Gulden Draak (Dark Triple) - Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.

jpro

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

11.2oz bottle poured into a Chimay glass...

A: Ruby-tinged amber, with about a half finger of fizzy almond head; a steady stream of bubbles rises up through the murkiness to support a creamy layer of foam; no lace on this 10.5% ale.

S: Dark fruits with some touches of alcohol; figs; molasses; toast; notes of toffee. A lot of interesting nuances in the aroma.

T: Interesting flavors, right off the first sip: raisin, a touch tangy / vinous; quite sweet with some alcohol towards the end.

M: Full bodied; high, tingly carbonation; very lively; a touch of alcohol heat.

O: An interesting beer; glad I tried it; very smooth and drinkable at 10.5%.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2013 23:13:53 | More by jpro

ThePaintedGrey

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

11.2oz bottle poured into tulip glass.

A: Dark and lovely. Almost like a milk chocolaty hue of brown, with hints of ruby red shining through as it's held to the light. Huge frothy head, three-fingers in size at first, beige in color, sits atop this looker of a beer. Head eventually dwindles down to about one finger in size. Retains at this size for the remainder. Beige lacing remains all down the glass.

S: Dark fruits apparent immediately. Maybe raisin or plum. Chocolaty sweetness. Hints of toffee and spice underneath. Alcohol faintly tingles in the back of the nostrils upon second or third sniff. Not surprising, given the alcohol content.

T: Beer was a tad too cold upon first sip, but a lovely sweet chocolate character hits the palette for me right away. As I let the beer sit (this one is a sipper for sure) to warm up a hair, more complex notes start to shine through. The sweet Belgian candy flavors start to mix with the peppery alcohol. This beer has a very (gourmet) dessert-like flavor profile.

M: Full-bodied, the creaminess of the head mixed in give this beer an almost syrupy feel. Mild carbonation throughout. Devastatingly smooth for a beer with 10.50% ABV.

O: While this beer is certainly a treat on occasion, there's just something about it that left me overall yearning for more. Maybe it was the hype surrounding it that clouded my judgment? Nevertheless, this beer is a nice change of pace compared to my usual choices. Complexly flavored, full-bodied, smooth brew, and kind of dangerous because it doesn't drink like a strong ale. It's just not something I'd write home about; it straddles the line between good and exceptional, but falls more along the lines of good.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2013 18:28:00 | More by ThePaintedGrey

djura

Serbia

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got it in Hungary.

A - Tick creamy brown foam,lasting all the way. Medium carbonation with caramel color.

S - Not so strong aromas of dark chocolate malt,yeast and caramel.

T/M - Creamy well balanced beer. Dark fruits,toffee,dark malts. Warm with bitter sweet aftertaste.

O - One of the best i ever had. Almost same as similar Abbey ales. This one is really special good beer!

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 13:22:07 | More by djura

notchucknorris

California

4.23/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a deep chestnut color with a one finger foamy tan head. Settles to a nice foamy cap over the beer.

S: Lots of fruity dark malt flavors throughout. Light bubblegum, caramel, marshmallow, light red grape and some Belgian yeast.

T: Lots of rich malty sweetness. A touch of booze upfront with some grape nuts, raisin, some faint earthy hops, Belgian yeast and some breadiness on the finish. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2013 21:14:01 | More by notchucknorris

TeamMathis

West Virginia

4.61/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Brown. Maybe a very dark caramel. A nice lace of head.
Smell: Honey, butter, malt, and maybe some fruit.
Taste: Sweet, peppery, alcohol, and malt.
Mouthfeel: Full big body and moderate carbonation.

I love this brew. It is very malty, and somewhat intense...however in excellent ways. The sweetness and pepperiness combine to give this an all around excellent drink with an alcohol intensity that doesn't give that cheap vodka aftertaste. This is a must get.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 02:49:23 | More by TeamMathis

soju6

Missouri

4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a dark mahogany color with a big creamy head that fades slowly to good lacing.

S: Aroma of roasted malt, dark fruit, spice, bit of caramel sweetness, with a hint of alcohol.

T: Taste of roasted malt, a mild caramel sweetness. Mild bitterness and a clean finish with just a bit of lingering spice.

F: Medium body, smooth and creamy. Very good balance. Has a warming feeling.

