Lucifer Black Belgian Ale

Lucifer Black. Belgian Ale. 

8.5 % ABV. Brewery Het Anker, Mechelen, Belgium. 

Dark brown color, completely opaque, slim white head atop. 

In the nose: sweet and fruity. Cocoa and cola. Raisins and plums. Very nice. 

In the mouth: Soft and smooth from the start, with dark fruits dominating the flavor. Slightly rich, deeply malty, with a raft of pleasant flavors aswim on the palate. Softly spicy, bits of pepper. Medium bodied, not quite full, but drink down smooth and full of flavor. Tastes like a dubbed, or is it a strong Belgian brown ale? Belgian Strong Dark Ale says BeerAdvocate.com. So says Untappd. I was going to check their website for a final opinion, but this wasn't listed and it was all in Flemish, or Dutch, or something. 

I call it tasty as heck, and recommend it to one and all. Only $10.99 a 4-pack, what a deal. Just delicious. 

Belgian Strong Ale that pours deep, dark brown with a beige head. Darkly roasted, rich malts produce an aroma and taste offering notes of chocolate, toasted bread, and dark fruit. The finish is smooth, dry, and warming.

Gouden Carolus Ambrio

Gouden Carolus Ambrio.

8 % ABV, 30 IBU, Brouwerij Het Anker, Mechelen,  Belgium. 

The beers in the Gouden Carolus family, brewed by Het Anker, are among my very favorites. They have appeared here six times: Christmas Ale, Tripel, Van De Kaiser Red & Blue (two different beers), Classic, and Easter. Some of these were bottles consumed at home, and some on tap at the Blue Nile, and there have been no appearances since 2013. Had I had them all? BeerAdvocate.com shows another beer, Hopsinjoor, which I can't believe I never had after starting this blog. It's possible, I guess. (My notes on BA are from 2008, and I know I had it on tap at the Nile after that. There's video evidence.)

So, it seems they went away from our market for a while, and now they have returned and we just got them at the retail store where I currently work. But only one of them, that being the Ambrio, or Amber, which I've never seen before. I'm so glad to finally have a reason to dust off my Gouden Carolus chalice and try out a new (to me), tasty Belgian!

Lightly clouded, amber hued, small ring of beige foam atop. 

In the nose: It's classic, ethereal, utterly unearthly Belgian yeast magic at play, very malty, very bready. Graham cracker meets pumpernickel. Low hops. Caramel-y sweetness. 

In the mouth: From the start, hops kick if off, but remain mellow. Excellent balance in this. Caramel-y, toffee-ish flavors from malt dominate the senses. Slight citric and other fruit notes chime in, as well. Belgian yeast takes it to special places. Absolutely delicious. Well-rounded taste, sparks of the comfortable and unfamiliar make themselves at home on the palate, and one is given over to a general sense of well-being. The higher ABV delivers it's own bewitching touch, sending one into a fantastic, yet familiar atmosphere. Bitterness lays low, letting malt do the magic. 

Simply put: yum a dum dum. 

Gouden Carolus Ambrio is aromatically brewed according to the ancient recipe of the Mechelschen Bruynen. Ambrio is an 'amber' ale brewed with 'brio'. This white beer of high fermentation finds its origin in the traditional beer of the city of Mechelen. As each city had its own typical beer, the Mechelenians drunk their amber beer: "Mechelschen Bruynen" for hundreds of years.

Our brewery is the only brewery that still brews this type of beer. According to the tradition the basic recipe of this beer dates from 1421 and is therefore the oldest beer from the brewery.

The current version is slightly heavier than the original and finer hopped. The balance between the different malts, the fine hops and typical aromas with herbs ensure that this beer combines the whole-hearted nature of brown beers with the freshness of blonde beers.

This flavored and spicy light brown tasting beer should be served fairly fresh. Refermentation in the bottle. 

Lucifer Belgian Blonde Ale

Just tapped a keg of Lucifer. Mmm, mmm. Has it really been over two years...nearly three? My goodness. Took some notes back then, but it was just before I started doing this. So, here are notes from November, 2010, of the Lucifer Blonde Ale brewed by The Brewery Het Anker.

 From a freshly tapped keg, into an awesome brandy snifter-like Lucifer glass.

Hazy golden coloration, outsized eggwhite head, slowly simmers, leaving lace. Lovely.

Aroma: Sweet, sharp, spicy. Candi sugar and golden grains. Citrus fruit.

Drinking it: Light bodied, smooth, and supple. Some harshness up front, some shapness, sweet grains, some slight sugar, slips easily down the tongue. Alcohol becomes noticeable after a bit. Water, just a little, but deeee-licious.

Seven and a half years ago, a beer under this name got a thumbs down from me, as produced by Riva. Since Het Anker has been brewing it, I can't find a flaw. Though I don't normally prefer blondes, this is one I'll reach for now and then.

Just for fun, here's that old Riva Lucifer review from January, 2003:

All great things breed imitations, but not any old sparkling golden Belgian ale can match Duvel, no matter what Hellish moniker it adopts. Such is the case with Lucifer. 

