Gulden Draak Ale

Last night, as we were closing down the bar, one of my customers declared that she hopes that I have the "best night ever!" Best ever? There's not much time left to make that happen. Unless? Unless I get lucky on the way home? Unless I find that someone broke into my apartment and left me a giant stack of cash? Unless? I think I'll just drink some Belgian beers I have in my fridge, some old favorites such as....

Gulden Draak. Brouwerij Van Steenberge. Belgian Strong Dark Ale. 10.5 % ABV. 31 IBU.

I'm disappointed in myself that in the 10 years of this blog, that it's taken me so long to enter this one into the Nib.

And here is the time when I look back on my old notes of over sixteen years ago, and decide that they are....satisfactory. And so, I will drink a 750 ml bottle of Gulden Draak, an old, old favorite, and share what I wrote in February of 2003:

A deep, dark, burgundy brown color, and a thick, full, rocky, tannish head.

Aroma sizzles over with all things good, a sensory overload of hop sensation: fruity notes, earthy notes, hints of leather and lavender, grapes, wines, figs, raisins. One of my all-time favorite aromatic brews.

A full pallet-load of hops on the palate (sorry, couldn't resist trying that one out just once!) A flood of brilliant bitterness on first sip, that just keeps giving and giving and giving. Solid malt here, too, holding everything together. Fierce and fiery, like the breath of the beast that graces the label and gives this ale it's name. Hot, substantial, and impressive, the dragon is formidable!

One drawback is the "drinkability" issue. My first time with the Dragon, I shared a750ml with a friend, and still woke up the next AM, moaning and groaning, able only to utter: "Guuuulden Drak...guuuuuulden draaaaak....."
Had a 11.2oz.er for the purpose of this review, and I felt it terribly the next day. How to rate the ease with which one drinks the Dragon, when the Dragon always slays you? "Yes, I'll have another"...some other day....

From the label: "Festive living ale, triple by style, brown-ruby color, balances a natural malt sweetness, the glow of the alcohol, with a hoppy gentle touch. Creamy head and full body. A real treasure! Refermented in the bottle. Read more about the brewery and the 900 year history of the Golden Dragon at www.globalbeer.com."

Also, this: Gulden Draak has been breathing fire at the Van Steenberge brewery since 1986. This characterful, fiery beer was originally commissioned by the Cruyl brewery in Assenede. At the time, it was a festive beer brewed just once a year for the Assenede fanfare.

Gulden Draak originated when Jozef Van Steenberge received one of his Italian customers back in 1986. The Italian visitor could feel the fire and insisted on buying the beer. At first, Jozef refused because he felt that the beer was too strong, but then he agreed on the condition that an order of 100 hectolitres was placed. At the time, it was a large amount that guaranteed an entire week of production. A beer with character also deserves a bottle with character, a unique white bottle, they decided together.


The name ‘Gulden Draak’ refers to the gilded dragon statue at the top of the Ghent Belfry. Legend has it that the dragon graced the bow of the ship used by Norwegian Sigurd Magnusson on his crusade in 1111. The statue still stands guard on top of the Ghent Belfry today as a symbol for the city's freedom and power.