Gulden Draak

Brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Ertvelde, Belgium

Bottle from State Line L- Poured in a corsendonk glass with a huge foam head, amber chocolate brown pour, nice sticky foam lacing. Aroma of toffee, sweet malts, yeast, wife enjoyed a snip. Creamy on the pallet and a pleasure to just sup and enjoy. The lacing on this was awesome, still have some on the glass at the end. Great mellow ale, perfect blend of alcohol that wont put you on your ass-at least not right away. I’m loving this stuff, even after it warms still a treat. This is what Belgian Ales are all about. Getting more of this real soon!

I really liked this one, it makes me feel bad for giving it under a 4. It is a really typical Belgian triple with a heavy alcohol hit. I would compare it to the offering of St. Bernardus. It came in a cheesy painted glass bottle though, which was actually really cool looking. The label is cool too, and I bought this one for no reason other than the cool label and my desire for new beer.

11.3 ounce bottle purchased at Total Wine Fort Lauderdale, FL for $4.79 Very good!

Graduation weekend in Bloomington. Gulden Draak is a beautiful amber color with and perfectly formed off-white head. The aroma is sweet with raising and other fruit notes. The flavor is full bodied with a great sweet and complex malt and the sweet raisin and caramel flavor make this a perfect beer for any meal.

Bottle courtesy Boboski. Pours a dirty brown mud puddle with a thin white head. Big malty hoppy aroma, but lacking a little balance. Taste is smooth caramel malt, bread and some spicy bitterness. just ok, I think the bottle was a little oxidized.

33cl bottle. Pours a dark, clear brown with brown, ruby, and orange highlights. The head pours medium in size and light tan in color. It is uniform and even with consistently medium-sized bubbles. It quickly fades into a thin ring of uneven spots of bubbles. Some, though not much, lace is left on the sides of the glass. The aroma is sweet and fruity with notes of yeast, currants, and molasses. The flavor starts rich and sweet with lots of caramel and subtle spice. There is also some fruitiness at the front of the palate (soft fruit, hints of chocolate and banana). At mid-palate the fruity esters grow, the maltiness is very bready and still has a good bit of caramel and residual sweetness, and the hops emerge - noble, floral hops with a soft bitterness. The finish is full and sweet with spicy hop bitterness that combines with the fruity esters to give impressions of dark fruit and flowers. The finish is also warming, and the potent alcohol becomes apparent after only a few sips. The mouthfeel is very well carbonated and does a great job of hiding the beer’s immense body without feeling spritzy or soda-like. The body is full with ropes of thick, slippery sweetness. Overall, a very nice, malt-forward, strong ale.

Slightly feety smell. Brown with a thick tan head. Syrupy sweet brown sugar and dates. Finishes with weak toffee. Too sweet and begging for a pilsner to clean up the mess on my palate.

Pours out dark, like a dubbel. Big, bold flavor with notes of toffee. The alcohol is well-hidden but the carbonation is a bit much to handle. Overall, a strong meaty beer; something you can sink your teeth into.