Cuvée Van De Keizer Rood (Red) - Brouwerij Het Anker

corby112

Pennsylvania

2.3/5  rDev -42.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

From notes:

Pours a clear golden yellow color with a two finger foamy white head with decent retention, slowly disappearing and leaving small spots of lacing behind.

Spicy aroma with hints of crisp light fruit, pale malts and sweet alcohol.

Tight carbonation up front that lingers throughout affecting the palate in a negative way. The alcohol presence is overpowering and dominates throughout into a very hot finish. There is some peppery, zesty spice and light apple and pear notes but again they are completely overpowered by the alcohol heat. I'm a huge fan of the blue version but this was very disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2010 08:56:29 | More by corby112

laituegonflable

Australia

2.6/5  rDev -35.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a pale golden colour; healthy bead. Head is huge, white, sparse but healthy bubbling. Yeah, looks pretty good.

Smells yeasty, with a honeyed edge. Yeah, honey-oat kind of character with a touch of earthiness. Herbal, gravelly bitterness, possibly hops or possibly just phenols. Otherwise pretty nice.

Taste opens up quickly to a very bready, yeasty palate. Loads of honey sweetness, oatmeal, golden syrup, yeah just cereal sweetness. Bit of depth to the palate but I find the overall flavour quite distaasteful, so can't call it great.

Fluid feel, not too bad. Drinks alright.

Sweet, grainy beer. Feels like the type that gives you a headache. Just sweet overall, not my thing.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 04:39:30 | More by laituegonflable

Crosling

Colorado

2.68/5  rDev -33.3%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

It's a dark golden colored beer with a fully lasting head, purely Belgian, it laces well on the glass. Nose of dough and cookie, bready malts, polish and fruit. Smells Belgian, but doesn't seem to have a lot of refinement. Flavor has a bit too much strength and doesn't have a lot of delicacy or complexity. Sweet, it possesses heavy notes of light fruits and alcohol. This Belgian misses the mark.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2008 05:10:49 | More by Crosling

cannabanaceae

Washington

2.85/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into snifter. Color was hazy yellow with half inch white head, dissipating to nothing. No lacing.

Smell was candi sugar, carmel malt, spicy hops, some bready notes and a nice subtle sour woody smell.

Taste was over-carbonated, bursting bubbles in the sharp mouthfell. Goes down a sweet carmel, with some sourness followed by a ornge pell bitterness. I liked the use of hops in this beer, but it all gets lost in the champagne like body.

After letting this beer sit an hour, the flavors came together a little better. Opened this for holloween last night left about 8oz. in bottle overnight, then drank in the morning and it was much more drinkable. Tasting a liitle like a blonde Chimay. My advise would be to let this breath for a couple hours, then drink. Or better yet put this in the cellar for a couple years then enjoy. Not ready now!

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2008 18:26:53 | More by cannabanaceae

Doomcifer

Rhode Island

2.9/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Pours a very pale golden color with tons of carbonation and an immense white rocky head that goes nowhere. Great lacing sticks to the glass. Smells of honey, candy sugar, belgian yeast, spices, pear, very pleasant. Smells a lot better than it tastes. Initial sip, while still very cold, was extremely biting with alcohol. Bitter, extremely phenolic. As it warmed up, more flavors came through like doughy malts, the yeast, some honey, hops, but the alcohol presence was still very much there. Mouthfeel was medium bodied, extremely carbonated, with a somewhat dry finish. Drinkability factor definitely lacks.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2008 10:32:00 | More by Doomcifer

bernardus1212

Florida

3.08/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

2008 vintage poured into a Bernardus Blond glass. I have been looking forward to this one. Not so much any more. The beer pours a light golden color. A little tint of yellow in the head. No lacing in sight. The alcohol was super strong in the taste. at 10%, it tasted way over that. I decided to let it rest in the glass for a minute or two. I wanted to see if it would soften up a bit. It did a little. I started to pull out some of the flavors; lemon zest and some floral characteristics came to mind. I did finish it, but I was not overly empressed.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2010 17:54:03 | More by bernardus1212

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.15/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed on 8/20/08. Bottle. What a gusher!! Watch out for this one. Pours a dull colored orange with a huge thick, foamy white head. Aroma of Belgian yeast and spices, light fruits (apple, pear). Flavor is initially quite spicy with some hop bitterness and alcohol, finishes sweet. A bit on the boozy side and not that much flavor.
7/4/6/3/14 (3.4/5)

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2008 18:55:46 | More by LilBeerDoctor

AlexCorleone

Mexico

3.15/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Gold with a white head, good cling & lacing.

