Gouden Carolus Classic

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

Big score, big taste/flavor/aroma/mouthfeel. This is the first non I(however many I’s)IPA very high rated beer that I’ve liked. It wasn’t too much like a IStout or crazy and complicated like a barleywine. Perhaps that was misspeaking though. IT definitely was complicated. But in a I’m getting notes of a lot of flavors here and its making me think and try and place it all. It had more of a natural progression that the flavor bomb that can dominate a wee-lad like myself.

12 oz bottle, Mexico. Pours a dark brown color, no light passing through, moderate head. Aroma is sweet and malty and kind of like a red wine. Not much floral or hop character noted. Taste was rather sweet but complex. Palate was smooth with a nice full body and aftertaste. Leaves you feeling very full and satisfied, almost as if you had a meal. Excellent beer, want to try it again.

Wow, this beer really does seem to "charm me with its warm coppery color and rich bouquet"! The beer pours a deep red with a fluffy head that fades a bit but not for lack of leaving some serious lace on the glass. The aroma has some port wine with tons of raisin and cherry with some booze (in a good way). The flavor is dominated by cherry cordial and cordial cherries. There is plenty of earthy oakiness and some old brandy in there as well. This is excellent beer.

Bottle poured a clear reddish brown with a small lasting tan head. Aromas of toffee, brown sugar, fruittiness, cola and light yeast. Palate was medium bodied and smooth with a lightly warming finish. Flavors of toffee, brown sugar, fruittiness and spice with a smooth lightly warming lingering lightly sweet finish.

750 ml bottle a dark red brown colored beer aroma yeast sweetness fruity and spices and hints of rum taste dry fruit sweetness spices and some alcohol hints a nice beer

Reasonable off-white head, dark ruby brown with notes of orange. Aroma is aged red fruits (currants, raspberries), red wine, and slight alcohol. Definite red wine flavor - reminds me more of a lighter Malbec or Merlot as it gets warm -- sweet malts, and quite sweet and fruity. My girlfriend insists that there is some teriyaki, but I only get a tincture of it. Not much carbonation but enough, rather viscous and finishes dry in a way that belies the overall sweetness. Seems to be missing something from the middle -- perhaps a bit superficially flavored. I want something more robust to form the center. Still enjoyable.

Bottle. Spare off-white head over a clear ruby-black body. Aroma of rum, dried fruit, caramel and brown sugar. Tastes of dried fruit and rum/brandy, spicey-cloves with a gentle slightly bitter finish. Medium to full bodied, warm, spicey. Nice.

So I glance at this rating in the 98th percentile and I’m already intimidated. After spending so much time with él Crãppo beer and pale lagers and strong syrupy crap, what would I think? Pours easily into a tulip glass, slightly foggy amber colour with a fast moving head that then settles down into a small pad on top. aroma of nuts, wood, syrup, malts. Taste is a heavy and deep mix of malts and barley, syrup, malts, caramel, with a dry finish and some hints of fruity lager at the end. Very complex, very drinkable, but indeed quite heavy and something to savour.