Gouden Carolus Noël (Christmas)

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

On tap at Naked City. Pours a dark, cola brown, with a smallish off-white head. Aroma is a punch in the face. This stuff has some serious character, and yes - it smells like Christmas. Candied orange peel, cloves, anise (licorice?), and allspice melded with the classic dark fruity malts of a dark Belgian ale. This is like a liquid version of a baked good someone might give you for the holiday season... except far better. Really, really interesting brew - packed with flavor, extremely seasonal (though I’m drinking it in August)... really nice. This has got to be one of my favorite breweries in the world.

750 ml. Rich and sweet strong ale, but far from cloying. Plenty of complexity. Hazy brown body with a frothy, light brown head that diminishes to tan pools. Aroma of dark fruits, plum, clove, cinnamon, orange peel. The flavor is heavily sweet and lightly to moderately bitter. The finish is moderately sweet and moderately bitter with some light acidity. The alcohol is not apparent until the finish and even then is far from upfront. You can taste the candy sugar and fruits and get a hint of licorice. Medium to full body with a velvety texture and lively carbonation. Top-notch beer.

Tap at Delirium Cafe in Brussels. Dark reddish-brown in color with a one-finger off-white head. Aroma of sweet malt, candi sugar, spices, and licorice. Flavor all of the same plus orange peel and some dark fruits. Medium-full on the palate with alcohol present.

Aroma/Malty-toasted, Appearance Head/Initia-huge, Head/Color light brown, Head/Longevity-Fully lasting Body/Hue-murky, Initial Flavor-bitter light Finish Flavor-bitter light Palate/Body-medium to full, verry good beer

An awesome 750 ml bottle thanks to my 2009 Summer Secret Santa. Pours an amazing picture of deep mahogany hues, almost completely opaque with a beige head of medium thickness. The aroma is great; full nutty and sweet notes; lots of sugary candies, but more rich fruity malts and caramel. The flavor is great as well; a rich creamy mouthfeel, caramel, light spices, rich fruity malts, strawberries and other fruit, light hops as well. Like a great Christmas cake. Nice. I’m feeling merry for sure. Rich and fruity like I enjoy in Belgian Ales.

Nice crystal clear ruby red beer with a mid sized shiny light brown cap, good effervecence, some early ropy lacing and decent retention. Awesome aroma! Licorice and orange are the first think I noticed, good spice, very well balanced, minor amount of yeast which comes out more when warmer, a little bit of pepper, some sweet dark red candy, touch of caramel, really appealing There isn’t much of a step down when it comes to the flavour: dark cherry, alcohol, mild anise, mild yeast taste, stiff spice but sweet too, caramel and raisin. Quite smooth, nice alcohol burn, heated medium spice aftertaste, good bitterness as well, but it is secondary. Excellent beer. I still have one more sitting in my cellar from 2 years ago.

Semi-transparent mahogany, light beige head. Lots of bread and yeast in the nose, minor spice and a little fig. Lots of creamy nut in the flavor, some caramel, also some yeast and an undercurrent of toffee syrup. Very soft palate. Overall, quite pleasant. The alcohol is controlled and the flavor mellow, yet complex and malty enough to draw one back.

11.2 oz bottle. Pours a slightly cloudy dark amber body with a one finger creamy beige head. The nose is very rich and deep, lots of fruity and fig notes. Banana, brown and candi sugars, light alcohol, and a bit of yeast. Rather smooth and soft flavor up front, heavy malt, yeast, notes of licorice, banana, caramelized sugar. Finishes with a bit of an alcohol kick with caramel and toffee malt, fairly yeasty. Mouthfeel is full and soft with light fizzy prickly carbonation. Rather good, maybe a little bit hot, but I think that this might be a good cellarable beer.