, though it certainly drinks a bit lighter than its alcohol content might suggest. Back to that sharpness, it seems to be a combination of higher alcohols and some phenolic notes, neither of which are out of control and in fact add a touch of balance to the sweetness that might otherwise be dominating. Speaking of phenolics there is a definite note of clove here, which tends to accentuate the sweet malt. There are also some noticeable fruit notes here, predominantly pear, green apple, and tart plum.

This is an interesting beer; sweet yet astringently dry at times; palate sticking, yet light enough to be quaffable. There is definitely enough sharp rough edges here to balance the sweet malt and fruit notes. At times this beer is incredibly enjoyable, but at other times there is something (that I can’t quite put my finger on) that seems a bit off kilter. It is not enough to negate my enjoyments, but it certainly makes me ponder, and perhaps that is a good thing anyway. In the end not being able to fully grasp this beer makes it that much more intriguing.

Purchased: Plaza Liquors, Tucson AZ

Sweet, caramel malt aroma. Spicy, mild hops. Golden body with fizzy white head that recedes to fine cover. Sweet malt, bitter orange, yeast, light spicy hops on the tongue. Smooth, easy to drink, effervescent. Very enjoyable. Bottle (sampled at Mondial 2004).

in the bottle. This pours about as dark golden as possible. The white head had little staying power. The aroma is like a caramel toffee latte. You can smell the sweetness. Flavor is a substantial malty caramel taste which is remarkably smooth and drinkable for a 9% beer. Not filled with the complexities of many triples. The yeast cake in the bottom of my bottle was like a hockey puck.

Beautiful golden body with a full white head. Strong aroma of a hay field plus tons of sweet sugary stuff plus fruit and spices. The mouthfeel is amazing. Maybe one of the creamiest beers I’ve had. Very buttery tasting with an after taste that might be a bit too sweet.

Corked bottle from Party Source. Poured hazy orange color with a huge frothy white head that lasted with excellent lacing. Complex spicy fruit and yeasty aroma. Medium body with a sticky texture and lively carbonation. Medium to heavy fruity sweet flavor with a medium sweet finish of moderate to long duration with a small alcohol bite. This is a good sweet beer.

I paid $4.55 at the Northcoast Coop in Eureka. This poured a clear golden color with a nice fat white head and copious lacing. Nose of citrus and fruit, with some clove spice. Somewhat fizzy mouthfeel, but not unpleasant. Flavor is yeasty with lots of fruits. Very nice to drink.

Spiritus hop malt aroma. Murky yellow colour with very thick sudsy head and fantastic lacing. Strong sharp flavour with malt flowers and hops. Smooth palate.

Pours hazy golden with a medium off-white or tan head. Nose is spicy yeast, dates, cinnamon. Flavor of figs and dates, cinnamon and basil and allspice. Quite sweet and malty, honeyed towards the middle, with a strongly alcoholic finish. Lingering spicy and honeyed aftertaste almost like bakleva. Oily mouthfeel. Good