Smell: Tropical fruitiness and spices (orange, pineapple, papaya and hints of banana), light phenol spicing & earthiness.

Taste: Alcohol is the first strike, spicing comes through a little more in the flavor. A little earthiness from the yeast, sweet toffee is balanced by decent hop bitterness. Alcohol is remarkably.

Aftertaste: Orange, Alcohol, and carbonation are almost modest for the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2010 16:20:29 | More by AlexCorleone

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.15/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

750 mL 2008 vintage cork and caged bottle.

Appearance has a slightly off pale yellowish golden color with a thin bubbly white head with minimal retention and lacing. Aroma is alcohol heavy, almost like rubbing alcohol with some fruity esters, candi sugars, sweet spices and Belgian yeast. Medium full body with strong, active carbonation. Very effervescent, but finish has a strong alcohol presence detracting from the overall perception of the body and flavor. Flavor is super sweet, tons of candi sugar, ripe sweet fruit, and yeast. Very uniquely flavored, not particularly dry, crisp or earthy, but the extreme booziness and sweetness makes this a challenge to consume.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2010 00:27:22 | More by yourefragile

hckyfn9999

Missouri

3.2/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

2008 edition. Pours a hazy golden yellow with a creamy white head. Very good retention of the head. Lots of little sediment particles are suspended in the liquid. Aroma is herbal, with some citrus and tart apples.

This beer doesnt really do it for me. There is some spice, along with some tart fruit and a bit of underlying sweetness. It almost has a skunkiness to it. I dont believe it is really skunked, I just think the combination of the tartness and spice combine for that flavor. Mouthfeel is a bit thin. Finish is dry. I wont try this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2009 02:19:45 | More by hckyfn9999

jdklks

Nevada

3.23/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Piss golden with just a touch of amber and a nice fizzy white head on top. Smells a lot like champagne, with a little citrus fruit, alcohol, and belgian yeast.

It's hard to believe this beer is 10%. It's real light and easy to drink. Until the finish, when the alcohol burn confirms the claim on the label. It's super sweet up front, with very little complexity but a whole lot of fizz bursting all over the palate. even here it's a lot like champagne. There is, of course, the ever present belgian yeast, along with a citrusy note and a little hop presence. Drinkable, but not really my thing.

The mouthfeel is seemingly light at first, but the amount of carbonation is simply misleading, giving off an "airy" feeling that makes it seem much lighter than it actually is. It's rather thick, and settles heavily in the stomach, which doesn't help its case for drinkability a whole lot either.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2010 05:19:48 | More by jdklks

unclejazz

New York

3.3/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2009 vintage. I had this in a Belgian Brunch tasting and was my least favorite. This beer looks pretty good, but I wonder if the aging had cause it to go too sweet. I barely notice the 10% ABV on this because it has this overwhelming brown sugar nose and taste. It tasted light a really floral quad. This could be good as a share for dessert, make a fruit crumble or a cheese plate. I wonder if the b lue is as sweet.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 17:43:28 | More by unclejazz

froghop

Washington

3.33/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

pours a semi-clear yellow-orange with a large white foamy head, heavy carbonation, good lacing.

smell is faint, pear, peach, and some spice.

taste has lots of carbonation to it, sweet fruit, malt, a little caramel in the back, nice ending with a little spicy kick.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2008 18:25:00 | More by froghop

jsh420

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

2008 bottle

pours hazy golden yellow with an orange tint - 2 finger head that faded to a film and left no lacing

smells of sweet fruity malt apples and belgian yeast

taste is a bit too sweet for me - sugary candy malt belgian yeast with lots of hoppy spice - lots of booze/heat even after 2 years in the cellar

mouthfeel - medium body - lots of carbonation - little sticky

drinkability - shared some of the bottle and still i could not finish more then about 12oz

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2010 02:39:47 | More by jsh420

newton99

Belgium

3.51/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Aroma is floral, spicy w/ a mild lemony zing. Just a subtle hint of musty yeast.

