Gouden Carolus Noël (Christmas)

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

Dark read pour with little head. Very strong bubble gum aroma. Medium body. Strong bubble gum liquorice taste to it with some bitterness at the end. Very strange...not bad, just not for me.

Pours a deep burgundy red and looks very inviting! really smells like liquorice and tastes like that too. Dangerously drinkable at 10.5%

33 cl bottle from Bieropholie, served at cellar temperature in a tulip glass. BB 29/08/10.

App.: Clear, deep mahogany, large tan head. Aroma: Lots of sticky dark dried fruit, licorice, ginger(?), a bit vinous and woody, some alcohol, some bubblegum esters, warm spices, molasses, bread/cookie/biscuit. Palate: Medium-full body, soft effervescence. Flav.: Lots of molasses and deep, dark licorice, a bit vinous and woody, some green hop notes, more warm spice than the nose; on swallowing, quite sweet, tingling alcohol and a touch of bitterness; leaves a thick, oily licorice and dark malt afterbite.

A big beer. “Christmas” brews are often over-spiced for my tastes, but this one works well.

Bottle. The color of a coke with a big, inviting, foamy, tan head. Smells of licorice, caramel, and spices. Real nice sweet, malty, spicy flavor with a touch of cherries. Something in the finish is quite sour, and when combined with the heavy alcohol notes, it’s pretty harsh to drink. Certainly an interesting beer and a good one, just not an easy one to drink.

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!