Gouden Carolus Tripel
Brouwerij Het Anker

MissouriMule from Missouri

4.8/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This nails the genre. Judging by the fact I picked up four for a fiver, it had been on the rack a while, so YMMV. It pours cloudy with a tall and persistent head. There is grass and spice in the nose, corresponding to hay, spice, and floral notes in the taste. The mouthfeel is full and round, with the sharp carbonation acting as an excellent countervailing force. The only detracting element is the aftertaste, which can make for a slightly astringent and vaguely stale bitterness, albeit short-lived. Again, though, my samples may be long in the tooth.

Feb 05, 2020

superspak from Michigan

4.26/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle into chalice, bottled on 6/20/2013. Pours fairly crystal clear bright golden color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky off white head with incredible retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big lemon, orange zest, apricot, pear, apple, white grape, pepper, coriander, candi sugar, cracker, bread, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/earthy yeast, spice, and pale malt notes; with good strength. Taste of big lemon, orange zest, apricot, pear, apple, white grape, pepper, coriander, candi sugar, cracker, bread, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness. Good amount of earthy yeast spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of lemon, orange zest, pear, apple, white grape, pepper, coriander, candi sugar, cracker, bread, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Outstanding complexity of fruity/earthy yeast, spice, and pale malt flavors; with a great crisp malt/yeast balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Quite dry on the finish as well for the gravity. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a very smooth, crisp, and lightly prickly mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is an outstanding tripel style. All around awesome complexity and balance of fruity/earthy yeast, spice, and pale malt flavors; and very smooth and crisp to drink for the ABV. A highly enjoyable offering.

Jan 10, 2015

RoyalT from Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Nice, big white puffy head atop a beautiful thick orange body. The liquid almost illuminates the bottom of the glass.

Smell - The wonderful baker's yeast is evenly mixed with some strong, rindy orange. The traditional spices are present along with a hint of alcohol. This nose is very balanced.

Taste - Heavy on the powdery pepper, otherwise pretty much what you'd expect from the terrific nose. This one is very sharp on the tongue. The orange is acidic and demands that the ale be sipped. The yeast is packed tightly.

Mouthfeel - A bit bigger than medium-bodied with a prominent sting of alcohol and some nice, very mature carbonation.

Drinkability - This is my idea of an Abbey Tripel. It is sharp from all angles, has some beautiful carbonation, and goes down extremely well.

Update - It's not often that I find this beer but came across one in early Jan 2010 (probably a 2009 vintage) so had a chance to re-enjoy. The only thing I would add is that the appearance of the poor was much more pleasing, otherwise everything else is the same as my initial review. The spices are huge, the punch is definitely highly-charged orange, and the mouthfeel is out of this world.

Oct 30, 2003

puboflyons from New Hampshire

4.51/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

From the 750 ml. bottle dated 13/04/2015. Sampled on October 17, 2016.

Golden colored pour under a foamy cream colored and long lasting head. Busy carbonation.

The aroma is alive with roses, blossoms, or some kind of floral, flowery character along with apple and pear thrown in for good measure.

Medium to full body. Smooth texture.

The taste is as flowery as the nose suggests it would be with those added meaty fruits and leading up to a herbal or peppery bite at the finish. Lovely beer.

Oct 17, 2016

david18 from New York

3.97/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on draft and liked it a lot and then I tried it in the bottle and enjoyed it even more.

A great golden color with much better carbonation than the draft version. Great aroma and flavor. A little light in alcohol for a tripel which is a good thing.

This is becoming my new favorite Belgian Brewery.

Mar 11, 2010

rarbring from Sweden

3.95/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A light golden/straw colored clouded brew, a firm white head that leaves some lacing.

Earthy smells, stable and leather, sour milk, apricot sweet and fruity.

Rather sweet, sweet ripe grapes, good bitterness.

Much carbonation, bubbly and foamy, a warm and oily feeling.

A good, rather well balanced tripel.

