Gouden Carolus Easter Beer (2007-)

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

A misty blonde with white mousse cap. Musky, warm perfume nose; powdery pepper and fresh green herbs; lots of dusty fruit yeast esters amidst a coating of dried out sugary sweetness. Like yesterday’s caramelized pear cobbler, hit with some exotic brownish spices. Wooden sweetness of chardonnay grapes comes out somewhat cloying, at times, and strikes me as a bit too sharp in sweet-tartness to be complimentary to the primary floral perfume aromas. Some funky pungency of moldy grass that’s quite foul lingers steadily as warmth increases.

Flavor is quite sweet. The musky perfume notes of the aroma now seem more like saffron and wildflower honey; overlaying a sticky bittersweetness of almonds, dry grass, and dried white fruits; the particular herb flavors are hard to place, but coriander, ground mace, and ginger might be my best guesses. The herbal character remains substantial and provides a barely-there balance of dryness and clean bitterness, but the stickiness of alcoholic sweetness is ultimately way too clingy. It’s never absent of nuances though; in a fat swallow there’s a passing spiciness of fresh coriander, and a curious flash of semisweet chocolate, and lots of blossoming orange-lemon citrus zest. Sweetness gets a little doughy in the middle; pastry-like, and fluffy, with a pleasant calmness about it; the bite of alcohol and spices licks back.

Slick and softly carbonated full body. Clove, banana, and plain burdensome alcohol in an extremely sticky and hot finish. Some aging might do well to bring out the complexities of the malt here and to temper the somewhat wild heat character of the beer, which is too recurrent to not notice or to set aside. The solidity of the craft, certainly well-grounded and carefully built, just needs some time to congeal.

Bottle at RBSG grand tasting. Thanks to whoever brought this. Pours a cloudy copper color with a big white head. The aroma was of Belgian yeasts, nuts and orange peels. The taste featured more oranges, honey, apricots, and caramel. the mouthfeel was full and malty. The finish was medium in duration with bananas and citrus. Overall: A very good refreshing beer.

Pours a lightly cloudy orange, with a small off white head. Smells of some sweet cinnamon, belgian yeast, and sweet citrus fruits. The flavor has a bigger presence of Belgian candy sugar than the nose let on. Fairly sweet overall, lots of caramel malt in there too. The dark fruits are noticeable in the finish to give it some balance. Very Belgian in its characters. Decent brew.

75cl, from De Hopduvel Gent, complex, yet heavy, hazy, good head, not balanced, good Easter beer

Pours hazy gold with a one-inch head of whipped egg whites. Persistant carbonation keeps the surface covered with a fine, dense head. Moderate lacework. Aromatics are filled with oranges, honey, coriander, cotton candy, apples, and gumdrops. Light to medium bodied, very lively and crisp. Light malt on the pallet with plenty of citrus fruits, clove-studded bubblegum, and blossom honey. Fairly spicy and quite snappy. Coriander, orange zest, and pixie dust. Slightly grassy and earthy. Finishes with warming alcohol, lingering fruit, and some residual honey overtones. Quite dry for the style, and tasting damn fresh. There’s some bitterness also, along with some spicy hops. Great beer.

Pours a dark amber color with a nice frothy half inch head. Smell is very spicy and earthy. Taste is much the same, but I’m getting a bit of lemon and some sort of mineral flavor as well. I don’t know, but I know this is a good beer. Very creamy and easy drinking. Also a bready, biscuity like quality as well. Way too easy drinking to be over 10%. Gouden Carolus does nothing but make standout beers.

(Bottle) Pours dark hazy amber. The aroma is of fruits, spices - coriander and white pepper, toasty malt with notes of caramel, peppery grassy and light floral hops. Some orange peel. The flavour is spicy with coriander up front but also some fruits alongside toasty and bready malt. Hints of hops and orange peel. Silky and full mouthfeel. Medium to full bodied.

750 ml bottle. A cloudy light amber beer with a medium sized fading white head. The aroma is quite malty with some fruitiness (banana, dried fruits), some spiciness and notes of honey. More than a touch of alcohol. in the nose. The flavour is very sweet and again very honeysh and alcoholic, not totally balanced, but enough pleasant. Lightly hoppy flavour. Full body, lively carbonation, sweet long finish with some bitterness and some alcohol. Too much honeysh for my palate, but a good beer. My last favourite from Het Anker so far.