Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer Rood/Red

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

2008 bottle. Light golden yellow with a thin white cover. Aroma is sweet, honey, spicy malt, perfumey florals and pear and apple fruits. Taste is smooth, spice upfront, pears, then sweet honey followed by a big warming alcohol finish.

Bottle. Pours hazy dark yellow with a large, creamy, off-white head, mostly lasting with good lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (grain, hay, straw), average hops (flowers, perfume), heavy yeast (horse blanket, barnyard, soap, earth) with notes of grape, cask, and dust. Full bodied, alcoholic texture, average carbonation, and a bitter finish. Long duration, light sweetness, moderate acidity and bitterness.

2008 Bottling; Sampled December 2008
A soft pour produces a voluminous, initially three-finger thick, that quickly grows to five fingers (including a finger and a half above the rim of my 25cl tulip glass) and rolls over the sides of the glass a bit before I can suck off some of the pillow-like, tightly beaded, pale, tan tinged head. Of course lots of lacing accompanies a slow falling of the head as well. The beer is a brilliantly clear, bright gold color that wonderfully shows an excited, bountiful carbonation of streaming bubbles. The aroma is also quite expressive with a vibrant spicy fruitiness to it that is noticeable as I pour. Aromas of ripe melon, honeysuckle, pear, some Macintosh apple and star fruit are supported by spice notes of phenolic clove, sweet ginger, an herbal pepper note and a touch of lemon grass. There is a nice pale malt character here that accentuates a touch of wildflower honey, some grassy grain notes and a nice finish of crushed whole grain crackers.

This beer tastes somewhat sweet, but still manages to finish with a dry effect. Spicy, estery, higher alcohols, a soft, clean hop bitterness and a lingering phenolic spice character help to dry the finish out. Substantial notes of clove (especially towards the lingering finish), lemon zest, a touch of cardamom, some white pepper and perhaps a touch of sweet ginger round out the spice flavors. This gets quite phenolic in the finish and the alcohol accentuates this quite a bit. Up front the esters produce fruit notes of pear, honeydew melon, citrus honey, golden raisin (this can almost have a desert wine sort of note to it at times), . The beer is definitely light for a beer of this strength, though the piquancy of the phenolics and alcohol keep this from being quaffable (which, ultimately is a good thing).

On my second pour, I still end up with a voluminous head that threatens to over flow the sides of my glass. Repeated gulps of foamy, pear-scented cotton candy like, head finally has the head settled in. If this wasn’t so phenolic in the finish it would be a phenomenal beer. This is a fairly minor flaw, but it is the last thing one notices after each sip. All in all this is a very tasty beer that is quite enjoyable; visually this beer is stunning, it is exactly what I could ask for in a pale, strong, Belgian beer.

On tap at Capital Ale House - Downtown on 11/04/2008. Slightly hazy golden body with a medium creamy white had with belgian lace. Candi sugar, spice and sweet fruit aroma. Sweet sugary flavor with lots of spice and light candi sugar. Medium light body with moderately high carbonation and a sugary finish.

On tap at Novare Res. I’m not a Belgian lover by any sense, but this stuff is just plain yummy. Reminds me of their triple very much, but stronger, like an Imperial Gouden Triple or something. Well done again!

Bottle 750ml: clear yellow sprakling colour, with lots of o2, and a creamy white head. Aroma of citrus, fruits, flowers, and malts and dust. Flavor is citric, malty,sweet and som aly mouth feeling in the end. Medium body, and a fruity medium finish.

750 mL. Pours a clear blonde with a two-finger white head that diminishes to almost nothing leaving patchy lacing. Aromas body odor, apple cider, orange peel, pears, and white grape juice. Taste is white grape juice, apple cider, candied light fruits, and white sugar. High carbonation. Warming alcohol in the finish. Sort of astringent aftertaste. Disappointing.

medium golden with large white head with medium-high carbonation. the candi sugar is the major component, some fruity esters from the yeast with the alcohol adding some nice depth. an enjoyable brew. an average belgian golden strong