Jul 10, 2010

DannyBaldoni from Canada

4.51/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nov 20, 2017

DispyDnb from England

4.15/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

May 26, 2016

DPFRD from Arizona

3.43/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Chimay Goblet.

A- Mildly sudsy head that dissipates quickly. Cloudy golden with a touch of brown.

S- Sweet Belgian candi sugar with some biscuit and moderate yeast presence.

T- Interesting openness to this beer. The malt character is light and is accentuated by some piney hops and a hint of sour and yeast.

M- Moderate body.

D- Pretty decent, not my favorite tripel by far and not my favorite Gouden Carolus offering. A good beer to experience and definitely worth drinking; however this is a last call tripel in my book.

Dec 20, 2010

Daniellobo from District of Columbia

4.02/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aug 24, 2015

dsshuck from Delaware

3.78/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Dec 09, 2016

Zet from Netherlands

4.1/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Light orange/bronze colour with a little haze and a big frothy head. A full nose of yeast, citrus fruit, peach, banana and spices like coriander and muscat. Taste follows suit, with a smooth blend of sweet, sour and bitter flavours. Quite yeasty, but without masking the other flavours. Alcohol is present in the taste, but blends well. A balanced yet complex tripel, well done.

Jul 09, 2016

rex_4539 from Greece

3.75/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

L: Quite clear golden color, one finger white head, messy lacing, no carbonation.

S: Hops, yeast, sweet.

T: Hops, yeast, LOTS of alcohol, malts.

F: Medium to full bodied, lots of yeast flavor. Unfortunately, alcohol covers all the rest.

O: Decent beer to have on a cold winter day I guess but nothing I will look for again.

Dec 02, 2019

cratez from Canada

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle at Chaucer's Pub in London, ON. Pours a glowing, cloudy, and golden orange body with a ring of fizzy white head. Smell and taste are mango, peaches, grainy pale malts, candy sugar, yeast, cookie dough, and a juicy, tart finish with a trace of sourness. Fruity esters hit the nose with each sip. Medium mouthfeel is spicy, peppery, sharp carbonation, light side of dry, some sweetness as well. Alcohol doesn't register on the palate, which makes this beer unusually drinkable for 9% ABV. It literally tastes like liquid Fuzzy Peaches. A balanced and flavourful tripel that really nails the style.

Mar 28, 2010

axeman9182 from New Jersey

3.46/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

11.2 oz bottle, poured into my Brooklyn Brewery tulip. This was one of my last remaining souvenirs from Belgian Beer Fest 2011.

Gouden Carolus Tripel pours a super hazy tangerine. The frothy white head is absolutely massive, approaching four fingers worth of foam. Head retention couldn't possibly be any better, and the lacing left alongside the glass is plentiful. The nose leads more towards pear than anything else on the ester front, though there is a little bit of green apple as well. There are also some light black pepper and alcochol aromas present to keep things interesting. The fruitiness in the flavor leans even more towards pears, to the point where with the one sided esters and somewhat muted phenols, and a bit of alcohol, that the beer approaches what I imagine a pear cider would taste like. This isn't really a good thing, as it leaves the beer one note, and isn't necessarily what I'd look for in a tripel. The mouthfeel is fantastic though, with a nice and dried out body and an expansive, bubbly carbonation. Gouden Carolus Tripel isn't a bad beer, but it's also firmly not in my top tier of tripels.

Jan 14, 2012

RochefortChris from North Carolina

4/5  rDev -3.8%

Dec 03, 2013

0x4a64 from Minnesota

3.82/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Sep 14, 2015

Beeryce from Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes taken while tasting this fine Tripel at Belgian Beer Café. Served via tap into a 250ml Gouden Carolus Tripel chalice that almost overflowed with the huge thick frothy white head composed of very minute bubbles. The head was very stable persisting almost until finished, but only produced decent lacing. The beer itself was a lightly carbonated slightly turbid golden orange hue that was very appealing to me.

