Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw/Blue

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

Ok yeah this beer pretty much kicks ass. So thanks to BierBauch for this one. There are alot of qualities of this beer that are reminiscent of St. Bernardus Abt12 but also a ton of uniqueness in here as well. Aroma is similar to Bernardus with the heavy hit of yeast and bread dough but also sweeter as it has a more robust dark fruit characteristic. The aroma filled the room as soon as I started to pour it.

Flavor is unique while at the same time keeping some of the great qualities of other favorite Belgians. There’s definitely more chocolate in the mix, along with large supply of dark fruits such as plums and figs. There are some hops as well that add a nice balanced bitterness. The palate is twice as heavy as I was expecting. Quite thick and syrupy but still remains soft and just plain fun to drink. A real treat. I’m going to acquire some more of these to throw in the cellar.

Bottle, pours dark brown with thin tan head. Aroma is sweet with dark fruits, caramel and malts. Great appearance and aroma. Big flavor of dark fruits, caramel, chocolate, coffee, and dark malts. Really impressive beer with full body and warm finish.

2008 Bottle, Village De La Biere, Strasbourg, France. Been keenly anticipating breaking this fella open for a little while now. Poured a dark reddy tinged brown with a fading tan head. Aroma was syrupy sweet and honey laden, with caramel malt, spice and booze lingering with intent also. Complex sweet and rich flavour that retained the elements in the nose and more. A plethora of spices in there, orange peel, brown sugar, yeast, earthy malts, leading to a wee bit of alco burn in the finish. I’m curious as to what shape the assistance of the public in brewing this takes. Bet there’s a few interesting ’secret’ ingredients lurking in here. Quality lies herein.

Bottle at home. Pours a clear dark ruby red color with a creamy, off-white head leaving some lacing. Very subtle yet complex aroma of red fruits, brown sugar, some wine hints and many spices. Flavor is fruity again, some alcohol present, slightly sour yet very well balanced. Really drinkable and very tasty.

2004 bottle sampled at the SLC tasting 1/23/10
Appearance: Poured a dark brown with a nice tan head
Aroma: Belgian yeast, candy, fruits sweet malts
Taste: Sweet malts, Belgian candy, dark fruit
A very good Belgian Strong Ale. Very smooth and crisp, well balanced.

2008 bottle. The pour was turbid brown with a short, creamy tan head. The aroma was tons of malt and spice over dark fruit. The flavor was loaded with cinnamon and clove, with plenty of malts and a touch of citrus. The mouthfeel was medium to full in body and the alcohol was well hidden. Good, just a little overly spiced for my taste.

750 mL bottle pours a deep tobacco brown with minimal, quickly dispersing off white head into a chalice; nice lacing. Aroma of raisin, plumb, green apple, brown sugar, well malted with a hidden woody aspect. Plumbs give way to tart green apples which dominate the flavor profile. Brown sugar/molasses with plenty of malt. Very well balanced with only a slight booziness in the finish. Fluffy mouthfeel with low carbonation; full bodied. Gets sweeter as it warms. Very nice brew.

06 vintage. aroma is caramel malts and sweetness. drinks with caramel malts, sweet like maple syrup, roasty. thin body and finishes clean.