Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw/Blue

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

2006 bottle (10%ABV). Head is initially average sized, frothy/fizzy, light brown, mostly diminishing. Body is hazy dark orange-brown, unfiltered. Aroma is lightly to moderately malty (cookie, caramel, toasted bread), lightly yeasty (cobwebs), with light notes of raisin, overripe banana, cinnamon, toffee, clove, brown sugar, alcohol. Flavor is heavily sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter. Medium to full body, velvety texture, lively carbonation, lightly to moderately alcoholic. This one always scores right around 4 for me, and the 2006 is no different (although the bottle was a gusher, which I don’t think I’ve seen in a Gouden Carolus beer before). Delicious stuff and pretty consistent in quality over the years. I really should probably cellar some of this and the Noel, as I always love ’em.

Smells like a banana split -- chocolate, vanilla, caramel, banana. Rich, sweet, sugary flavor,-- warm and bitter on the lips with cocoa and coffee. Loses carbonation too rapidly with some astringency in the palate. A very good and fairly balanced brew, in its category. Beautiful bottle, cap and deep coffee colored brew with good frothy tan head. It's obvious that this would do well with a couple years' cellaring.

Bottle. Big sugary body. Brown sugar. Dark brown with a reddish tint. Sweet almost like milk after the Lucky Charms are all gone. Raisin, apple bake. Great dessert in a glass. << Rerated from draft at Taphouse/Queensway ... murky and muddy brown with a milky creamy head. Not a whole lot of aroma, but it delivers a powerful punch of warming alcohol, rich dark fruit and cooked sugar. >>

I had this at Roman’s on tap. It was known as "The Emperor" name. Anyway, the appearance was bubbling/settling like you see in Guiness (didn’t last as long though). It has a frothy head and a dark color. The aroma was of raisins and roasted malts. The palate was lightly carbonated with a medium body. The flavor was of smoky fruit, cherries, dates, sweet, with a little bit of alcohol.

Pours muddy brown with a beige head. Sweetened liquorice nose. Spicy flavour with hints of raisin, plum and clove. Residual sugars. Full bodied.

on tap at flatrock. cloudy brown w/ lasting fluffy head. dried dark fruits, malty finish. this one is clean and nice- drink if at all possible.

750ml bottle, 2005. A beer to celebrate my sister’s birthday and the new birth of my little girl. Poured a nice mahoganey color with a nice carbonated showing, a small but well-sustaining head, and great lacing. The aroma was a bit sharp, lots of alcohol, vinous, vinegar, and oak. The flavor was much of the same, rather astringent, with some dark fruits detectable, light spicing, and the alcohol certainly noticeable. Light dose of candi sugar to keep this thing mildly sweet, but it wasn’t the highlight of the beer. The mouthfeel was the best part of this beer, very silky and creamy. Re-rate, 10/2/06: I can’t really adjust my comments on this beer, they were pretty dead on the first time around, although the alcohol was smoother this time through, warranting an upward bump in flavor.

Poured with decent foamy head. Toffee, alcohol, coffee raisins and figs all made themselves apparent, as well as dried fruit, pear, cherry, and caramel graduating into pleasing warming finish. Pretty tasty, and disguises the alcohol fairly well.