The nose was somewhat pronounced with mainly floral characteristics but a minty fresh cut clover smell became evident as time passed and the beer warmed slightly. The taste started out a crisp and with a biting alcoholic warming sensation that faded to a balanced yet still alcoholic bitterness. The finish was the highlight with the minty hay/clover tastes that were detectable in the nose coming through wonderfully, coating the palate and lingering for quite some time.

The mouthfeel was very nice, slightly viscous and coating but not overly so as to hinder the drinkability. Overall the drinkability was great despite the alcoholic tastes which are hid relatively well when you consider that the actual % of alcohol present is 9%. With that said as much as I would like to drink this beer it is a sipper to be tasted and enjoyed slowly.

An excellent beer overall and style wise which I consider a must try.

Oct 30, 2006

Converge from Canada

4.28/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

330ml bottle poured into a 16oz goblet.

A - Pours a medium golden-amber with moderate haze and a sticky, snow-white head. Quite a bit of carbonation flowing up the glass. Head retains stubbornly and taking style and glassware into consideration, it laces very nicely.

S - Zesty, grassy hops, Belgian yeast and coriander up front. Bready malt, honey, hay, and candi sugar. Fruitiness is comprised mainly of white grapes and pears. Spices add some balance to all the sweeter aromas.

T - Follows the nose for the most part. Lots of bready malt, Belgian yeast, grassy hops, and zesty, earthy flavors. Finishes with some spice and hops, with pear and white grapes making an appearance as well. Less sweet than the aroma had me thinking, as the candi sugar and honey aren't here as much; although they still provide a nice sweetness. White grape and hops provide some dryness and slight bitterness respectively to the finish. Alcohol presence is minimal. A nice bubblegum flavor comes through as it warms. Overall a strong representation of the style but could have used a bit more complexity or depth to the profile in the end.

M - Fine and very smooth carbonation with a medium body. Very smooth overall. Dry finish, with some spice and mild bittering character. Fitting of the style, and very nice.

D - Overall this is a very nice tripel, and a great representation of what one should be. While not the most complex brew in the style, it's flavorful and very drinkable. I'd love to see how some age treats this one.

Jul 07, 2012

Maakun from Netherlands

4.03/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Light golden color, almost straw. Quite clear, and with a big white head that shrinks quite fast to a smal layer.

At suggested serving temperature there's not much smell. After a little while in the glass there's some yeast, lemon, and a hint of cloves.

Taste is yeasty, some spices (cloves), a little dried fruits, and some hoppiness. Also again a little lemon(peel). Aftertase is almost like fresh bread with some hops and apples. Also a slight grassiness that I don't like too much.

Mouth is quite light, nice carbonation. Nothing too special.

Overall this is a nice tripel, quite light, but nicely balanced. The big yeastmonsters aren't my favorites, this is a bit more mellow and fresh, not bad at all!

Dec 08, 2012

SassaDog from Iceland

4.09/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sep 03, 2016

Rochefort10nh from New Hampshire

5/5  rDev +20.2%

Nov 26, 2011

MrSnrub from Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

11.2 oz. bottle purchased at D's and consumed on 13-4-10.

Pours a cloudy, deep yellow with a fine, modest head and lots of lacing. Pleasant nose, primarily of yeast. Pleasant taste as well; flavors of yeast and grass predominate. Alcohol barely noticeable; hard to believe that it's 9% ABV. Perhaps the best thing about this beer is the way it feels in the mouth - very creamy and effervescent. A highly enjoyable tripel that really nails the style.

Apr 22, 2010

obninsk23 from Massachusetts

4.59/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

The beer looks and smells uneventful, looks like muddy water in Boston actually. But what amazing is the taste. It starts before you sip. I got it my mouth ready to gulp a bite and (oh god!!!) before that the taste exploded in my nose. It's slightly sweet, but the sweetness comes from fruits and not sugar. Wow.

Feb 06, 2016

safphoto from Ohio

3.94/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Jul 11, 2015