Gulden Draak
Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.

Gulden DraakGulden Draak
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From:
Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
 
Belgium
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Ranked #8
ABV:
10.5%
Score:
94
Ranked #2,090
Avg:
4.24 | pDev: 11.32%
Reviews:
1,462
Ratings:
4,362
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 10, 2024
Added:
Dec 19, 2001
Wants:
  333
Gots:
  1,024
Dark Triple Ale brewed with caramel malt and re-fermented with Bordeaux wine yeast
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Ratings by BeerAdvocate:
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Reviewed by BeerAdvocate from Finland

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Review from BeerAdvocate magazine Issue #26:

Oh yeah--dark and inviting with that beautiful Belgian-style lacing draped on the glass. Aromas of toffee, licorice root, taffy and cake batter, with hints of bubblegum and peppery alcohol, and a faintness of raisins. Smooth and a little chewy, with a slick, medium body. A tad thick on the malt sweetness to start, the alcohol soon turns the tides with a very warming, peppery alcohol. The sweetness comes in with a layer of toffee, some red grape skin and a suggestion of cooked vegetables, which fades quickly. The peppery flavor meets a dry, toasted, biscuity flavor middle to end. Finishes slightly alcoholic and sweet.

A big, tasty treat here; complex, yet dangerously inviting, as the sweetness melds well with the alcohol. Reminiscent of a young Port wine, so obviously Gulden Draak is a perfect candidate to throw at just about any cheese that has a blue vein running through it.
Sep 20, 2010
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.63 by BLVBBERGIXLL from Arizona

Mar 10, 2024
 
Rated: 4.5 by mushycake from Connecticut

Mar 03, 2024
 
Rated: 4 by Nyoder

Feb 24, 2024
Photo of brianstrong2
Reviewed by brianstrong2 from Tennessee

4.81/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Other than Sint Bernardus Abt 12, this is one of the best beers I have ever had. The extremely high malt content and being a deep red tripel is unique and wonderful. Highly recommend. Of note, the aroma is a bit boozier than the feel or taste.
Feb 16, 2024
Photo of acerbictea
Reviewed by acerbictea from Wisconsin

4.75/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Dark red fruits (apples, cranberries, plums, dates, cherry), almost a little red wine. Caramel sweetness, with just enough bitterness to keep it from being cloying. Goes down INCREDIBLY easily for its 10.5% ABV. All-around excellent.
Feb 08, 2024
 
 
Rated: 3.75 by brpendergast85 from District of Columbia

Jan 16, 2024
 
Rated: 4.31 by RoyalKaiju from Kentucky

Jan 14, 2024
 
Rated: 4.19 by Budlum from Maryland

Jan 14, 2024
 
Rated: 4.08 by BillyNoonan from Ireland

Jan 12, 2024
 
Rated: 4.38 by SeanP99 from North Carolina

Jan 11, 2024
Photo of cratez
Reviewed by cratez from Canada (ON)

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
330ml bottle from a gift pack purchased at the LCBO. Expiry date of November 7, 2025. Consumed January 6, 2024.

L: Clear, dark, ruby red hue. One finger of tan coloured foam. Several strands of lacing on the wine glass.

S: Red apple, cherry, roasted malt. Some vinous red wine notes. Hints of caramel, dark pit fruit (plum) & toffee.

T: Mostly follows the nose. A bit chocolatey + touch of sour cherry.

F: Lush, silky, full bodied MF. Slightly tart upfront. Long, bittersweet, drying finish. ABV is well hidden.

O: A first class Belgian Strong Dark Ale, with genuinely novel character thanks to the red wine yeast. One of the better examples of the style, this is a "must-try" in my books.
Jan 07, 2024
Photo of Steve555
Reviewed by Steve555 from Wales

4.47/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
My first dark ted tripel. Creamy tan foam on a reddish brown body. Taste is malty, sweet caramel and cranberries with some lingering bitterness. Finish is very smooth and slightly sweet with next to no booziness. The effect is a very clean sense of inebriation and the realisation you’ve drank something special.
Jan 05, 2024
Photo of defunksta
Reviewed by defunksta from Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Pours a clear, deep amber color with a massive light tan head. SRM of 19. (4.00)

Aroma: Strong aromas of rich bread, dark red fruits, some cherry and booze underneath. (4.00)

Flavor: Strong and rich flavors of caramel mixed with dark fred fruit and Belgian spices. Plum, cherry, amber malts. Booze shows underneath and finishes sweet. (4.00)

Feel: Heavier-bodied, strong carbonation, Warm, sweet, and shows the booze a bit. (4.00)

Overall: Ranked #8 for a Belgian Strong Dark Ale, but on the bottle listed as a Red Tripel. It has rich caramel, red fruit, and shows the booze with a warming quality on the end. Very flavorful and the amber malt flavors emerge as it warms. Enjoying it so far. (Rating: 4.00)
Dec 17, 2023
Photo of Grax
Reviewed by Grax from Iowa

4.6/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Aroma is extremely complex and enticing, with a bouquet of juicy red fruits and caramelly malt. The body delivers, with a wave of creamy, juicy red fruit followed by spice and malt. Very intense and complex mouthfeel follows, yeasty, herbaceous, and delicious. Great beer
Dec 17, 2023
 
Rated: 3.43 by AGU313 from Maryland

Nov 16, 2023
Photo of nizzle8287
Reviewed by nizzle8287 from Texas

5/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Poured into a snifter at about 45F, somewhere between ruby and amber, with an off-white head with very fine bubbles that reduces to a nice film and ring around the edges of the glass. Smell is candied figs, caramel and yeast. Tastes of dried dark fruit and cotton candy, with a slight hint a hoppy bitterness. High carbonation, appropriate for the style. ABV is very hard to detect, but is all there when you stand up after finishing the glass. Overall, a spectacularly good dark triple. Just as good as Chimay blue in my opinion. Very easy to drink. I will definitely get this again!
Oct 23, 2023
 
Rated: 4.08 by Mat0720

Oct 21, 2023
Gulden Draak from Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 4362 ratings