Gouden Carolus Noël (Christmas)

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

11.2 oz. bottle. Attractive red-brown color. Active head on pour, but receded fairly quickly. Nose is of brandied fruit with hints of maple and honey. The alcoholic fruit character is full on the tongue, slightly touched with anise and molasses. The alcohol is almost medicinal, not in the best way. I’ve another bottle, and I think I’ll cellar it for next Christmas. Let’s see how it does.

Deep ruby in color with a deep tan head. Sweet aroma. malts, spices, dark fruits, tart cherry, brown sugar, bubblegum, and floral. Thick, silky body. Intense flavor. Dark fruits, spices, yeast, brown sugar, floral, and alcohol. Finishes warm and full of alcohol. Glad I opened this one on Christmas. Excellent.

Overwhelming sweetness with hints of liquorice and cherries. Presents well in a glass, a deep rich amber colour. Nice to sip away on a cold night.

Bouteille de 750 ml, avec bouchon de liège, obtenue via Importations Privées Bièropholie. Arôme: Odeur de caramel et d’épices. Apparence: La couleur est brune légèrement opaque. Présence d’un mince col beige mousseux et d’une large dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de caramel et d’épices avec une pointe de raisins. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement onctueuse. Faible effervescence en bouche. Légère présence de mélasse en arrière goût. (Rating #1396)

NorCal December ’07 - An absolute pleasure of a beer to drink. Like Scaldis Noel, this beer is best savored during the later fall/winter months when it’s cold outside and you need some warmth inside. Aroma is brown sugar, caramel, green apples, bubblegum, and a touch floral. Mouthfel has a little harshness to it but gets better after a bit of breathing. Appearance is carmelized brown color, nice fluffy head with fantastic lacing. Flavors that dance on your tongue are brown sugar, caramel, ginger, dark fruits, licorice and alcohol. A slow, soft burn as the beer travels down your throat. A fantastic finish to a fantastic beer. Glad I have half a case of this.

Bottle; poured a reddish brown color with medium to large off white head. Aroma was of caramel, brown sugar, dark fruit and spice. Flavor was very similar. Malt dominated as expected. Brown sugar and chocolate malt presence was very tasty. Alcohol was well hidden. Dark fruits and spice were only secondary notes, but worked well. Moederately sweet. Very tasty brew.

Pours a nice dark ruby brown with dense but small off-white head. Nose is serious licorice, mild fruitiness and pine. More licorice on the palate, which is quite smooth and thick without being overwhelming, but some nice cherry and dark fruits, maple syrup, and a solid menthol hop bitterness follow up. Alcohol is pretty present throughout. A nice, if unusual, take on the winter brew.

Bottle, 75cl. The beer pours clear dark brown with a lightbrown head. Aroma is with caramel, malts and some spices. The flavor is very close to the aroma. The mouthfeel is rich and spiced, and has a great aftertaste. Overall one of the best seasonal beers on the market.