Gouden Carolus Easter Beer (2007-)

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

Dark lemony gold color, glassy yet smeared body. Huge topping of white puffy foam lasts for good length before settling to an always present thick skim. Lots of sheeting lace trickled with tattered strings hanging on. Aroma is soft and round with a dull lemon candy and honeydew ascent, good amounts of caramel malt and a good touching waft of ethanolic, yeasty heat. Flavors are absolutely spectacular. Wow and yum combine to make scrumptiousdillyumscious! Great candied lemon, honey, and caramel are thickly laid upon the palate quickly with a heavy notion of stick and creamyness. Nice light addititons to yeasty spice thats airy spiced with light white pepper, flowers, and bright earth tones. Oh, its yummy. The caramel is damn right awesome as it covers all the small notions of citrusy notes. Very impressionable palate soaking. Creamy, lush, full, and down right smooth with just a heavy malt that is toned just right without any cloying. It is liquid candy. Or so it seems. Man its good. I really enjoyed this beer. Its seemingly more like a Tripel than a Dark, but anyway you look at it, its phenomenally enjoyable and well worth seeking and trying. Gouden Carolus has themselves another winner here with this one.

Bottle @ Brasserie Het Anker. Pale gold with a quickly dissipating cream head. Sweet and spicy yeast nose, grapefruit, orange and malt, some grassy hop character. Taste is again spicy with citrus, vanilla and sweet candied orange in the finish. Alcohol is noticeable but not overbearing. Much as I expected with Easter in mind, refreshing and crisp.

(750ml Bottle, 2007 vintage, BB 02/02/10) Pours a lightly hazy golden body with a small white head. Aroma of grass, candi sugar, corn, and light perfume. Flavor of burning alcohol, light florals, sweet corn, spicy yeast, and light fruit with a dry finish.

My Bottom Line:
Orange blossom spiciness flirts with the portly honeyed maltiness in this deep Belgian Strong Ale. Ground black pepper accompanies the alcohol heat to round off yet another superbly extracted, though quite sweet Het Anker offering.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A sheet of foam covers the hazy peach blond.
-Carbonation is quite expansive, reducing drinkability.
-The chosen grain bill develops bready notes.
-Spiciness is diplomatic and expertly integrated, just adding a little more character.

Bottle; best before 2/2/2010.

Bottle... Lightly hazed golden ale with a large, frothy, white head. Excellent retention. Corny, candy sugar nose provides additional notes of unidentified herbs, peppery spices and lavender. Undertones of pale mash and fuzzy fruit. Sweet, fruity ester flavor with biscuit and booze. Full-bodied and effervescent. Sweet, fairly hot, fruity finish. Many thanks to bu11seye for providing this bottle!

Bottle: Copper color, nice head and lacing. Nose of bright yeast, citrusy herb and sweet toasty malt, some bubblegum and funky malt. The flavor is a bit floral and grassy, yeasty, very little malts, subtle hops, a bit unbalanced and yeasty.

Hazy copper/orange body, pretty but thin and sparse lacing, small white head is quickly fading. The aroma is a triple threat of candi sugar, grain and bready malt, splashed with maize. Ethanol notes are tremendously powerful and nearly euthanizing. Tropical and citrus fruit alike are plentiful but lost among the alcoholic penetration. The flavor is much the same, alcohol is even a greater foce now however. It’s just too hot. Sweetness is high and cloying, acidity is mild to medium, astringency is too strong and attacks around every corner. the finish is sticky sweet and brief but for the lingering alcohol warmth and bready malts. The mouthfeel is medium-full to full bodied, sticky, unpleasant. What a shame, this brewery makes so many great beers. This isn’t one of them.

Pours a copperish yellow color. Aroma is candi sugar, corn, slight raspberries and alcohol. Flavor is sweet, but it is a fruity sweetness. Interesting.