Gouden Carolus Tripel

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

dark amber color but a bit mirky good head-to-body ratio malty citrus after-taste brewed for royalty i will gladly try others from this brewer...if I can find them!!

0.33l bottle at home. Yellow with thin white head. Some lacing remained on the glass. Spicy aroma with hint of orange and alcohol. Thick smooth mouthful. Taste is sweet at the beginning and spicy bitter at the end. Long warm feeling after you have a sip. Good triple.

Pours hazy bubbly golden with thick, dense white head with lots of lace. Floral and lightly citrus hops in the nose along with doughy grain aroma. Flavor is fruity, lightly sweet, orange and lemon, some deeper fruity esters – apple, peach - hints of herbal hops along with crisp resiny bitterness, lingering bitter and very light alcohol burn in the aftertaste. Mouthfeel is very lively, bubbly, rich and textured. I likey.

Bottle. Malt aromas of caramel, hop notes of herbs, and beef broth for the yeast. In the background there was a smell that was somewhere between grape and raisin, with a strong note of ripe pear, and alcohol. The head was fizzy and quickly diminished. The color was a slightly hazy amber. Flavor started lightly sweet and finished the same sweetness and moderately acidic. Palate was light to medium, watery, with a fizzy carbonation. It finished lightly astringent. There was a stronger malt aroma than I expected, and so many more fruity notes were present after it warmed. The taste was just a little disappointing, but all in all this is a fine drinking triple.

On tap at the Yardhouse in San Diego. Nice deep golden appearance with a light vanilla head on it. Very fruity aroma, thick with Belgian yeast and lots of banana, pear and strong alcohol in the aroma. Flavor reminds me somewhat of Gulden Draak, although lighter and fluffier. Sweet malty flavor with peppery spice and a good hops finish. Palate is quite carbonated, yet smoothed by the dry alcohol finish.

33cl. bottle: Lightly hazy light amber with an orange core. Nice creamy off-white head that starts out above average but dies down to a film rather quickly. Powerful aromas of bready malt and grain. Banana bread and some toasted marshmallow come just behind the malt. Definite toffee and caramel continue the sweetness while the alcohol sneaks in behind then surprises you. Flavors are quite deep and complex (especially compared against all the ho hum tripels that have flooded the market). Malt, dark brown sugar start up front and roll back on your tongue while fading through and dark, almost burnt, caramel. Further back some apple and a bit of "green" harshness that can be best described as green tree bark. Toasted marshmallow shows up in the flavor as well. Perhaps just a slight cardboard in the back but it doesn’t distract you. If anything it adds a certain level of depth. There is some grilled fruits in the back, or perhaps fruit marmalade cooked in a pan. Nicely balanced tripel and the alcohol is well hidden.

75 cl bottle in Kjetil´s wedding. Clear golden color, big white head. Aroma is fruity, spices, yeast and sugar sweetness. Flavor is sweet, a bit acidic, fruity, some alcohol, ok bitterness. Almost too sweet, but a very fine beer.

Yay I finally reached 100 ratings. This one was a good choice for it. Has a light gold color with a nice thick white head. Smells of malts with hints of fruits and hops. Has a nice flavor full of yeast particles. A little bit of a bitter aftertaste but that is to be expected from a higher alcohol content. Overall a this one was a pleasant experience.