Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer Rood/Red

a cloudy gold beer with lots of lively lacing under a large whipped cream looking head. an excellent looking beer. tripel-like aroma with yeast, sweet sugary malts, marshmallow, and floral hops. caramel, yeast, spicy floral hops, and red apples all show in the flavor. very balanced. medium bodied. high carbonation but creamy. this one seems to be made with great quality. well done.

Pours with a super strong, not fading, medium sized head. So much sticky lacing left on the glass. Completely clear golden color, with visible carbonation. Aroma is Belgian-y sweet with some tropical fruit esters. The light heft of the sweetness is offset by the esters. Taste is again full of tropical esters, some doughiness, and a bit of alcohol at the end of the flavor. The alcohol and esters come off as faintly citric in the aftertaste. Its a really full mouthfeel yet easy going down because of the "just enough" carbonation. Definitely comes off as big but not over the top. The alcohol is lightly there but never gets in the way, just adds heft to the beer. Bottom of the bottle only hazes up the beer, so this must be pretty damn filtered and not for aging. Anyway its best now.
750mL cork&wire, Westy goblet.

750 ml corked and caged bottle poured a lightly hazy tarnished gold with a lasting creamy off white head. Aromas of pear, yeast, light straw and light spice. Palate was medium bodied and smooth with a dry finish. Flavors of pear, light apple, spice and yeast with a smooth dry bittersweet finish.

Bottle. Very nice head that keeps itself well throughout the glass. Color is a deep red, almost purple. Very nice. Aroma is of fruit and spices, and strong yeast. Decent nose. Taste is very complex, with pretty much anything you want in it. Alcohol is well hidden. Lacing is solid but not spectacular. Good brew.

Bottled. Pours out in a hazy golden colour with a rich lasting white foam. Sweet and fruity aroma of yeast, canned oranges, candied apricots, over-riped oranges, almonds, mild spices and alcohol. Full-bodied with notes of almondy yeast over-riped yellow fruits and mild alcohol. Quite smooth mouthfeel. Slightly warming spicy finish with notes of canned apricots and over-riped banana.

Bottled@EBF2008. Yellowish golden colour, mediumsized white head. Aroma is fruits, alcohol, some nectar and yeast along with some mild toffeeishness. Flavour is quite much the same. A nice and balanced brew, which shows alcohol only as a slight burning note when swallowing.

[EBF @ Copenhagen, September 2008] Small fizzy white head that mostly diminished. Spare display of lacework. Cloudy amber color. Aroma of heavy dried fruit, Sherry, toffee, yeast, citrus. Over the palate came mild spice and again strong notes of fruit and maybe a hint of hops. Quite full bodied with an average carbonation and thick alcoholic texture. Moderated to heavy sweet flavor with a hint of bitter and acidic notes. Warming alcoholic and prune juice sweet finish.

Bottle. Just like a strong belgian blond. More fruit, more spice and more taste. But also over carbonated.
Earlier Rating: 5/21/2008 Total Score: 3.6
Bottle. Golden colour with a medium white head.Sweet malty taste with fruity notes. Finishes of with herbal and spicy notes. Lasting taste.