Taste is clean pale malt, yeast, and hops. A delicate balance of basic flavors. Water is a key ingredient too. Very slight candi sugar sweetness, increasing as it warms.

Mouthfeel is smooth, semi-dry.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 09:56:05 | More by newton99

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.53/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Jaargang 2008. Sparkling honey with lemon peel accents. As is often the case with Belgian ale, the alabaster colored crown is colossal in size and pillowy in texture. The foam is rocky as it melts and is beginning to grace the upper reaches of the glass with sudsy streamers of lace.

The aroma features the usual BSPA characteristics (golden fruit and spice), along with assorted herbs and a fraction too much alcohol. Another six months in the cellar might have been the way to go. Looks like the brewery is staying mum on the three different herbs that are added to this brew.

Rood is the first Brouwerij Het Anker offering that hasn't blown me away. Actually, Ambrio was merely good, whereas most of the rest of the lineup is world-class in all respects. This beer is supposed to be similar to Easter Beer. That one was great, so I'm not sure what's up with this one.

It might be the poorly buried alcohol or it might be one or more of the herbs. After several more mouthfuls... it's a combination of both. Whatever the cause, Rood has a disinfectant flavor that is just short of offputting. More age might have softened things somewhat, but it wouldn't have completely righted the ship.

Other flavors include ripe pears and apples swimming in Poire Williams and Calvados, white pepper, ground clove and lemon pith. Cardamom (not one of my favorites) is one guess for things that were actually added. The others... no clue. There's still a considerable amount of hop bitterness, which doesn't do the beer any favors given what else is going on.

Warming turns up flavor intensity even more and might smooth the alcohol and alpha acid edges just a tad. The body/mouthfeel is pure heaven and is easily the highlight. The beer expands like magic on contact and is immensely creamy. Why does generous carbonation only work well in Belgian beer?

The fact that Cuvee Van De Keizer Rood is a bit of a letdown speaks as much to my love affair with Brouwerij Het Anker as it does to this beer. Something is off here and I hope the brewery makes a few changes if they decide to release this ale again.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2009 21:41:45 | More by BuckeyeNation

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very strong in sweetness, spice, alcohol, and fruity esters- this Belgian Golden Ale is one bear of a beer.

The pour delivers a very effervescent champagne-like liveliness, forming a billowing and loosely-knit head that retains and laces quite well. Strong straw in color, the beer has a typical yeasty haze.

Spicy with white and black pepper, the aromas move quickly into sweeter honey-like aromas with strong peach, pear, and apple notes.

Flavors of strong sweetness takes on a very honey-ish taste. Combined with the fruity esters of apples, pears, mangos, and appricots, the sweetness seems amplified. Balanced by spicy pepper and alcohol flavors, the beer is big on both ends: sweet & spice.

Expansive and tingly up front because of the abundance of carbonation. But after the initial carbonation settles, the beer's sweetness coats the mouth, once again in a honey-like fashion. Finishing hot and prickly to the mouth, the beer's power leaves these lasting reminders as it attempts to dry in the end.

Similar to Delirium Tremens, Piraat, and Lucifer, the beer seems agressive and over bearing. Where big sweetness needs big spice to balance; I feel that there's too much conflict and not enough roundness to the balance to be more pleasurable.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 01:35:45 | More by BEERchitect

simonjohansson

Sweden

3.58/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

750 ml bottle. 2008.

Smell: yeast, different fruits (apricot, pears, mandarin, maybe some peaches as well), some kind of sweet candy, notes of almonds, spices. Nice belgian smell.

Taste: fruity - apricot, mandarin, pear - also some sweet malt, and spices (think I found some mint among them, otherwise they were hard to nail down), and some notes of almonds. Mouthfeel and body are nice, nothing to complain about there; however, there is a lot of alcohol in the taste, which was pretty disturbing.

Overall: nice belgian blonde with lots of flavors, but too much alcohol in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2008 18:11:39 | More by simonjohansson

womencantsail

California

3.58/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Lucky Baldwin's

A: The pour is a slightly cloudy golden straw color with a finger's worth of white head.

S: Plenty of sweet malts and floral notes in the nose. Slightly sweet citrus along with some yeast, alcohol, and pears.

T: Up front are plenty of sweet malts with a slightly floral and citrusy honey tone. Fruity pear and apple esters along with a fair amount of alcohol flavor.

