Cuvée Van De Keizer Blauw (Blue) - Brouwerij Het Anker

BeerBelcher

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Huh, I'm actually a little surprised to see this beer rated so highly on this site. I thought it to be good, but not exceptional. Part of that opinion is no doubt due to my flavor prejudices where I value hoppiness, sourness, and roastiness; predilections no doubt shared by many members of this site (an opinion backed by the majority of beers in the top-100). This beer doesn't really have those flavors, yet here it is.

Appearance is brown, cloudy, and a little on the flat side (little head). Aroma is very malty: my schnoz detected caramel, spice, wine-like notes, and a certain booziness. There was also a sugary sweetness in the smell. Flavor was also caramel-y and spicey (and boozy), but that sugary sweetness in the nose became a butterscotch taste in the mouth. I also got some floral tastes. Well, I'll give it this - it is complex (there's a lot in there to enjoy). Mouthfeel wasn't flat (as I remember it).

I would recommend this beer. SurlySober brought this over to my house for a tasting with Flyer. We had Beatification, Allagash Black, Westvleteren 8 and Westvleteren 12 before this beer, so maybe it was just upstaged and I might have thought it exceptional on any other night.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2009 02:26:35 | More by BeerBelcher

mbrasi

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Vintage 2007 drank 9/11/9. Cork pops off nicely and aromas of dark fruit and yeast fill the air. Pouring brings out some sweet carmalized malt and bannana. Pours brownish-red with a head that dissipates fast to an off white lace around the glass. Flavor is sweet, there is some bannana that hits you up front and a nice caramel and fig finish. A little alcohol burn in the finish but not too bad for a big beer. Mouthfeel is oily with low carbonation. Overall this brew hits you with strong fruit flavors and a shot of alcohol in the finish. This brew had 2 years on it, I think it can go easily 2-4 more years possibly up to 10 years.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2009 01:18:37 | More by mbrasi

themind

New Jersey

3.64/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Ok this is a well crafted beer. Has a slight kinda sour aspect to it and had a broad flavor profile. I really cant narrow it down, almost slightly sweet. Has very good carbonation and the taste is good. It's very different, then again I just drank an Everett which was Legendary. All in all this is a good beer and worth drinking.

Bottom Line: Well made beer!

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 00:26:53 | More by themind

WTexas

New Mexico

3.65/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Jaargang 2008 served from a 750ml bottle into chalice.

Poured a medium mahogany color with an insubstantial light tan head, though it did retain some nice lacing. Initially smelled of figs and currants though later I detected a woody scent. Easy to drink with little to no alcohol detected despite the advertised 11% abv. Taste was on the thin side -- not a lot of complexity while in the mouth or after swallowing. Easy on the pallet but harder on the wallet.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2009 23:55:06 | More by WTexas

UpToMeBeer

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this on tap at Choice City Butcher in Fort Collins.
A: Copper-brownish with a thin sudsy head featuring many many tight bubbles. Lots of lacing.
S: Fig and dark candied fruits.
T: Light and sweet. A bit of booze that's muted by the sweetness. Subtle fruits.
MF: Moderate carbonation. Pleasant and gentle. Underwhelming. Lacked body.
O: Decent. Given the ABV, I was expecting more intensity or something more pronounced in the flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2012 23:29:57 | More by UpToMeBeer

nickfl

Florida

3.65/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours with one finger of light tan foam on top of a dark brown body with good clarity. The head settles slowly and leaves nice lace.

S - Dark, malty notes of brown sugar and caramel with some plum, dark cherry and cola notes.

T - Dark brown sugar up front with lots of malt sweetness. Some spicy notes of coriander, cinnamon, and caramel dipped red apple. Finishes with more brown sugar, clove, and cinnamon.

M - Medium-thick body, moderate carbonation, and a sweet finish.

D - Dense, sugary malt with lots of yeast character but an excessively sweet finish. Oddly cloying for a beer that I remember being much dryer and more balanced the last time I had it. Not a drain pour but a bit of a disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 02:40:40 | More by nickfl

quasimoto

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - It poured a nice deep clear copper color with an off white head that laces nicely.

S - I dont know if this bottle is a little bit old or what but i'll review it anyways. I get strong aromas of plum, brown sugar, some honey, maybe alittle orange, and definitley the sweet malts.

T - All of the above, but turns to a slight vinous flavor and complex chocolate and malts.

M - smooth but a little bit over carbinated, the bitterness brings up the rear.

D- If this bottle is old...then let me drink it all the time.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2006 00:27:13 | More by quasimoto

KyleVick4

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Decent lacing with a clear clarity, good head.

