Gouden Carolus Classic

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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UPDATED: MAY 14, 2009 Murky brown color with a thin light brown head. Complex and appealing aroma of raisin and figs, sugar, malt and bubble guml. Very rich and enjoyable flavor of figs, malt , raisin, bubble gum and alcohol. Full body, liquorous texture, lively carbonation. Amazing stuff, this is truly a dessert in its own.

UPDATED: JUL 31, 2005 better than a wine, better than a port. Beautiful wine dark. Like a great barleywine, and can be aged for years more.Gorgeous aroma, cherries. Sweet raisin, plum, light brown sugar dry mix. Complementary spices of clove and cinammon wit cherry. Can drink anytime for satisfaction. Medium mouthfeel, not overpowering.This is not the same as the Classic.

75cl bottle. Ruddy brown shines brilliant scarlet as the glass hits the light. Rapidly disappearing off-white head. Clove-ish sweet aroma with more than a touch of something medicinal and woody. Sweetness though the flavour, and yes it’s yeasty, plummy, spicy, pugh pugh barney mcgrew cuthbert dibbele and grub-y, still subtler than other belgians, carries it off with a sweet ’n sour panache. And three quarters of a litre is very, very enjoyable.

Pours cloudy red with a quickly disipating tan head. Clove light fruity red wine, cherry, yeast, brown sugar aroma. Sweet but not cloying. Excellent follow through.Yeast, cheese, oak fruit. A little smoke? Gorgeous.

Draught: This one poured a dark reddish-brown with a thick creamy off-white head. I was suprised that the aroma was a bit weak for the style. There were some noted of fruits (plums et. al.) and caramel. The tatse was much better than the aroma. It had a caramel sweetness, with fruits in the background. The after-taste was a bit sour/tart. A very nice beer.

At the KULMINATOR in Antwerp. An outstanding Vintage bottle of Gouden Carolus 1987. Afther all these years still very young and aromatic. Great appearance, very nice fluffy froth and brilliant dark red-wood color. Fine aroma’s of raisins and old port with a nice Bee-wax touch, also a fine hint of Sauternes wine, dates and figgs. Medium mouthfeel with an outstanding balance between sweet and sour. In the taste also Port hints, raisins, Cox apples and fine sweet asian spices. This is the Carolus like in the old days.

The color is delightful. It is bright but gloomy and displays shades of orange, burgundy, green and maroon. Initially the lacing and head retention struggled but I poured the beer into my St. Bernardus Goblet instead of my Gouden Carolus chalice (The glass I poured it in to begin with) and everything was much improved. The lace was amazing. The type of lace that you have to scrub off the next time you wash it because it stuck and dried throughout the night. Yeah. The aroma is enjoyable. Delicate fruit and spice. Lots of fruit in the aroma, especially plums and oranges. The malt provides a lot of sweet scents. Lovely. Very dynamic flavor. Licorice characteristics up front, red and black, but mainly black. Caramel and toffee come about next and shortly there after, it moves to the fruit with plums and candied coated raisins. The finish is moderately yeasty, somewhat dull and displays flavors of banana and cookie crumb with a well known alcohol kick. I really like this stuff. It tastes very good. I have been very impressed with Anker’s offerings so far and am planning on visiting the brewery while in Belgium this summer.

10.01.04 750ml Bottle. Cloudy, pressed-cider brown with big, lasting, khaki head. Luscious aromas of banana bread, ripe plum, carrots cooked in brown sugar and butter. Soft body like freshly whipped cream followed by a crisp hop bitterness and slight astringency. Medium sweet and sugary. A complex conundrum for a strong ale, the sweet/dry mix makes for a pleasant and refreshing brew, however it is unsettling at times.

Dirty brown with a hint of a prettier colour like orange or red. The bottle had been knocked over in the past 2 days and shaken a bit. Fair starting head. Aroma of alcohol with musty fruit beneath. Refreshing for the high alcohol content. Must be drunk at warmer termperatures. Very nice palate and refined mild flavour. No overwhelming flavours. A nice balance of fruit, malt and light spice. A noble drink.

Pours a hazy mahongoany hue, cool woody brown, with a with a nice bit of froth, if short-lived. Aroma, sour, citric, and spicy, from the start, lemon peel, clove, and pepper. Taste: big, brisk, fruity blast on the palate, softly fading into a firm malt base. Cherries, berrries, bananas, melon, all accompanied by a tidy peppery kick on the side, and the flavor never fades, nestles well in the mouth, offering a resilient, bright tingle on the tongue. Great texture, wonderful play on the palate, a genial joust of tastes in the mouth. Fruity, to the point of being wine-like, but with plenty of it’s own individual charms to make it a supple, special little thing in the mouth. Very special ale, hunt it down, if you must!