Gouden Carolus Easter Beer (2007-)

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

75 cl bottle. Untwisted the wire cage and narrowly missed the rocketing cork. Hazy gold with a white head. Nose of yeast, candi, pickled ginger and coriander. Moderate carb, a bit sudsy. Oily, medium light body with a dry, sticky finish. Taste is candied lemon peel, yeast and apple-pear.

In short: A very sweet, very alcoholised, very spicy blonde Belgian Ale. Good beer but the weak link of the Carolus lineage.
How: Bottle 750ml, a few times, about 4 months old
The look: Golden-orange body topped by a little white head
In long: The alcohol fumes bothered me a bit and I didn’t get used to it. Like an alcohol-based fuel of some kind (methanol, and other things than end by ol). Lots of malts with a crusty white bread flavour. Little notes of bananas. Quite spicy with grounded white pepper and other “spicy” spices. Combined with the aggressive carbonation it was a bit too much tickling for me. Very sweet. 10.5% is far from well hidden. Still this is a Carolus and the goods outweighs the bad. This is just nowhere near their other holiday beer Carolus Christmas. That’s like comparing the plasma tv you receive for Christmas and the chocolate bunny you get for Easter.

Maravilhosa. Aromas frutados de maçã, pêra e limão. Muito perfumada. Paladar aveludado de damascos. Álcool evidente, mas muito bem inserido. Final longo, doce e muito bom.

Bottle at Lucky Baldwin’s, Pasadena, CA. Fantastic beer for how light it is. A wonderously full golden flavor with mild fruit, wheat, and even a slight lemony opening. It’s hysterical, but for a split second it begins like a hefeweissen: this doesn’t last, of course.

2007 PP SAF Bottle from Dr. Bill I think: Golden hue with small head and small lace. The aroma has notes of apple, banana and pear esters, grainy and grassy, bready malts, sugar, cardamom. The taste is a lovely twang of fruit and spice over yeasty and bready characteristics. A bit of medicinal notes as well. The mouth feel is lively and sprite, refreshing for the style and ABV. Not too darn shabby, nice to have tried.

Garrafa. Tomada no Delirium Cafe, em Bruxelas (BEL), em novembro de 2007. FANTÁSTICA! Coloração âmbar levemente turva, com creme branco bom, mas não consistente, nem persistente. Frutada, floral (muito floral!), fermento e damasco. Perfumada. Álcool presente. Retrogosto marcante, delicioso. Carbonatação média/alta. Médio amargor, lembrando uma tripel. Final longo, doce e seco. Ímpar!

Richmond "industry" gathering. Pale gold, medicinal aroma. Very sweet malt flavor, lots of anise, and more medicinal notes. Enjoyable despite the anise that I normally don’t care for.

Clearish straight golden ale topped by a large head of big white bubbles. An ester showdown where hard to pick up fruits keep popping up one after the other: banana, peach, red apple, strawberries and the list goes on. The alcohol and sweetness can’t have you thinking it comes from any other country. Spicy and floral hops are kept at a minimal level. Bubbly, yet creamy palate in softness.