Gouden Carolus Classic

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

Pours a surprisingly clear mahogany hue with a billowy creama head. Earthy, damp overall aroma, much like an old forest after rainfall. Tangy walnuts mingle with moist pipe tobacco. An aromatic theme of fruitcake adds some playfulness and tingle with its candied fruits and brandy. An intriguing combination of coffee beans and cayenne pepper adds some drama. Sweet and flavourful with a big chunk of caramel. Pepper and lemon zest explode on the tongue, drawing into a leather finish, dry with alcohol. Undercurrents of coffee and prunes run throughout. Silky texture, mild alcohol, bubbly carbonation, just over medium bodied. Diverse; bright and sultry. 33cl bottle, not dated.

Bottle, split with after4ever. Pours a hazy brown with a lacy off-white head. Loads of caramel in the aroma and taste. The taste also musters ups some spice and fruit.

330. Pours an opaque dark brown with a thick, moussy, dark tan head. Ultra-buttery, butterscotchy nose, tons of caramel. Super-candy-bar-like. Booze and dark fruit there as well without a doubt. Nice medium body, a little creamy, very soothing and almost quenching. Liquer-like. Complex fruit, candy, and booze mid-palate, same as the nose. Airy butterscotch finish. All the butter/butterscotch business does not seem like diacetyl, though it might well be--whatever it is, it feels appropriate enough to the drink.

Flaske. Mørk øl, med en flot duft af frugt. Men smagen er al for sød. Enten var det mine smagsløg der var blevet skudt, eller også var der hældt dobbel så meget sukker i denne øl end hvad der var meningen. Ærgeligt da det blev for meget.

Had this a zillion times. Love this brewery. This has the ,uh oh, "classic" nose that a good BSA is supposed to have. Lots of exotic spices and very ripe fruit. A good Tripel or BSA always seems to have the same flavors. Very ripe bananas and coriander or someting. Very Good beer

Pours a nice deep brown with a creamy, slowly-falling tan head that leaves a litle lace. Smells of fruit and light caramel. Taste is semi-sweet with burnt coffe and some chocolate flavors. There is a strange aftertaste I cannot quite put my finger on (not unpleasant, just hard to describe). The alcohol comes through nicely. A very good beer, and one that I will drink again.

July 2006 - Label was Carolus D’Or. Really sweet strong aroma. Nice fluffy head with some lace. Flavor was good, not great. Very sweet from dark fruit (raisins?). Caramel emerged as it warmed. A bit thin in the mouthfeel.

cloudy mahogany pour topped with a fluffy tan head which leaves lots of pillowy lacing. the aroma is similar to an oxidized sherry... sweet with raisins, wood, vanilla, caramel and a sourness. the flavor has vinous qualities as well... raisins, wood and vanilla. it finishes dry and yeasty with an aftertaste of skunky hops? medium to full bodied with a creamy texture and smooth mouth feel. it’s a bit on the sweet side but some age will fix that...