Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw/Blue

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

This is a grand beer. Dark brown with a towering head, Aroma is spicey, malty with a light oakness. Flavour is awesome with such a delicated balance of abv, sugar and spice. I could drink this all night long.

2003: Yes. This is a fine beverage. Grahmn crackery goodness with a butter sauted cinnamon apple taste and texture. The color is deep sienna with chantilly lace. All in all, to complex to describe and to exquisite to warrant the attempt.

2003 Bottle: Poured a rusty and cloudy amber ale with a medium brown head with surprisingly great retention. Aroma is quite port-like sweet with strong malt also noticeable. Taste is sweeter then expected and I was glad I drank this after dinner since the sweetness would have been too overpowering before a meal. Body is quite full and alcohol is not discernable which I always appreciate. Overall, I would say that this si another great beer from a sometime underappreciated brewery – I very much appreciated the creamy, fruit/sweetness of this one.

Re-Rate. A 3.7 is way too low for this beer. I think that it doesn’t reach potential until at least two years aging. I’m drinking a 2006 bottle now, and it’s rich and full like an old Samichlaus, concentrated raisin covered in syrupy chocolate, but not creamy; the flavors are full and difident, but there is a clarity to the mouthfeel that makes this very refined. Portish notes. The very little alcohol that is detectable is a perfect counterpoint to the rich flavors. Rich on the smell, too, with caramelized and syruped brown sugar and some flowerish honey notes. Wonderful beer.

Original Rating. Bottle (2004 vintage) into tulip glass; purchased at Discount Licquor (Milwaukee). Since I bought two bottles of the stuff, I decided to have one now and lay the other one down. While it was good now, every facet seemed like it was primed to age well. The smell was malty and bread-y with very noticable alcohol and an unpleasant acetone tinge. It smelled thick, and it was: syrupy, in fact. Soft carbonation helped the texture, but with the underdeveloped flavors, the syrupy viscosity got to me a bit. Dark reddish-brown in the glass, the head was initially very small and completely disappeared. Despite this, the beer left nice small-bubble lacing on the side of the glass, more so as it got down to room temperature. The taste and feel were much more like a barley wine than a Belgian strong in my mind. It was sweet with dark fruity flavors that I couldn’t distinguish and that I hope mature into complexity. 6/4/8/4/15= 3.7.

The 25.4 ounce amber bottle poured a beautiful, crystal clear garnet beverage with a creamy ample off white head that was entirely lasting and left beautiful lacing on the glass. The aromas sweet and candy like. There was bubble gum and cotton candy first with an earthy undertone. The body was full with a soft carbonation and a wonderful creamy texture on the palate. The flavor starts off quite sweet and stays that way throughout the long warming finish. It was like sipping a wonderful glass of sweet brandy. WOW.

[Sampled at DØE-festival, Valby, 2007 with svoger AT THE LAWN.]
Taste it vintage and you are in heaven. Lots of dried fruits, alcohol, bombed with ingredients, warming, yeast, licorice and yeast.

2006 vintage, 750ml bottle shared with heavy whom I thank for ordering this at the Hopdevil.
The strongest, the best rated beer from what could be my favorite non-trappist belgian brewery. I came with great expectations.
Poureed a lovely dark deep red colour with a creamy off white head that went away at a medium pace. The nose showed some of the complexity this beer possesses. Chocolate, malt, raisins, a touch of coffee machine coffee, caramel and alcohol.... The taste was sweet, pleasant and complex. Malt, a touch of brittle, sweet, chocolatey, some typical belgian yeastiness, caramel, tobacco,fruity, bananas dipped in sugar and then covered by chocolate, coffee and caramel again and... green tea? (was I hallucinating?). Dryish bittersweet finish. Yup, a great beer. Didn’t strike me as the best that Het Anker does, but the best they do is stellar, and this isn’t far away.

Poured into the proper Gouden Carolus chalice. Beautiful color! Dark mahogany with hints of ruby and magenta. Long lasting head stayed till the last sip but the slippery lace fell apart...damn. The nose was full of discarded banana peel that had been baking in the sun for three days, brandy, clove, sugar, red licorice, sweet dark fruits and alcohol. Nice nose on this one! This was one excellent tasting beer! Raisins, plums, figs, banana peel, clove, lots of sugar, brandy, red licorice and a hint of alcohol. As the ale warmed the alcohol became less pronounced which was really impressive. So many diverse and dynamic flavors while being so smooth and drinkable. Warming mouthfeel and very heavy in the mouth. Unbelieveable!