Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw/Blue

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

Summary: I can respect it for its complexity, but find it generally unpleasant. Aroma: Balsamic vinegar, some caramel and floral notes. Appearance: Clear garnet red-brown, a finger of tan head vanishes without lace. Flavor: Very understated at the front, builds in strength and complexity. Despite the aroma, alcohol, wood, and bitterness are the primary flavors. Caramel and fusel elements play a secondary role. Palate: Dry with alcohol warming. Some thickness in the middle.

Dark brown, nice sizey white head. Aroma is prune and plum and brown sugar and raisin and whiskey and, I don’t know, candied fruit? Maybe? Flavor is heavier on the fruity notes, with a lot of raisin and prune, and as it warms there is a lot of rummy, whiskey-y notes. Pretty tasty stuff.

Bottle, 2005. Fantastic! Pours maroon, some sediment flakes, fuzzy tan head, with just amazing lacing. Just looks so inviting. The nose is wonderful, bread pudding, juicy sugary fruits, licks of rum, candi sugar. Sweett, bready goodness, a little alcohol comes through, but not enough to ruin anything, raisins and big yeasty flavors. Remarkably light, with lush carbonation, especially for being 3 years old, a little heat. Mmm, very good.

[2008 Bottle] Pours a thin deep red/brown with a lively tan sudsy head with lots of larger carbonation bubbles. Sweet vinous aroma of fruits, licorice, brown sugar, malt, raisins, yeast, light banana and alcohol. This stuff is pretty nutty, flavors of wood, banana, brown sugar, nuts, raisins, port and alcohol. Carbonation is very strong, soda like, medium body. Too boozy, I suppose I should get another bottle to age for a few...

From LIC, Aarhus, DK. Bottled, 110908. Brown with nice head. Aroma is complex of berries and malt. Flavor is very sweet of brown sugar with caramel, fruit and alcohol presence.

75 cl bottle from Systembolaget, thanks to Fredrik. One of the absolut best belgian beers I’ve tried. Deep red/brown color with a good head. Complex, vinous aroma of berries and nuts. Lots of bitter berries in the flavour, some liquorice, caramel, brown sugar, fruit... a very balanced sweetness and the alcohol is a bit warming in the stomach. Very fullbodied, filling and smooth in the palate. Great beer! 9/5/10/5/18=4,7

Rerate: 75 cl bottle. Aged for one year and two months at home. Pours a dark brown color with hints of red, nice beige head, some lacing on the glass. Aroma is vinous, with lots of dried fruits, plums, port wine, red currants, spices and caramel. Flavour is very, very sweet (too sweet) and vinous with portwine, dried fruits, raisins, light spices, red currants and leaf. Notes of syrup and toffee. Not much stuff to balance the sweetness. Full bodied; medium strong carbonation. A dissapointment, and weird that I think it’s sweeter now than last year. Maybe needs to age for a thousand years or so... But it smells good.

Bottle (EBF2008)
Raspberry jam aroma - huge! Port, woody, fruity, raisins, some yeastiness. Concentrated malt loaf. Oh yes!

2002 bottle drank in 2008. Pours a dark muddy brown, decent head. Quite viscous. Flavour is malty, sweet and chocolatey, a fair bit of warming alcohol for an 8% beer. Pretty good.