Gouden Carolus Noël (Christmas)

Pours a clear lighter brown color with a small amount of whitish head that quickly dissapates. Aroma is delicious and potent: sweet malts, plums, raisins, dates, and figs mixed with some spices but not overpoweringly so. I like the fact that it doesnt have that yeasty orangy smell/taste that many belgians do. Flavor is extremely sweet and malty with alcohol notes and a dry bitter finish. Overall, I’d say a decent enough belgian, though a tad too sweet.

Bottled, 75cl champagne cork. A brown beer with a nice tan head. Sweet malty aroma with fruits and some alcohol and christmas-spices. They come back in the flavor, with cardamom and notes of banana. A little too sweet perhaps. I had the beer once again on 061229 from both crown-capped 33cl bottle and 75cl champagne-corked bottle. The smaller bottle had been lagered for two years and had a more mature aroma and flavor, whereas the fresher beer had more cellar in both aroma and flavor. My rating stands untouched as the new rating gave the same total score. (051028)

Bottle. Rich dark brown/amber with a nice beige head. Spicey aroma (Xmas spices) with a bit of plum/fig and malt. Smells like an xmas puds. Rich, fruity, spicy, malty flavor - again xmas puds though banana starts to come through to take away that association (a bit too much banana). Velvelty smooth mouthfeel. A bit of alacohol wamring comes though. Very enjoyable.

2004 Bottle: Sample at WFM. Dark brown with a thin beige head and decent lacing. Lots of sweet malts and spices in the nose. The body is pretty chewy with more sweet malt, ginger and fruit flavors. The finish is flavorful, with more spices and a nice woody character. The alcohol is kept in check very well too, making for an enjoyable brew from start to finish.

Amber color, nicve and lasting offwhite head. Aroma is fruity, some dried fruits, milky and with some spices. Soma raisins and figs. Flavor from sweet fruits, malty, strong with some alcohol. Malty, some brown sugar, peach and banana. A bit nutty and vinous. Malty finish with some strong notes.

Bottled. 2003-vintage : Dark brown coloured with a beige head. Aroma of caramel, dried fruits and spices. Flavour of caramel, dried fruits and butterscotsch with roasted notes : 9-4-9-4-18. Tasted the 2005-edition afterwards : Dark brown coloured with a beige head. Aroma of anise, dried fruits and spices. Flavour of dried fruits, anise and spices : 8-4-8-4-16.

Bottled. I had a tasting of 3 yeaars worth of this beer. 2003,2004, and 2005. This rating is of the 2005, which i liked best. the older beers was, well older, more mature, with a more rasin/plum like taste and aroma. Pours a deep reddish brown, with a big tan head. Aroma is sweet fruity, with some notes of alcohol and spices. Candy sugar and caramel is present too. Taste is of candy sugar, spices, fruity, and yeast. Long warming aftertaste.

75 cl bottle. No yeast in bottom. Reddish brown colour with a fantastic nice head. Great aroma of spice, caramel, brown sugar, anis and some sweetness. Wonderful flavour of kandis, anis and some yeast overall very complex with a sweet and warm finish. This christmas beer is defently one of my favorites.