Gouden Carolus Noël (Christmas)

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

I enjoyed this quality beer on tap at Max’s Taphouse in Baltimore. The beer had a opaque dark brown color with a slight copper hue. Its head was a thin, creamy dark-white color with good cling but modest retention. The aroma was a sweet fig, raisin, and prune mix with some cherry notes and a slight earthy hops tone too. It had a sweet, dark fruit and raisin taste, which was quite good, mixed with a touch of sour and bitter notes. The beer was wet and had a full, somewhat creamy body, with lower carbonation levels. A very full mouthfeel and the high alcohol content was well contained. Definitely a high quality beer!

/From old notes. Poured dark brown with thick head. Strong aroma of fruit, malt and something else. Full chewy flavour, malt and fruit with some caramel. Finish I do not remember, I was singing Afrikaans christmas carols, but remember as being pleasant. Seek this one out.

Enjoyed via 12 oz bottle. Pours a dark brown with an ivory head. Aroma is of dark fruits and a small amount of malt sweetness. On the palate, the initial sense is one of slightly higher than normal carbonation, with notes of dark fruits and crystal malts. In the finish, there was some remaining sweetness, and just the slightest touch of alcohol. Overall, this was a wonderful winter warmer.

On tap at Microbar, Battersea, 13th Feb 2009, with chriso. Wow, what a find, nipping out from the Battersea beer festival as the beer ran low. A supremely flavoursome brew, this reminded me of Bassett’s Liquorice Allsorts with its combination of sweet sugary flavours & liquorice. There are woody notes too and a botanical bitterness that reminded me of Angostura bitters. Despite all the sweetness, it is wonderfully balanced and a joy to drink.

sample at PP. On tap. Amber color. Sweet. Very malty. Lots of melanoidin caramelization. Delicious. This beer rocks. Alcohol barely noticable.

Bottle at Abbot on the Hill, Toronto. This beer is amber brown with a creamy tan head. There is plenty of licorice in the aroma with some other spices. The aroma kind of reminds me of black ju-jubes from the bulk food store, though that is no real complaint. The mouthfeel is a bit thin considering the rich, warm winter flavours. I taste plenty of spices, nutmeg, cinnamon, like Christmas cookies. There’s still lots of licorice; it’s really the dominant flavour. I also taste molasses, caramel, brown sugar, alcohol.

Dark amber with ruby highlights and a half-inch white head that fades quickly into a creamy film. Fruity malt aroma: apples, nutmeg, cinnamon. Flavor is spicy, lightly peppery. Fruity malt with a dash of yeast. Clean, crisp fruit finish. Very nice.

Pours ruddy brown with a thin tan head despite a hard pour, alcohol, raisins, anise in the aroma. Taste is big licorice, malty fruitiness, some seasonal spices, maybe nutmeg, cocoa and caramels. No apparently alcohol.