Gouden Carolus Cuvée Van De Keizer Imperial Blond
Brouwerij Het Anker

 

Poured from 750 mL bottle into chalice.
A: Pours a beautiful hazy golden/orange/yellow hue with 2 inch billowy white head with excellent retention. Leaves generous lacing behind on the glass.
S: Honeyed malt, herbal mint, clove, white pepper, pear, and a hint of floral orange.
T: Pear, apple, clove, honeyed malt, soft vanilla, herbal mint, orange zest, and a floral note. Nice complexity!
M: Medium body with a full, coating, and soft feel. Lovely layers of delicate sweetness and spiciness. Mildly astringent and bitter throughout. Lingers nicely on the palate. Smooth and creamy. ABV is dangerously well hiddden.
D: A superb brew to be sure! Excellent complexity and balance and effortless drinkable. Seek it out!

Pours a foamy fizzy 2+ finger head with moderate retention, fair soapy lacing, semi hazy med orange-red color

Nose big sweet blonde malt, a bit of light candi sugar, white caramel toffee candy thing, white raisin, dried apricots, and plenty of fruity esters, light phenol spice potpourri alcohol,

Taste brings more sweet blonde malt, a touch biscuity, candy malt with some caramelized notes, a bit of caramelized light sugar and light candi sugar, more fruity esters, dried apricots and quite a bit, white raisin, general fruit, light perfumey alcohol and phenol spices, touch of bitterness, semi sticky sweet finish with a bit more warming alcohol late

Mouth is med to fuller bod, med to higher effervescent carb, light warming tingly alcohol

Overall solid Imperial Blonde, somewhere between usual Belgian blonde and Tripel, and enjoyable

Dec. 2014: 750 ml corked & caged bottle, vintage 2012, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 10%. Golden colour, huge white head. Sweetish and sugary aroma, with notes of ripe yellow fruits (esp. plums), flowers, white kandij sugar syrup and malts. Medium sweet flavour with the same elements as in the aroma, also mild spicy notes. Pleasant enough to drink.

 

Bright golden pour with a fluffy pure white head that laces the glass. Spice and citrus dominates the flavor, the alcohol content is buried well. Points off for a slightly unpleasant metallic aftertaste. Overall, if you're going to choose a Gouden Carolus Imperial, opt for the Dark.

 

A: slight haze; deep gold in color; less than a 1 finger white head that receded to a thin collar; very little lacing;

S: tart funk with lemon and tangerine;

T: complex; pear, apricot, sauvignon blanc, citrus; slightly tart and funky; no bitterness;

M; medium bodied; light to moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish; hides the ABV very well;

O: dangerously smooth;

 

L- Mid amber, clear, pours with 3Cm pillowy white head
S- Can't smell much this morning, just some brightness.
T- Boof! Certainly bold. Pear-drops and apple. Estery, some spices.
F- Full-flavoured and deep. Glad I served cold I can sense it's warming towards a bit rich...
O- Big bold, leaves an impression of the palate
750ml bottle £8.95 BB: 31/12/2022. Bought from BeautifulBeers/BurySt.Edmunds as part of a large pick-your own consignment to London.

h Christmas, and this fine ale is a tradition I look forward to each year.
From the 750 ml bottle in a snifter. This Belgian pours a lightly murky
deep amber with a fantastic head of white foam that settles to a thick
fine beaded ring and layer with nice sudsy lacing. Nose of apples, grapes,
light sweet bread, subtle yeast notes, pear, and sweet candy sugars. Flavors
hit the right notes and beyond with apples and grapes hitting on the sides, sweet
breaded malts on the middle and rear, and a nice candy sugar note lightly cut
by herbal hops and prickly alcohol. Excellent mouth feel smooth, creamy,
warming, sweet, lightly prickly carbonation, and subtly dry on the finish.

Picked up for about $10 in a large bomber with a cool cork. Bright golden color with a haze to it, thick and tall white foam head - lots of effervescence. Smells very malty, with a good deal of citrus lemon and orange and even white grapes. Before I can even taste it I’ve got to work my way through the thick foam. Taste is Very understated. Not very strong flavors of anything in particular other than the citrus. Very dry as well. This drink reminds me of a sparkling white grape juice. Alcohol is not strong or noticeable for the ABV. Mouthfeel is extraordinarily effervescent and sparkly, fairly light and easily drinkable. The label says to drink with respect because it’s so powerful yet I can easily drink this as if it was bud light. Overall very drinkable and I would certainly buy this again however I am interested in what the sister beer that’s an imperial dark would taste like as it has higher and nearly perfect ratings.