S: Smells extremly sweet. Liquorice and molasses etc. A bit of alcohol present.

T: Very sweet as expected, with hints of bananna and fruit. Raisin and maybe fig. Not bad but not great.

M: Lots of carbonation which is ok for this style, yet still pretty chewy which is what I personally like.

D: Im a fan of it, nothing special nothing uperb but a good overall beer which I may buy again.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2007 02:49:38 | More by KyleVick4

amphion1065

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle from 2010, served in a Duvel tulip.

Pours a very dark shade of plum, almost like eggplant. A one-finger light tan head made of medium bubbles lasts for some time. Very nice lacing.

Huge, unmistakable aroma of butterscotch from this beer. It's quite similar to smelling a whole bowl of Werther's Originals. Caramel and vanilla abound. Some familiar dark fruit smells underneath, but they are a comparatively minor aspect of the aroma.

The taste, at first, follows closely on the smell. Big and very pure butterscotch and vanilla notes up front, with plums and figs in the finish. Saccharine sweet, with a lingering taste of brown sugar. However, unlike the aroma, there is a very noticeable alcohol kick - perhaps not one befitting an 11% ABV beer, but it's present. Taken in totality, the flavor approximates that of a scotch ale.

Mouthfeel is a touch too thin for me, though I enjoy the low level of carbonation. I think a wee De Molen-sized bottle of this would be ideal.

A unique take on the style, though not one I'm particularly crazy about. It seems a little over-the-top, a little out of control for me - I would be interested in trying an older bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 01:51:16 | More by amphion1065

Dope

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

No exact date listed, just says 2010 on the neck of the bottle. So at least 2 years old.

A: Pours a very dark reddish-amber. Big dense tan head. Fades at a moderate pace, nice island of foam remains behind. Tufts of lacing left behind as well.

S: Strong dark fruits. Raisin and cherry are heaviest for sure. Rich caramel in there as well. Very sweet in general.

T: Tons of rich dark fruit up front. Again, raisin and cherry are strongest. Some grape in there too perhaps? Touch of cocoa. There is a strong sweet presence in the middle and in the finish that I can't quite place. Almost tastes like molasses, honey and wine mixed together. Sickly sweet and cloying. Some breadiness in there too.

M: Heavy, heavy, heavy. Very sweet.

O: Very unique BSDA. I have a hard time deciding if I like it or not. Loaded with fruits but has a certain odd tart wine-like aspect that I'm not a fan of. Very complex, yes. But tasty and enjoyable? Not so sure about that one.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 05:53:40 | More by Dope

thetomG

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2009 vintage...

Pours a very nice murky dark brown with some lovely tan foam that leaves lacing around the glass.

Aroma is good but quite mild compared to the HUGE flavors coming out of this one... massive notes of funky yeast, dark fruits, and alcohol.

Seems well carbonated with just a nice slightly syrupy coating in the mouth. It is a very flavorful beer, and I'm glad I tried it but not sure I'd seek it out again - the funky taste and alcohol flavors that come through just don't really float my boat.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2010 14:05:58 | More by thetomG

atigerlife

Hawaii

3.73/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown with reddish highlights. Small light brown head that has decent lasting power.

Aroma is malty with sweet toffee and raisins.

Taste is of dark malts, raisins, toffee and alcohol. Strong flavor...not subtle.

Mouthfeel is smooth and medium+ bodied.

Overall, a good brew. Nice sipper after dinner.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2008 04:11:22 | More by atigerlife

portia99

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

750ml bottle (2009 vintage) poured into a Duvel tulip glass.

A - A careful pour yields a muddy brown color with a very thin skim coat of foam that never really goes away. No real lacing on the sides of the glass.

S - Very fruity in the nose with tons of Belgian yeast character. Heavy on bubblegum and banana esters, raisins, light caramel and some buttery diacetyl.

T - Flavor follows the aroma pretty well - intense and complex. Bubblegum, banana, raisins, more caramel than in the aroma and a lot more buttery diacetyl. Additional complexity with some straight up, sweet and sugary malt (too much?), alcohol and some light breadiness. Very much a liquid candy bar.

M - Pretty full bodied beer. Carbonation is medium and extremely creamy. Some light alcohol warmth. Very sweet overall.

