Gouden Carolus Classic

Here's a favorite Belgian dark ale of mine, that tapped at the Blue Nile for the first time, can you believe it, nearly nine years ago. It was the first time I took notes on it, too, though I'm sure I was already a fan. Maybe I had some from before I started taking notes, pre-2002? Could be.

So here's to Gouden Carolus Classic, from the Brouwerij Het Anker of Mechelen, Belgium, 8.5% ABV, with notes from May, 2004, also on tap:


Pours a hazy mahongoany hue, cool woody brown, with a with a nice bit of froth, if short-lived.

Aroma, sour, citric, and spicy, from the start, lemon peel, clove, and pepper.

Taste: big, brisk, fruity blast on the palate, softly fading into a firm malt base. Cherries, berrries, bananas, melon, all accompanied by a tidy peppery kick on the side, and the flavor never fades, nestles well in the mouth, offering a resilient, bright tingle on the tongue.

Great texture, wonderful play on the palate, a genial joust of tastes in the mouth. Fruity, to the point of being wine-like, but with plenty of it's own individual charms to make it a supple, special little thing in the mouth.

 Very special ale, hunt it down, if you must!