Gouden Carolus Ambrio - Brouwerij Het Anker

BretSikkink

Mexico

3.98/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Copper body, mostly clear but murky towards the top, where the super tight foam forms an initially nice cap that blooms after a minute. Aroma of fruit with a hint of spice, but so muffled by the cap it comes out rather clean.

Very nice flavor with notes of, shockingly, amber malts - spicy, nutty, pepper finish with a slight boozy heat. Sweet but not cloying, spiciness is under control, and attenuation is professional. Perfect sudsiness. Easy to drink but full enough in body.

I had this one a few years ago with no reviewing notes, so I'm glad I had a chance (in Mexico!) to enjoy another bottle. Not a pleasant import price here, but neither outrageous - and definitely worth it for the chance to drink the beer that every Mexican 'obscura' wishes it could be.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 02:14:09 | More by BretSikkink

Sludgeman

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +5%

05-24-2013 01:43:46 | More by Sludgeman

HollyHops

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

04-13-2013 02:57:10 | More by HollyHops

Janeinma

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

04-11-2013 01:46:18 | More by Janeinma

newton99

Belgium

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Look: the beer pours an amber color with a medium head.
Smell: Some malts, yeast, caramel and some fruits. All very faint.
Taste: Malts, caramel, hints of orange zest with a light spicy hoppy finish.
Mouthfeel: medium carbonation, medium bodied
Overall: very single dimensional

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 09:48:28 | More by newton99

huysmans

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

03-13-2013 11:16:48 | More by huysmans

AdrianMendez

Mexico

4.75/5  rDev +24.7%

03-11-2013 23:12:14 | More by AdrianMendez

Filosoof

Netherlands

4.3/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I don't like ambers, but this one is interesting. The looks are one of the best I have ever seen. Great, big top. Lovely light amber colour.

Last year I thought the smell is very one dimensional. But since the beer/cheese pairing in Het Anker I know better.

The taste is vanilla and toffee. Spicy. Great to be paired with spicy cheeses.
Nicely hopped. Faint taste of the great Blauwe Band. Round, nice finish.

Overall: fascinating, different amber.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 22:31:42 | More by Filosoof

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

330ml bottle - $4.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a foggy, dusky amber-brown body with a medium-tall, off-white head.

Smell: Bready, toasty malts with a sugary, sweet-scented element in there. Fruity touches of spiced golden raisins and baked apple. and faint, underlying basement quality to it.

Taste: As with the nose, it's bready and toasty malts sweetened up with a little nibble of brown sugar and rock candy. A little bit of sultana with skins-on orchard fruits (maybe even some strawberry as it warms and the suds die out). Modest spiciness, a touch of alcoholic warmth, faintest funk, and a hint of leather-flavored Chiclets all run together at the tail-end. Finishes quite effervescent -- prepare for loud, unstoppable burps, if you're in polite company.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Highly carbonation, quite spritely moving across the tongue.

Overall: Flavorful, pretty decent.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 00:13:36 | More by ChainGangGuy

marct

Nevada

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

02-12-2013 05:55:21 | More by marct

Kloug

Quebec (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +24.7%

02-07-2013 00:44:11 | More by Kloug

BILF

Israel

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

01-16-2013 19:13:37 | More by BILF

uturn

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

01-16-2013 02:25:50 | More by uturn

andthevolcano

Delaware

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%

01-14-2013 01:13:24 | More by andthevolcano

murraymj

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

01-12-2013 01:29:51 | More by murraymj

rhoadsrage

Illinois

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

1471 on bottle
(Served in a chalice)

A- This beer pours a slightly hazy garnet red body with a light beige head that is bubble with a gentle carbonation supporting it. The head sticks to the glass in a light film.

S- The woody oxidized aroma has a dry candy note and a vinous hint in the finish. There is a fruit punch ester note that comes through as the beer opens.

T- The dry flavor has some light toasted malt sweetness in the finish with candy sugar notes that turn more like cider as it opens. There is a woody finish with hints of wine tannins.

M- The medium-light mouthfeel has no alcohol heat and some tight light fizz in the finish.

O- This beer has a nice flavor and a bit of candy sugar grows but it seems like it is showing some oxidation and other signs of too much age.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 20:20:23 | More by rhoadsrage

KingSlayer

California

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

330ml bottle, expiration date due 2015. bought at a local supermarket. poured into a standard pint.

A: poured a caramel semi translucent ale. no head formed, no lacing, no visible carbonation.
S: banana bread, pear juice, vainilla, metallic.
T: metallic component initially assaults the buds, quickly subsides and reveals a sweetness to it, little hops present, bitterness accentuate a little bit towards the end. pear juice aftertaste, mildly alcoholic.
M: medium body, kind of smooth, strange tongue tingling sensation almost like spicy, totally FLAT.
O: palate and nose are OK, the thing that upset me was the complete absence of carbonation (hence no head). for me the mouthfeel was a comlplete let down. would this brew be properly carbonated and it will be great.

Maybe it was the sellers fault/misshandling/ shelf time/ etc.. will revisit again hoping to find that lost precious carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 19:01:30 | More by KingSlayer

cliff1066

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

12-27-2012 20:15:07 | More by cliff1066

grahamboudreaux

Tennessee

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

12-22-2012 06:56:27 | More by grahamboudreaux

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

3.85/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

330ml bottle served in a tulip glass.

A: Pours a deep and clear amber color forming a medium bubbled light yellow head. Good retention and lots of lacings formed and left in the glass

S: Caramel malts and flowery hops, mainly. Quite fruity and a bit spicy too. Notes if caramel malts, candy sugar, plums, brown bread, Belgian yeasts and grassy hops

T: Sweet malts upfront with notes of caramel and toffee which turns quickly into a citrus and grassy hops bitterness in the end. Good bitterness, BTW. Again, quite fruity with notes of dark fruits, plums mainly. Brown bread, Belgian yeasts and hops

M: Medium body and good carbonation. Molasses. Aftertaste is mainly made of a mix of sweet malts and bitter grassy hops. Classic Belgian bittersweet Ale

O: Good drinkability. In between a Belgian Strong Pale Ale and a Strong Dark Ale. Het Anker quality

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 12:07:32 | More by eduardolinhalis

GRUUMSH

Belgium

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

12-10-2012 08:33:47 | More by GRUUMSH

Proclarush

Rhode Island

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

11-30-2012 17:28:37 | More by Proclarush

sneaks2210

New York

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

11-16-2012 02:24:15 | More by sneaks2210

cfalovo97

Ontario (Canada)

1/5  rDev -73.8%

11-11-2012 01:19:03 | More by cfalovo97

n2185

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a slightly hazy copper with three fingers of beige head that recedes into a thin cap with a solid sheet of lacing.

S: Belgian spices with candy sugar, bubblegum, and sweet breads dominate the nose with a chalky yeast finish.

T: Light spice flavors up front with bubblegum and candy sugar. Sweet bready flavors follow with some subtle fruit notes and a yeasty finish.

M: Medium body with highish carbonation, this beer is a little heavier than I'd prefer, though still nicely attenuated.

O: A solid BSPA overall, though it is almost a BSDA or dubbel. It's a little on the simple side with the yeast dominating the aroma and flavor (despite being carefully decanted), but still enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 04:33:55 | More by n2185