D - Not an especially easy drinker. All of the flavors are on the intense side, alcohol is noticeable, diacetyl is high and a bit distracting (but I am especially sensitive to diacetyl). Came in really wanting to like this beer, I do - but not nearly as much as I wanted to.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2010 00:03:37 | More by portia99

Rastacouere

Quebec (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3

Chimay chalice, close to room temp From a ruby brown body mounted with a fully diminishing big light brown head emanes a powerful sweet aroma. Ultra-sweet in fact, full of red licorice flavours, almost too much for its own good, but decadent nevertheless. Quite spicy as well as you'd expect from a belgian grand cru (herbal thyme and sage), lots of fruits (orange, lemon peel). Just a big malty nose altogether with restrained dusty yeastiness. As it warms, it acquires a powdery chocolate feel as well. In mouth, it's still very sweet, with more alcohol than I expected, vious candi sugar. Lots of malty flavours to decorticate: mint, grapes, orange with floral qualities... Aftertaste is long and made me think of a banana split with touches of alcohol and licorice. A complex beer, definitely a sipper with this big medium-thick body and a low carbonation level. A dessert by itself.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2004 21:26:29 | More by Rastacouere

stcules

Italy

3.75/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

My bottle is 8.5 ABV, not 11.

Beautiful dark mahogany hue, with ruby reflexes. Beautiful foam, creamy, brownish color, compact, sticking. And persitent.
The smell is sweet, velvety, with marzipan, yeast, breadcrust. A good velvety/alcoholic, typical of the Het Anker beers.
At the taste is very soft, with the same velvety /alcoholic notes, and a lot of marzipan again. And a good sweet and soft peaches velvet.
It has an effect of roundiness, that mitigates the alcohol, still present, but not too bothering. Full, soft. Even notes of cocoa and hazelnut.
Then red fruits, more evident in the aftertaste, where there are again the marzipan and cocoa notes. And, overall, the velvety/alcoholic character. Maybe, in the end, a little too alcoholic.
Medium-high body.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2005 13:58:51 | More by stcules

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

This is the 2008 Jaargang versions of Gouden Carolus. This one has 10% ABV.

Very thick bright white head. Settles on the glass leaving a large dollop of froth in the glass center. Fluffy and spotty lace. Clear and very light color of straw.

Fresh and crisp aroma. More malt than anything else. Lots of tropical spice (bitter orange zest, anise, ginger). Some alcohol warmth.

Very potent flavor--lots of alcohol to the sip. Almost seems like a lowland malt scotch. The body is so surprising--the liquor coats the tongue. Some cream in the swallow and aftertaste. Definitely a Belgian.

This is a strong beer with strong flavors. It's great as an extreme beer but I couldn't regularly drink it.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2008 19:11:48 | More by smcolw

dumontm

Alberta (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I have had the 2006 only, and have had it in goblet and tulip glasses. It pours nicely with a nice head but it eventually thins out. Someone told me they think it needs to age a little more and I tend to agree. It doesn't come across as smooth, just sharp, although as it warms, the flavors tend to round out. I still enjoy the taste and it feels like it has potential. I've put a bottle away.

UPDATE 18MAR12: I forgot I reviewed this. I had an aged version of this beer last year and wow, did the flavors ever come together nicely. It rounded out to be a very smooth and rich tasting beer, from what I recall.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2008 00:29:42 | More by dumontm

Arbitrator

California

3.75/5  rDev -13%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Chilled bomber into a glass. Purchased at Perry's in Livermore.

A: Poured an opaque mahogany color with ruby / orange highlights when held to a lamp. I dumped it into a 1L mug, and the off-white head was literally half the mug with even a careful pouring technique. Took 10+ minutes to recede into a drinkable half-fingers' worth of head, which remained steady throughout the drink. Left substantial lacing down the glass. Unbeatable appearance.

S: Bananas, cloves and other Belgian spices upon the pop. The brew itself gave off more and more green apple (acetaldehyde) as it warmed, with raisins, brown sugar, and a little candy yeast rounding it out. Noticeable fusel sting that really detracts from the aroma.

T: An initially sweet taste of banana, raisin, and brown sugar. The mid-taste gave way to candy yeast and sour green apple, with the end taste largely a combination of cloves and spice. The finish was very sweet, and it lingered, but the aftertaste eventually become one of grassy hops and a little alcohol heat (particularly fusel burn).

M: Medium-to-full-bodied, with medium carbonation despite the active head. Does a lot for the style. The alcohol is not well-masked, and it stings the mouth and nose a bit.

D: Decent. I feel there are other Belgian and Belgian-style ales available in this flavor profile for a cheaper price and more regular attainability. I don't doubt the quality of this beer but I don't think it's worth waiting a year for. Also, despite proper hydration and eating with this beer, I had a headache the next morning -- and it was the only thing I drank. I blame the fusel, but who knows...

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2009 07:31:20 | More by Arbitrator

snaotheus

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2008 750ml corked bottle into a pair of pint glasses.

Pours a reddish brown, medium head, good lacing, little visible carbonation. No visible sediment, very slightly cloudy.