M: The body is medium in nature with the usual plentiful carbonation.

D: Despite a rather pleasant malt and sugar base, this beer is somewhat "ruined" by the presence of the alcohol.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2010 18:32:25 | More by womencantsail

BMoney575

Michigan

3.6/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Sampled on 5-7-11
2008 Vintage

Pours a very cloudy and very cool pale orange color, with a huge, foamy white head that sits in a thick layer. Lacing covers the entire glass, and slowly slides down.

Smell is sweet, slightly aged, with lots of light and fruity hop character. The Belgian-ness is there, adding a nice complexity right at the end. There's a little sourness there too, if you look for it.

Taste is tart hops and alcohol, with the sweet malt helping to even things out. Very acidic, I'm having a hard time placing any specific flavors. The finish is very dry and decently bitter, leaving a mineral-y aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is on the thin side, which does nothing to help the slightly astringent flavors. Carbonation is high, and foams in your mouth.

Drinkability would be decent, but the mouthfeel kills any redeeming qualities.

Overall, I expected the age to have mellowed this beer more, but it didn't seem to help tame the hops and alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2011 20:55:49 | More by BMoney575

SaucyA

Michigan

3.65/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Served into a St. Feuillien globe. 2 fingers of frothy white foam, fed by tons of carbonation. Golden, ultra-carbonated body. Frothy lace.

S - Yeasty esters. Tons of flowers and spices. Slight hoppy spiciness. Belgian yeast and Belgian candied sugar.

T - Extremely unique. Sweet, and I mean *real* sweet. Alcohol comes and goes... sweet berries, strawberry, peaches, white pepper, candy sugar.

M - Crisp yet thick. Creamy yet sparkly. Nice.

D - Near-cloying sweetness and alcohol limit this a little more than my other fave BSPA's, but still relatively tasty.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2008 00:23:34 | More by SaucyA

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Gold with a white head, good retention & lacing.

S: Nice tropical fruitiness (pineapple, mango, papaya and hints of banana), light phenolic spicing & earthyness.

T: Nice tropical fruitiness, but the spicing comes through a little more in the flavour. A little earthiness from the yeast, sweet toffee is balanced by a decent hop bitterness. Alcohol is remarkably well-hidden.

M: Light residual sweetness, very smooth, carbonation is almost modest for the style.

D: A little sweet (not as 'digestive' as some Belgians), but a good drinker.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2010 01:32:46 | More by Derek

matt20102

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served into pilsner glass from champagne bottle at refrigerator temperature. Cork was extremely hard to remove. Pours with a very thick, creamy head which dissipates very slowly. Aroma is of malt and honey; flavor is of also of malt and honey but much more heavy on the honey sweetness- this is a very sweet beer. No appreciable alcohol or hop flavor- this could certainly benefit from another 10 - 15 IBU of bittering to balance the overwhelming (but not extremely malty) sweetness. The head is certainly long-lasting, especially for a 10% brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 22:31:21 | More by matt20102

Infamous7100

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: pours a hazy light yellow/gold a quick to fade, thin head. No lacing to speak of...nothing special.
S: fruit and spice are dominant. Apples and pears pair up with a sharp earthy spice..pepper? Yeast is a big player as well.
T: fruit and yeast are evident up front, very sweet. Some apples and citrus, maybe a some lemon. Toward the back, a pinch of hops break though and provide some slight bitterness. Spices are present there as well.
M: low to medium carbonation. This brew takes on a slighty creamy body as it sits. A very pleasant, dry, finish.
O: a good beer, this. Highly quaffable and the 10% ABV is barely noticeable. I would like a bit more balance on this. A bit more hops to balance the fruit. Nice brew though.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 23:07:09 | More by Infamous7100

Brabander

Netherlands

3.7/5  rDev -8%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got this beer in a trade with Apophis666 a week ago. Drank it with a buddy yesterday, together with the bleu one.

Poured this beer in my Struise glass and at fist look the fluid looked a bit cloudy but examining the glass more detailled we saw a lot of sediment floating around in the glass. That is strange because i always open my bottles carefully. That is why the apearance is not as it should be.

Smell is good, bready with some fuits behind it. Good taste, fresh and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 10:00:35 | More by Brabander