Pours out a hazy gold color, underneath a snowy white, brilliantly lacey and effervescent head. Aroma is quite shy, giving off bits of spiciness, but largely dry and soft, lacking any distinguishing phenols. A sparkling taste hops about the buds, but, again, not a lot of character. Dazzling hop presence, firm and fiery texture, good, solid malt body contributing to a underlying sweetness on the palate. A simple, but enjoyable finish. Overall, a pleasant, decent brew, but a far, far cry from the true Devil. More like Beelezebub Jr. the 3rd cousin removed on his mother's sister's side.

Gouden Carolus Easter

Gouden Carolus Easter, The Het Anker Brewery, Mechelen, Belgium, Alc. 10.5% by Vol.

Let's look at the illustration: A pastoral scene, the Golden Charles icon with Easter lilies at his feet, easter eggs in the foreground, and a laughing rabbit, looking a lot like Bambi's Thumper at front left. Actually he looks like he's humping the easter eggs. Humping Thumper.  And flying bells at the top.

Hazy brown  color, showing clear and crimson and the foot and sides, long, lush and lovely light tan head.

Aroma: that wonderfully sweet and funky smell of all the Het Anker brews, deeply malty. darkly fruity. A little nutty and nougaty. Love it.

Taste: A lot like the Classic. Dark, delicious, rich and malty. Vanilla, licorice, dried dark fruits, tasty stuff. Mmmm, very nice. Warming and alcoholic.

I feel like reading the label… "We brew this dark n by red ale {???} every year for the Easter period. It contains several types of malt and three different kind: of herbs which result in a full-bodied yet refined and delicately balanced taste. This delightful ale is chose by those who love a rich, slightly spicy tasting ale. Excellent food pairing with game, meat stews, hard cheeses. Pour out gently in one movement."

Fantastic beer.

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!

Gouden Carolus Cuvee van de Kaiser Blau

Here's a classic Belgian ale I've got on tap for the first time in several years, and which I wrote about for the first time way back in August of 2004. It's the Blue (Blau) version of the Cuvee van de Kaiser, aka Grand Cru of the Emperor, from the Het Anker Brewery, of Mechelen, Belgium. 11% ABV.

Ignore the stuff about corks, etcetera. The rest transfers well.
.......



Pop! Goes the cork...pours a dark, plummy, raisinish color, with a small-to-nonexistent head, poof!, she's gone....

Aroma is a heady blend of dark fruits, the aforementioned and more, cherries, etc., and a rich, sweet, molasses-like component that soon blends together to provide a brandyish feel. Dark and mysterious, urging me to finally put lips to cup.

Huge mouthfeel, lush and delicious, and...hooo! It's happening, that uncommon feel from an ale that washes a sort of wonderfulness all throughout the senses, lays waste to the skeptical mindset, the analytical eye, and provides nothing but pleasure...whoa...sweetness resides in every sip, but never cloys, malt is large, and the texture is so rich and warm, the ABV appearing in full force, that the flavor never leaves the mouth.

Oh, wow, this is good. goodness upon goodness, tasty to the max...I haven't said yum yet, but it'll come in handy here!

Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Kaiser Rood (Red)

Ladies and gentleman, an apology. I am deeply sorry for the crappiness of this photo. It is a dark bottle, but I can't explain why it's so terrible blurred and undefined. Very sad. Forgive me, please. Oh, well, the bottle is drunk, and I can't re-do or re-stage it. Nonetheless, here come the notes:

Cuvee van de Kaiser Rood (Red). Jaargang 2011. 10% ALC. Vol. "Special Blond of the Emperor."…I will skip the further descriptions on the label, so as not to influence my thoughts. 

30/05/11 reads the bottleneck. 

I've had the Blue (Blau) before, and tapped it at the Nile. Incredible stuff. More coveted than this one, but that's because the beer geek's taste typically run to the darker flavors. 

Let's untwist the cage, pop the cork, and get down to it.

Clouded, opaque orange-ish coloration, no head at all. Starts, tries, and falters. 

Aroma: Slight. Citrus and straw, spice, but quiet, meek, mild. Not showing much of anything. (I've been battling a cold, though, so maybe that interfered with my senses?)

Taste: Big hops up front, bristling bitterness, then Belgian yeast character, and splashes of citrus and spice. Deep and complex, a rising richness, reminiscent of a good triple, but murkier, messier, much more wild and unrefined. Flavors are all over, and the alcohol rises high. Brisk, effervescent, and turning slightly sour. Interesting, complex flavors. A bit quirky. Not normal. The Emperor has a taste for crazy blondes. A lot of nasty yeast action going on. Buzzing carbonation. Bright lemon-y flavors persist, delicate spice plays on the palate. 

