Gouden Carolus Noël (Christmas)

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

2007 vintage bottle shared by akevitt. Pours a clear, reddish brown body with a generous, off-white foam head. Lots of sediment in the pour. Aroma of belgian malts, orange, coriander, and clove. Flavor is similar with notes of banana and brown sugar. Medium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel and soft carbonation. Hides the 10% abv well.

From Voldby, DK. Bottled, 030109. Amber with beige head. Aroma of dried fruit and yeast. Flavor is malt, yeast and a high carbonation

Poured from an 11.2oz bottle. Pours dark amber with thick off white head. Great aroma of dark fruit, malt, banana and yeast. Nice smooth taste with lots of dark fruit notes and hints of banana and brown sugar. Real good Christmas beer.

750mL pours an attractive deep clear amber with firm tan head. The aroma is full of bright fruity notes of raisins and prunes followed by more subtle spicy notes of clove and coriander. The taste is even bolder than the aroma with big syrupy raisins, plums and prunes. It gets slickly sweet by midway and holds on into the finish. About midway coriander, cloves show up with a faint pulse of allspice. This could use a few years of age to really shine and smooth out. It leaves a slick sweet dark fruity flavor behind deep into the after taste. Never really gets overly sweet even to the end of the bottle.

Aroma is brown sugar, yeast, a hint of raisin. A deep copper pour with tight tan head and lace. A brown sugar front with alot of sweet raisin. Smooth full bodied beer. Very nice. A beer that reeks of Christmas cheer. Would have never guessed it was 10.5. At least maybe until it warms. 07 model.

On tap @ Map Room. Pours amber with a thick off white head. Interesting, strong aroma of Belgian yeast, banana, and some clove. Flavor was solid with some dark fruits, banana, clove, and some other spices. Nice winter warmer.

Very deep brown beer with a thin tan head. Aroma is very rich and fruity. Figs, plums and prunes with an absolutely intoxicatingly balanced mix of spices, nutmeg, allspice and clove. Very rich plummy character. Balanced spiciness, baked/dried fruits, a touch of berries and a very rich lightly cocoaish character. Both rich and light at the same time. Flavour is loaded with stewed fruit, figs, orange peel, coriander, allspice and a kiss of molasses and treacle. There is a kiss of black pepper and some light lemony character. Both intense and delicate... a gorgeous beer with a multitude of contrasting elements that are still harmoniously incorporated.

On tap at Sergio’s. Dark pour. Good but I am not a big fan of the style at all due the whole Belgian candy sugar thing, and this has a lot of it. Pretty enjoyable though.