Gulden Draak

Brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Ertvelde, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

draft@Bierpassie Weekend 2011: apparently differs from the regular version by which malts they used, this one has amber malts, appearance is brown/amber with a red hue & very small white head, dark malts mixed with a thin layer of caramel with slightly fermenting dark fruits mixed with regular fruitiness, light sweetness, spices in the aftertaste & a small touch of booze (less than in the regular one), very nice sipper, lighter &better version, I personally prefer this one but I think that I am part of a very small minority, others might call this a simplified version
Earlier Rating: 3/15/2011 Total Score: 3.2
bottle@Kulminator, poured from a big 1,5 litre bottle in a wicker basket, cool presentation, plenty of yeast, strong cane sugar/toffee flavour + small hint of barely very noticeable but still deceptive alcohol, only dark tripel (as they have typified it), I have ever head of

Bottle split with mcberko. Pours a clear ruby red, very rich in appearance. Aroma of belgian yeast, peach, molasses or roasted caramel, booze. Flavour of dark fruits, roasted caramel sweetness, booze, spices, and hops. Harsh mouth feel which almost warms like a brandy. Really nice.

pours hazy brown with a thin off-white head and a bit of lacing. aroma is sweet with notes of molasses and apricot. body is heavy but wet. taste is alcohol, sugar, yeast, over-ripe fruit and some spice. finish is slighly hoppy with lots of rich dark fruit.

33cl. bottle from a beer retailer. It pours a cloudy ruby-brownish liquid with a medium bubbly beige head that somehow lasts throughout the beer but leaves no lacing. The aroma is both yeasty and malty, with notes of cherries, dried fruits, wood, caramel and brown sugar. There is also a distant hoppiness and some alcohol. It tastes likewise: malty too, both caramelly and fruity, with an herbal hoppiness, more evident this time. It might be a little too boozy for my taste, though. Very sweet, it is also a little bitter. The carbonation is a little above the average, fizzy in the mouth, with a full body and a thick mouthfeel. It ends rather dry, sweet, with an aftertaste of wood, hops and dried fruits. Very complex and intense beer. Neat and original presentation for a brew that would be much better without this exaggerated alcoholic touch.

Dark brown beecr with a creamy beige head. Fruity flavour (apple and pear) and yeast with sweet and caramel notes and hint of clove. In mouth it is sweet, great body and alcoholic. Delicious!

From tap at the brewery. Thick creamy, yellow-shaded blond top. Body is mahogny brown with good clariuty.Nice Belgo-yeast up front. Then a scent of caramel, and solid whiff of various dark dried fruits. Taste is balanced. Fruity and malty with a fresh yeast character. Filling and fresh in the mouth. Far better from tap than bottled, as I remember.

Dunkel malziger und bananiger Geruch. Malzig-prickelnder Antrunk, in dem der Alkohol erkennbar, aber nicht störend ist. Im Mittelteil ist der Alkohol präsenter, die Würzigkeit ist überschaubar, einzig das malzige Aroma kommt hier voll auf seine Kosten, besonders im Nachgeschmack. Aber auch hier ist der Alkohol präsent und dämpft die Stimmung etwas. Allzu stark ist das Bier im ganzen dann aber doch nicht. Angenehm malzig ist das Bier, aber irgendwie erwartet man ein stärkeres, würzigeres und abwechslungsreicheres Bier. Test vom 27.8.2007, Gebinde: Glasflasche Noten: 10,11,8,11,13,11 - 10,55

Guess this overrated barley wine is too complex for this Lagerboys simple palate... that’s cool, I prefer to drink my beer and be refreshed, rather than eat it and not be. And that annoying, cloying Belgian yeasty taste doesn’t help matters either. Oh well... wouldn’t it be a real drag if we were all the same?