It's taken me many years to get to this one, compared to how long I've loved this brewery. Typically, I'm not nuts about blondes, but I do like and appreciate them. They're damned tasty, easy to pass down the gullet, and utterly enjoyable. Not as complex and rich as darker Belgian brews, but this one takes a twist. It's vast in it's own way, and terribly tasty. It's easy to fall into the trap of the dark ales, and sink into the viscous chocolate malt, the cocoa, the coffee, the dark fruit, etc. Just let that thickness fall all over, and succumb. With a crazy blonde, you don't know what you're in for. You didn't expect this, you just thought it would be light and pretty. you thought it would be a hayride, a romp, a jump in the sack, but, no. It's starting to pound on your brain, and the complex flavors are a little confusing. 

Candied orange, coated with champagne. Coriander and cardamom, still ring true in here, pithy lemon, zesty and delicious. Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm.

Let's look at that label copy now: " Cuvee van de Kaiser Rood is brewed once a year on the 24th of February on the birthday of Charles the Fifth. It is brewed in a limited quantity by the Anker Brewery of Mechelen, one of the last remaining classic producers in Belgium. This blonde ale of top fermentation illustrates the subtle balance between the different natural ingredients. Bottle fermented."

Gouden Carolus Tripel

Something about me. I don't have a cellar, and I don't have a collection. Sometimes I find that I don't have on hand what I'd like to drink.  Usually, I only have on hand what I can afford, and don't go out, and spend too much money, generating a back log of beers I'll get to later. Nope, I drink what I have. My cellar, as it, or my collection,  is very, very small. Often, the missing slots in my drinkable selection is even an IPA, or a stout. Just a porter, or something. What, all I have to drink is Forgotten Flem, Brooklyn Monster, and several beers I need to write about? I  can't just drink 'em, I have to write about 'em.
So, this afternoon, I stopped at Harriet for some growlers of "drinkin' beers" (that would be West Side, not necessarily Divine Oculust, althought I'll be "drinkin'" that.), and then on my break, went up to the wonderland of Zipp's for the first time in more than a month, specifically for some Belgian ales, some for writin' about and some for drinkin'. I grabbed a Gouden Carolus Cuvee' van de Kaiser Rood, which I've never had, and that would qualify it as a writin' about beer. I also snagged a GC Tripel, from that excellent Het Anker Brewery, which I first wrote about in April of 2004. Want to know what I thought of it? Well, here it comes...

Holy Guacamole! This corked little devil came out with NO effort--BOOM! 

And now my trousers are wet... 

Muddy golden hue...vast mass of fluffy foam, white as snow sits on top and elegantly collapses, leaving gentle lace...Aroma: yeast, citric, but light, airy, a little honeyish...Taste: mmm, just right! 

Elaborate? I shall. A garden of fruit is here, apricots, peaches, oranges, banana, mix it with cream, soften it with sugar, throw some honey in it, whipped cream on top now, gently sprinkle with spices...tastiness abounds! Lightly, judiciously hopped, ample malt, incessant flavor. 

Body is about medium, finish is nigh-unto-eternal, light, sugary, and just about damned delicious, balance is near perfect too, nothing is overly forward, everything meets just-so, and it's drinkability gets a boost from that. 

My first try with this one, and now it's a new favorite, that I'll return to again and again...deeelicious!

Gouden Carolus Christmas Ale

This was one I wished I could have included in Belg-a-Rama #2, but it was not available in kegs this year, for our little ol' market. Found a bottle of this favorite brew, and enjoyed it as a much needed relaxant after a hard night's work.
One thing I love about readin European labels, or websites, or anything, is that lost-in-translation-ness, the phrases that try to be one thing and become another. It's even seen in our home-grown comedic figures who miss one word's meaning and grab at another, like Michael Scott from The Office or Sarah Palin.
See this for example: ""Gouden Carolus Noel brewed exceptionally for Christmas by the Anker Brewery, established in Mechelen since 1369, and one of the classic Belgian breweries. This very special Belgian ale is brewed using traditional methods and a recipe with top fermentation. Its high gravity gives the ale its warmth and body. It improves with age and will charm you with its warm, coppery colour and its rich bouquet. Refermented in the bottle, Produce of Belgium Alc. 10% Vol."

Brewed "especially" for Christmas, not "exceptionally"? Except, really, isn't that more accurate?

I wrote these notes the first time I ever tapped it, 2 years ago, December, 2008, and it remains true today, except I don't think it's quite that cold. Close, though...

"Freshly tapped in a Gouden Carolus chalice.
Cast a dusky magenta, showing lighter crimson at the edges.
Slim beige head.

Gorgeous aroma. Sweetness. Cocoa. Dark fruit. Creamy. A raisin wrapped in chocolate, dipped in brandy, set on fire. Wine-like, at times.

Slick, sweet and delicious on the tongue. Slips through the mouth and tickles the senses. Warm, and wonderful. Molasses, brown sugar, figs, and carob. Then the booze speaks up. And I agree with everything it's saying.

Long, warming finish. Never too hot, never too sweet, just right.
Spice + fruit + magical Belgian malt and yeast = perfection.
Yum meets yum.
This is just right for tonight. It's what 3 below? Holy Cow!
I have half a mind to stay right here and finish the keg. Sounds like a plan..."

this is one beer that will make everything all right. And I mean it.