Gouden Carolus Noël (Christmas)

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

750 ml bottle. Reddish-brown color, tan head. Strong anise aroma, which continues in the flavor and presents itself as licorice. Plenty of alcohol as well. Full body, medium carbonation. I’d call this a one trick pony: great if you like anise, but if you don’t, well...

Pours a dark brown with a slightly red hue when held to the light. Head is tiny, light brown in color, and thins rather quickly. Aroma was very nice. Had a nice rich maltiness and some sweet alcohol. Flavor resembles an abbey dubbel with some spice and a kick of alcohol. Palate was superb! Perfect carbonation, great mouth-feel, and a smooth finish. I was expecting something a little sweeter, but this was great!

75cl bottle. Dark brown colour with a small off-white head. Sweet, fruity aroma. The flavour is sweet, fruity, spicy and malty. Smooth and medium to full-bodied. A very nice Christmas brew.

Pours a dark cola consistency with no head, just a little froth. Smell is yeasty and wooden, pine. Taste is similar, wood and caramel/mollases sweetness with yeast, liqorice and spice, and a strong fairly alcoholic finish. Enjoyable slow one.

11.2 oz bottle. Pours a dark drown color with a cream colored head full of tiny packed bubbles. There is very nice retention and lacing. Aroma is sweet candy with some hints of candy banana/banana bread notes and some dark fruits with a touch of alcohol. Flavor is spice and some of the banana from the nose. There is a bit of alcohol burn at the end but nothing unexpected for a 10+% beer. Very nice winter warmer.

2008 750 mL bottle poured into a goblet. Pours a clear copper topped by a one-finger creamy head that lingers as a small cap for a few minutes and leaves good lacing. The aroma is fairly subtle and mostly sweet caramel malts and candi sugar. There are hints of spices but not much and certainly less prominent than the alcohol whiffs I got. The taste amps up the spices a bit with a definite peppery finish. The sweetness of the candi sugar and dark fruits are dominant up until the finish where the peppers and alcohol are more detectable. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and very smooth with decent carbonation. Its sticky sweet on the palate with the peppers tickling the tongue at the end. This is one of the better Belgian holiday ales Ive had, mainly because I actually enjoyed having that slightly peppery finish which differentiated it from a normal BSDA. Tasty.

Very nice beer, pours dark brown, medium thickness on the palate, a little like syrup - not over done, licorice, hint of pepper, like raisins. The smell is nice, similar to rootbeer, mild burn hides the alcohol and a chaulky finish..

Dark brown in color, small fluffy white head. Earthy aroma with hints of sour. The flavor leans toward an abbey dubbel, but has a bit more alcohol burn. the finish is dry and light. Nice beer. My sample was a year old. I wish I.d had it fresh. I may have to pick one up this winter to rerate.