Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw/Blue

750mL bottle, 2006 vintage. Pours a dark, cherry brown color with fine particulates; light tan head with fine-bubbled lacing. A ton of delightful things going on in the aroma: dried dark fruits, caramel, pleasant levels of esters and alcohols; never boozy or sticky sweet; an intricate, layered Belgian strong. Average-to-relaxed carbonation. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: following the nose, just tons of sticky, chewy dried dark fruits (raisins, dates, plums), toasty and creamy vanilla (suggesting creme brulee), and a complex, oily alcohol / estery character; a bit sweeter in the mouth than the nose suggests, but still incredibly tasty and well-composed; I’ve had a number of different vintages (pre-rating), and things improved with even a few more years behind it. Lengthy finish, showing breadiness, esters, and Belgian sugar; a touch of doughiness and dry toast.

750 bottle 10%abv. dated 2007. corked and caged poured into a Trappist glass has a dark muddy brown color with plenty of floating sediment and a beautiful thick tan head pulling back to a volcano of erupting froth in the center. aroma has plumbs, cherry, over ripe banana, raisin, brown sugar, and sweet malt. really nice on the nose. mouth feel is medium with coating and fairly active carbonation. flavor is smacking, sweet malted back with such rich dark fruits. layers of plumb, raisin, cherry, dark sugar, rich molasses, vanilla, and malt. very well blended flavors and the alcohol is totally hidden. wow, this is a luxury treat.

2007 Pours dark brown with a good sized head. Aroma of toffee, caramel, fruit. Nice sweetness, alcohol presence is a little strong. copyright grimreeser.

2007 Pours dark brown with a good sized head. Aroma of toffee, caramel, fruit. Nice sweetness, alcohol presence is a little strong.

This amazing beer pours a deep, dark amber color and has an aroma of dark fruit. It tastes of browm sugar, plums, and much more in the complex nectar. It is something to be enjoyed with friends because the alcohol is fierce and will sneak up on you.

750 courtesy of Naka, shared with he and Nate. Pours brown with amber hues. Foamy, small head, quickly dissipating. Nose is big; brown sugar, caramel and dark fruits, raisin and plum. Taste is dry with caramel and raisin, some plum, touch of apple and pear. Dry wit ha touch of bitter at the end. Great mouthfeel. All around delicious. Highly drinkable.

sampled in Brugge at ’t Brugs Beertje in a vertical tasting: ’04 Pours dark brown with a thick tan head, which looks exquisite in the a Golden Carolus glass, with its gold trim. Aroma is stunning. Cherries, figs, dates, raisins and rum pour forth with notes of port. Flavor is incredible featuring the same elements as the aroma, and a rich matliness. While this beer is pretty sweet, it is still quite digestible. Mouth feel is thicker than most Belgian ales, but is full of lovely tiny bubbles which bathe the tongue in a lightness against the richness of the beer. Finishes malty with cherries and port flavor. Excellent. One of the best beers I’ve had. ’07:: Poured a dark brown, but was still translucent with a head the dissipated quickly. Rich aromas of raisins, figs, dates, rum. Flavor was incredible, rich with all the same elements of the aroma. On the sweeter side, but there is still enough dryness that it doesn’t become overwhelming. Mouth feel is very nice, loads of fine bubbles lighten the feeling of heaviness from how rich this beer is, and it gently caresses on the tongue on the way down.

Shared w/ Nate & Juart. Dark amber color with a bit of a reddish hue. A very small beige head. Deep malty nose; some banana, dark fruit, alcohol, and vanilla spice. Same dark malt taste with plums, strong spices, brown sugar and yeast. Excellent body.