Gouden Carolus Noël (Christmas)

Bottle at garethyoung’s, via pat! Looks great in the glass, not bottle conditioned though? Aroma is bursting with liqurice, notes of tar and molasses, very spicey. Taste is again packed full of liqurice, sweet dark fruits, spicey and harsh carbonation doesnt even help just makes it hard to drink. This was one of the biggest let downs berwise this year.

A great looking beer. Dark brown with a red tone and a massive head. Sticky lacing on the glass. Aroma is sweet, fruity, and alcoholic. The aroma describes the flavor as well but there is much more going on. Flavors of black pepper, plum, alcohol, toffee, anise, and more, all in no particular order. This one is in the "WOW Zone."

On tap @ George Keeley’s. This full bodied beer is strong with rich undertones of spices. Pleasant aftertaste. They are not joking that it’s 10.5% alcohol.

Well in my emerging beek geekidness, this has surely got to qualify as complex. I feel like I’m taking an exam each sip. I’m on my own having a beer so I’ve got nothing but the beer and my paranoia to fill my head and bloody hell it’s noisy in there. Brown in colour, almost like coke. Smells of all sorts, you posh nonces can put your finger on individual smells I’m just enjoying drinking and smelling it. Great beer. And they had it on tap at my no.1 offy The Bottle Stop in Bramhall. Impressive for a tiny shop. Great drink, love it!

On tap @ the Delirium. My favotite of the night! Beautifull rich color, nose and flavor. I wish I would have taken better notes on this one!

75 cl. bottle from 2003. Pours a garnet color with an off white three finger head. Smells of black pepper, vanilla, mint, and caramel with a whiff of alcohol. Has a creamy yet lively mouthfeel. Medium to heavy bodied. Has a complex fruit, spice flavor of plums, apples, cinnamon, and black pepper, among others. Finishes with a nice peppery alcohol tang. 2004

Clear brown with small light brown head. Complex aroma with dates, plums, rum, toffee, yeast and anise. Flavor is sweet with fruits, rum, toffee, yeast and anise in the end. Very complex and full bodied. Lovely!

On tap at Badaboomz. Pours a dark slightly hazed reddish brown. Lightly sweet. Round malt. Fruity bit of bite. Subtle nose. Thinner body. Still. Low carbonation. Sweet. Rather tannic somehow. Dark malt character, raisins. Toasty, which I don’t care for much. Fruity cherry, with some spice perhaps. Higher alcohol in the flavor than the nose suggested (makes sense seeing the ABV here!). Lingering toasty finish. The toast and thinner body ruined it for me. Who knows, might be a good ager.