Gouden Carolus Noël (Christmas)

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

Part of a 3 sampler, 10 cl in a white wine glass at Birra Artigianle de Qualita in Milan. Very dark cloudy ruby color. Severly weet/malty, straight up licorice taste. 10cl is all I can handle, definitely not a whole pint.

33cL bottle drunk with appreciation (for Donfardz64) in every sip. Intense aromas of milk chocolate and a licorice, clove style aniseed. Some leathery yeast and smoky notes - giving it an earthy character. Heavy, roasted malt plus some warming alcohol showing through. Lovely! Dark, syrupy flavours. I first taste strong licorice and a deeply roasted malt, followed by a raisin sweetness that persists to the finish. This sweetness is complimented by a mild cocoa bitterness in the background. Alcoholic, spirit-like mouthfeel with an aniseed finish. Amazingly complex and warming - it’s a shame us New Zealanders celebrate Christmas in scorching heat!!

This beer was way.. WAY to hot. On tap and Pizza Port Carlsbad. Pours a clear dark brown w/ red hue. Molasses, caramel malt, dark fruits, plums, raisins, toffee, and spice, clove, etc. and then heavy on the alcohol. I really didn’t like this one.

In short: A fuller-than-full bodied belgian dark ale. A malt orgy with a light spicy touch.
How: Bottle 750ml. (too) many times. This rating for a one year old 2007 bottle.
The look: Cloudy brown body topped by a small dark beige head
In long: The king of the malts outdo themselves with this brew. This is a malt orgy with light spicy notes just to spice things up. Toffee, molasses, caramel, more molasses, cloves, candied fruits, dark fruits, more heavy caramel, red fruits, and more toffee. but the beer really doesn’t feel very sweet. Something must be drying it up, herbal spices and/or the well hidden hops (that I can’t even detect)? This is a very big Belgian dark whose decadent body can rival that of just any other beer on the planet. If you like malt and don’t mind a little spicy touch this is as good as it gets. Ha! Christmas, this is the time of year when people like me gather with friends and family to celebrate the birth of a new batch of the Carolus Christmas. Jesus Christ this is a good beer.

Recommended by landlord of Poechenellekelder (Brussels). Great surprise. Complex, delicious spices and a nice long liquorice finish

2007 bottle shared with MmmcKay, jbo, and barrios. Mahogany pour with good tan head. Massively hot nose and flavor. Dark raisin and plum in the aroma. Fruity alcohol and some banana notes in the flavor with anise as it warms. Medium thin body with medium carbonation. Much better as it warms up.

Ve’ che robe, vinosa in un modo un po’ strano, molto piccante con un sentore alcolico pungente che però si risolve in astruse note di anice/solvente/spezie vaghe; liquorosa at best, ma nello stile tutto zoomata tipico di Het Anker avventuroso e un pochino mi disturba, così che la apprezzo di più quando è già in fondo al gargaroz.

330 mL. Pours a deep ruby almost brown with a beautiful two-finger, yellow head that dissipates to a thin layer but leaves some spotty lacing. Powerfully sweet aroma of dark fruits, raisins, plums, Twizzlers red licorice, black cherries. Taste is heavy with a velvety mouthfeel. Up front there is some black cherry soda, brown sugar, and cinnamon moving to some sort of combination between Grand Marnier and Southern Comfort. Spicy alcohol, dark fruits in the finish. This is seriously good. I mean really good.