Gulden Draak

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Bottle. Beer pours a dark amber with a creamy white head. The nose is full of yeast with a hint of farmhouse funk and booze. The taste is a mix of booze yeast and over ripe dark fruit.

This little white bottle contains a monster. Deep brown opaque ale with a tan head. Aroma is burnt caramel, light spiced fruits, earth, yeasty and boozey sugar cane. Rich flavors of toffee, raisins, prunes, spices, yeast, and light chocolate with alcohol presented in the sweet finish. Initially hides then flaunts the alcohol, smooth with a chewy mouthfeel.

What strikes me right away is a carbonated pour, but dissipates quickly to a thin head. Gorgeous color of ruby / deep copper. Nose is light, but you can tell there’s sweetness there. Taste is very much the same, with a sweet viscous palate and a bit of alcohol. Sugary, caramel, dried fruit. High carbonation on this one. Tasty and solid performer.

Bottle: Pours cloudy dark red/brown. Medium-thick body. Flavor has hints of liquor (amaretto?) and prunes. Sweet caramel malts with a nice hoppy kick. This probably would have tasted even better if I hadn’t served it so chilled.

330 ml bottle at Plan B, Copenhagen, June 2009. Brown color, big off-white/beige head. Aroma is lovely fruit and hints of alcohol. Flavor is also dried fruit, sweet malty, yeast, some alcohol. Lovely with the salad I had at the pavement outside Plan B.

Pours a dark opaque brown color with a goodly amount of fine light brown head. Aroma seems a little weak, but what I do get is sweet-a mixture of toffee and dried fruits. The same themes are present in the flavor. Very smooth, heavy texture. Very enjoyable.

Another really good beer. A little more alcohol taste than some of the other quads though not overwhelming. But thats not to say I wouldn’t drink this every day if I could. Better as it warms up. The sweetness starts to settle in about half way through a 25oz bottle.

11.2oz bottle. Pours a deep rose-brown body with an inch thick, creamy and rocky, light brownish khaki head that dissipates slowly and leaves a soft and sticky, streaky lacing. Aroma is sweet and fruity toffees and caramels with a good amount of dried fruits, prunes, and mixed fruitcake. A light yeast, chocolate, raisin, earthy spice, and a touch of sweet booze. Rich toffee, chocolate, and earthy spice become more apparent as this warms. Flavor is initially sweet toffee and semi-spicy fruits. More malty caramels and a huge amount of dried fruit comes in along with just a touch of sweet booze. Keeps a really nice spicing throughout balancing the sweet fruits and malts deliciously. Lots of sweet and spicy raisins and prunes with a bit of a chocolate covered taste, yeast, and slightly bitter earth make this quite complex. Finishes with lots of sweet, rich, spicy flavor. Semi dry with lots of sweet and spicy toffee, dried fruit and raisin, earthy aftertaste that lingers for quite awhile. Palate is light bodied, but full of flavor. Overall, a very balanced and tasty beer. Lots of mixed flavors that blend quite well together. Solid stuff.

Poured into tulip. about 1/2 inch head. Nice amber color. Smells sweet with a little caramel. Tastes the same. Very smooth but definitely hard to follow with another beer as this one is so big. Highly recommend it

Why, this name translates to "Golden Dragon" (duh). It just twigged on me as I waited for the colossal frothy tan head of at least eight fingers to subside. Great so far, and the dark amber body was also a delight. Lots of spices and dark fruit treated my nose, and the palate was pleased by a very similar taste. Sweet but not overly so, and a good solid mouthfeel to boot.