 

Cloudy goldenrod with a thick two fingers of white foam. Aromas of apple and white grape Astors, robust pale blonde malts, bright breadiness and honey, finished by mild leafy hops and booze kiss. This fall is the nose: add in some caramel to the honey, grass, white pepper, cracker malt and pear to the general taste. Heavier for style, full, warm, yet springy and crisp. A wonderful Belgian ale

 

 

750 mL Bottle. ABV 10%.
Appearance: Sunrise orange, Under one finger of off-white head, Low-Moderate carbonation, Yeast in suspension on final pour, Good retention, Broken cap remains.
Aroma: Banana, Stone fruit, Spice, Very inviting malt presence, Citrus, Classic Belgian yeast, Slight bubblegum, Grape, Quite complex, Refreshing, Simply magnificent.
Mouthfeel: Slightly above medium body, Fairly boozy, Mostly smooth, Somewhat sharp carbonation, Off-dry.
Flavour: Malt, White grape, Belgian yeast, Spice (Coriander), Stone fruit (apricot), Herbal, Floral, Slight Apple, Slight banana, Slight bubblegum.
Overall: Fantastic aroma, wow! That was a treat. I felt like the rest of the beer, while still outstanding, did not quite meet that mark.

Review: 156

 

 

 

 

750 mL corked & caged bottle bought at the LCBO well over a year ago; 'Jaargang 2017' according to the neck label. Best before Apr 2020 and served barely chilled.

Pours a clear medium golden hue, topped with half a centimetre of frothy white foam that settles off within the next two minutes or so. A soapy collar encircles a filmy, bubbly layer upon the surface; no lace at first, but bands are generated over time as I sip away at the glass. The aroma is inviting and a little fruity - I'm getting yellow plum, honeycrisp apple and maybe a touch of pear and apricot. Bready pale malts, oily citrus peel and some floral, grassy aspects also come through, though the 10% is notably absent.

Unbelievably smooth, particularly in light of the aforementioned 10% abv. Bready pale malt sweetness, sultana raisin and golden syrup sweetness dominate the forefront, with flavours of bruised apple, stone fruit, lemon and pear developing by mid-sip. Grassy hay, bubblegum and herbal hop notes briefly crop up towards the finish, but the orchard fruit leitmotif repeats itself into the aftertaste, which I'd describe as just a little warming with some candi sugar sweetness. Full-bodied and silky-smooth, with low carbonation levels that limply nudge against the surface of the palate. Dangerously easy drinking.

Final Grade: 4.27, an impressive A-. Like anything of great strength, Cuvee van de Keizer Rood must be handled with respect and diligence... unless, of course, you have the day off tomorrow. Complex and well-balanced, this is a textbook strong Belgian pale ale that is well worth the price anywhere you can find it. The next bottle I pick up will definitely be consumed right away - I've found that although BSPAs do hold up well for at least a couple of years (in fact, I still have a 2018 Rood in the cellar), I usually like them better when fresh, so this review may receive an update within the near future if/when the 2019 batch rolls out to these parts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2015 vintage 750ml corked bottle from the cellar, so 3 years old.

pours a hazy yellow color, thick white head, that fades after a bit. big aroma of Belgian yeast esters - earthy spice, a touch of banana. similar flavor, starts a bit sweet but finishes drier. medium bodied, very smooth

 

 

 

 

 

Draft at BitterCreek. Pale golden with soft wispy head, streaky lacing. Straight forward malty aroma, taste turns sweet, butter, toffee, butterscotch. Slick and smooth. No sign of the 10% ABV

750 ml bottle into a tulip snifter. Bottled 1/14/15, had 2/23/18.

Pours a mostly clear orange, with a one inch head and some soapy lacing. Aromas of Belgian yeast, malt, coriander, cloves, light banana, other spices. Smells wheaty. The taste is similar- Belgian yeast, malt, coriander, wheat, other spices, a hint of vanilla. Smooth, a good body but a touch lighter than expected, well carbonated.

Mostly straightforward, but a really well done and classic BSPA. The yeast and malt are great. Well worth a purchase.