Gouden Carolus Noël (Christmas)

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

0.75 bottle. heavenly superbeer. syrup, liquorice roasty. some refreshing hops balancing the sweetness.

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.

Pours a dark brown. The nose is nutmeg, cinnamon and banana. Comes across the palate with a a little more than necessary carbonation, with strong notes of cinnamon and banana; very malty. Finishes with almost a nutmeg, and banana that lingers.

Bottle. Dark brown colour. The aroma is sticky plums and port like vinuous. Some aniseed and some licquorice. A really big, welcoming aroma. The taste is big and fruity. Wery complex with a perfect balance. This is an absolutly amazing beer

Nice burgundy brown color poured into a Gouden Carolus glass. Wonderful aroma of brown sugar and stone fruits. Initial flavor of plum and a little cinnamon that slowly warmed and left an excellent aftertaste after swallowed. High alcohol content barely evident as this one was enjoyed. Make sure to bring a bottle to Christmas.

Deep Brown in color with a thick,frothy beige head. Sweet cherry, caramel, fig and raisin intertwined on the nose. A quick hint of clove followed by some sweet dark fruits with a grapy finish.medium body with a long finish, The finest Belgium X-Mas Ale I have tasted

750 ml bottle 11 oz sample. Strong aroma of banana, less so of raisins. Pours reddish brown with a medium head, good lacing. Sweet tasting, maybe overbearingly so, just a tad. Palate is fully carbonated, medium bodied. Interesting beer for the holidays, but not as good as the St. Bernardus I tried earler tonight. The aroma kicks that beer’s ass however, given the higher score.

Bottle: Pours a dark brownish orange with a thin tan head, aroma is of rumcake, brown sugar, lemon, cherries, plums and other dark fruits, medium bodied, smooth texture, mellow carbonation, starts and ends lightly sweet with a long aftertaste. Very nicely done. This bottle is between four and five years old and aged nicely.