Gulden Draak

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Deep, reddish brown with a coffee-froth head that mostly disappears. The nose is like the inside of an apple pie: baked apples and cinnamon. It’s lightly carbonated and has a fig / raison & fig sweet taste, somewhat herbal bite. In the aftertaste, this bite progresses into a light burning/warmth at the back of the throat. Nice brew that I could not afford to drink on a regular basis.

Bottle, just like in the image. Pours dark brown with nice off whitehead. Complex taste which is hard to accurately recollect on. Roasted buttery notes with hints of alcohol. Sugary sweet with yeast and toffee - yet hops are noticeable. I hope to have more of this.

330 mL bottle from SoHo Organic Market in Elizabeth City, NC. Murky brown pour with a foamy off-white head. Aroma of caramel malts, light candi sugar, and some dark fruit in the distance. Dark fruit becomes more prominent as this settles. The flavor is a complex offering that with its sweetness resembles a Belgian dubbel. But the dark fruit and hints of chocolate resemble something else, possibly a quad. There are some red wine characteristics as well which I suppose makes sense given the use of wine yeast during the secondary fermentation. The end result is unlike any beer I have tried yet it seems very familiar at the same time if that makes any sense at all. Really, really good.

Pours far darker than I had imagined it would (must have been the white bottle...). It’s a dark red, with a great off-white head that sticks around. Aroma is fantastic. A combination of a dark Belgian (dark fruits - figs, dates, brown sugar, cloves and other spices) with something a little redder - sour cherries and yeast. Flavor reveals a bitterness I didn’t expect, along with the sweetness typical of the style and some tart cherries. Actually, I think the commercial description is right on when it says the beer has a "mellow happiness" [sic]. I like this far better than I thought I would.

Pours a dark ruby-brown with a few fingers of white-tan head. Sweet odor of raisins and caramel malts. Thick, almost syrupy taste to it, really deep and sweet. Fruity and malty, and surprisingly good. I paid too much for this at a bad liquor store out of curiosity, but tasting it I do not feel nearly as ripped off now.

On tap. Pours red amber with a nice off-white head. Aroma is light, with fruit aromas, apple specifically. Flavor is very complex, with cloves, bubble gum, and banana leading into red apple, caramel, dark fruit, and molasses. Really glad I picked this.

Poured a deep ruby color with a thick tan head. Aromas of sweet malts, fruits and yeast. Flavor is the same as the aromas - sweet, malty and yeasty. Very nice. It starts off malty and finishes with a slight flavor of hops and a metallic taste. The alcohol is well hidden for a 10.5% beer. Full body with a thick, creamy texture and lively carbonation. I will definately have this one again.

bottle, great appearance strong taste but not to strong, all the different aromas have room.