Smells sweet and musty, mostly cherry and a very tiny bit of banana.

Taste is dominantly sweet and syrupy with a lot of cherry, strong sour aftertaste with some bitterness.

Mouthfeel is thick, dense, syrupy, and sticky. Feels fizzy and effervescent (which is surprising, since I can't see any carbonation).

Too strong and too sweet to be terribly drinkable to me, but still a good beer. Maybe it need to breathe or warm up a little, or maybe it needed to spend some time in the cellar, I'm not sure.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2009 01:31:55 | More by snaotheus

mntlover

Tennessee

3.75/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a almost clear brown, dark but almost no head to speak of on either pour for me.

Aroma is the highlight of this beer big sweet candy sugars dancing with plums, liquorish and cherries. Very inviting aroma on this one.

Taste is lots of candy sugars, malty, fruity sugars defiantly linger on your tongue. Flavors linger for a while then the cherries come out and turn tart. Finish is lingering sugary malt and tart cherries. Also notes of liquorish, yeasts and light minty hops.

Mouthfeel is a big medium with nice medium carbonation, which is nice as too many of these brews are over carbonated.

Drinkability is ok not great but not really bad either.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2009 17:49:04 | More by mntlover

HeyItsChili

China

3.75/5  rDev -13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - 2009 bottle poured into a chalice. Pours a brilliant reddish brown with heavy amber highlights and a velvety khaki head that sticks around a long while.

S - Overwhelmingly sweet. Brown sugar dominates with some faint dark fruits, malt, and other assorted nasal curios. Sort of mild earthy yeast aroma like in a lot of other strong Belgian beers.

T - Again, quite sweet. Lingering alcohol flavor on the tongue. Just a little bit of raisiny flavor. Dark brown sugar.

M - Waterier than I expected. Mouthfeel usually isn't a huge issue for me but this detracts just a bit from the overall quality.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2010 09:17:50 | More by HeyItsChili

WeisGuy

New York

3.78/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

2006 vintage

a - pours a deep chestnut brown, one-finger off-white head with decent retention for a high abv beer, slight lacing

s - caramelly maltiness dominates the nose, slight nuttiness, some booze

t - much like the nose, dominated by big caramelly malt flavors, I'll echo other reviewers' mention of rum soaked raisins, dark fruits, lingering sweetness on the finish with slight alcohol burn

m - lots of carbonation, medium-bodied, warming from the alcohol

d - not overly drinkable, one 750ml is enough for me, a bit too sweet and obviously too hight abv to drink this one all night

Nice Belgian brew overall. Not my favorite style, but I appreciated this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2007 00:34:57 | More by WeisGuy

DPFRD

Arizona

3.78/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750 ml, poured into chimay chalice.

A- Dark and ominous... just what I want. Coffee hued head that dissapates quickly.

S- Sweet, with some biscuit. Toffee, Rasin, Booze.

T- Sweetness and Alcohol dominate on this for me... It seem like they hit first, with some raisin and other spices peering through. Very complex, reminds of a port.

M- Full bodied, kind of syrupy imo.

D- Very fine brew. Very strong flavor wise and booze wise, so it isn't the best session selection. I'd drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 08:35:27 | More by DPFRD

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured out as a brownish red color in the light. The head was fluffy and light tan in color. The smell of the beer is slightly sweet, lots of Belgian yeast and dark malt aromas in this one. The taste of the beer gets better as it warms up, it had some really nice spices in there that mixed well with the malts. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and had a pretty good amount of carbonation to it. Overall it's a pretty good Belgian brew, not much to complain about here.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 03:28:59 | More by Knapp85

rajendra82

Georgia

3.8/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I picked up this 2004 vintage corked and caged bomber from Bullock’s in Marietta. Although great care was exercised in not shaking the bottle during the uncaging and uncorking ceremony, I still found a gusher in my hand that lost about an ounce of liquid on the desktop. I had never seen a beer form a head in the bottle before this one. The body was deep burgundy in color and after the initial rush of carbonation; there was little head to speak of. The beer looked cloudy in the wine glass, while little light coming through. The bouquet was rich and layered with aromas of fig, plum, raisin, toffee, chocolate, and maple. The malt also presented itself on the tongue as a sweet and warm taste reminiscent of port wine. Alcohol was not as well hidden as I though it would be, with distinct warmth that was pleasing. Not much to counter the sweetness, as there was hardly any hop presence. The beer was smooth and slippery on the palette with a prickly, peppery, and alcoholic aftertaste. Two years of aging was not enough, as the rough edges were still a little grating. Can do better with eight more years I think.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2006 04:11:47 | More by rajendra82