Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw/Blue

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

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.

2006 vintage. Birthday gift courtesy of Girlie Delizo-Jasper. Thanks 8D. Deep brown pour with a good off-white head. Aroma is consistent with what you’d expect in such a Belgian - sweet and spicy notes. This one is sweet on the palate - some nice malty notes with minimal hop spiciness. I really enjoyed this one. Good brew. I love a good Belgian - especially one that’s beyond the Chimays of the world. Not knocking Chimay - just fun to find an uncovered gem!

Brownish pour with descent head. Nose of dark fruits, alcohol, sweet syrup. Flavors similar, but really potent on the alcohol. Pretty tasty and complex.

WOW, this brew is so thick it looks like melted taffy. The smell is of egg nog, apples, bananas, and that hard milky candy coating that dresses every jawbreaker/polka-dotted easter mini-malt candy egg. You can’t see through this beer with two 120watt bulbs physically touching the back of the glass. Mine was aged 18 months and has thick gloppidy glollops of yeast chunking around inside that are cool clover bursts of spicy flavor on the palate. Abbaye des Rocs anyone? Fantastic beer; one that could fit well in De Dolle’s lineup with the success of Tris Pistoles and Brune. Amazing belgian, in every sense of the beverage style. I will buy this again and again. RERATE: I have bought this beer again and again. Wow was I lucky. I’ve tred 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. All were just abominations of flavor and alcohol. Just supreeme greatness. Perfect!

At Max’s 72 hours of Belgian. 2007 release. After the alcohol shock, very enjoyable. I’d love to retry in a couple of years. booze hit, then we get to a brown sugar/ fruity sweetness. Drying finish.