O: Very enjoyable beer. Worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2013 00:24:50 | More by soju6

Falcon91Wolvrn03

California

4.51/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Appearance – Pours a clear dark brown red color. Has a huge head that sticks around a long time, and lots of lacing.

Smell – A sweet malty alcohol scent. With a little spice.

Taste – A slightly spicy very malty flavor. Kind of simple, but very tasty.

Mouthfeel – Super smooth and creamy, with good carbonation. Super easy drinking for 10.5% abv.

Drinkability – To me, this beer was much better than expected based on its rating. I really enjoyed this, and will look for it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2013 04:58:23 | More by Falcon91Wolvrn03

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured a big two and half fingers of head on a deep red/amber colored body.
The aroma is nice: like a beer candy store. Malt, barnyard and lemon drops.
The flavor profile is over the top. It starts slow with a touch of malt sweetness, into a crescendo of candy and lemon bitterness, and then falling down with a mild bitter bite. Fairly complex.
A bit of fizziness plays into the middle in the best way. The texture is a little syrupy.
Amazing.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 05:11:53 | More by Fatehunter

Blindpigbiz

California

3.83/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Smell: clean spring water

Taste: bitter hops with a rich, herbal, malty sweetness that carries throughout; subtle toasted walnuts pervade during each sip

This is one of the funkiest tripels Belgium has produced. Normally tripels have either a clementine, orange, or at least another citrus fruit within the flavor of the beer, but with the golden dragon not a one. This beer caught me off guard and I'm down to try it soon. By the way, This beer goes very well with an Italian sub with heavy mayo and oil

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 06:47:09 | More by Blindpigbiz

DIM

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a: This was a clear, dark coppery amber color. It poured with a massive, uneven, airy head that faded to large lumps of lace. The head never did fully dissipate even though I left the beer alone for twenty minutes.

s: Lots of candi sugar and some caramel with hints of dark fruit, apple, and gentle, well incorporated alcohol. There is something else kind of soft and earthy that I can't find a word for.

t: This does indeed taste like a dark tripel. Very sweet throughout without being heavy or cloying. Candi sugar from start to finish that does have a "darker" caramel note to it. Dark fruit up front getting faintly boozy toward the middle with a bit of earthy tart... something at the end. I'm not doing this one justice damn it.

m: Very soft, active carbonation. Seems to float over the tongue.

o: Just a wonderfully unique beer. I'm glad I finally got around to trying this classic.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 01:14:11 | More by DIM

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.16/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a murky red/brown with one full finger of light khaki colored head. The foam settle pretty quickly, leaving a ring of tiny bubbles along the edges of the glass. There is very little lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is very interesting. I get malt, spice, banana, berries, cherries, apples, yeast, and alcohol. I even get a touch of cider vinegar in there as well.

T: It starts out sweet and syrupy with a good helping of malt, spice, bananas and yeast. Yup. All that right up front. As the beer moves to the middle I get a bit of apple essence and maybe a touch of red cherries. As it moves to the back I get more spice, some big carbonation, and a bunch of booze.

M: Full bodied beer. This is a sipper for sure. It's sweet and sticky, but the carbonation lightens it up a bit. The flavors swirl and coat the palate. Big boozy kick in the back end. Finishes sticky and spicy.

O: This beer is decent. It's not an easy drinking brew, but the flavors are fun to pick out. I don't know if I'd return to this beer in the future, but I'm happy to have tasted it.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 19:31:30 | More by trxxpaxxs

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

3.88/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Gulden Draak pours a dark brownish color, with a nice large and lacing head. There is a sweet and slightly sour aroma. The taste has a profound sweetness and a slight sourness. Good full flavor, and nice to drink. Overall a very good solid beer, there is a nice fruitiness that is similar to a nice wine.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 04:24:34 | More by vette2006c5r

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.24/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into a snifter

Appearance- The beer pours from the bottle as a dark brown colored brew with ruby highlights shining through the body when held up to the light. Upon pouring there is a thick and billowy cream colored head with a great level of retention. Over time the head slowly fades leaving a nice level of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell- The aroma is big of dark fruits of prune, raisin, and cherry mixed with a nice brown bready malt aromas. These two smells are complimented with some other sweet smells of caramel and toffee as well as some aromas of a boozy spiced rummy aroma.

Taste – The taste begins with a big shot of the dark fruit that was detected in the nose. Cherry, raisin, and date are all present upfront, mixing with a malty flavor as well as more sweet flavors of a buttery toffee and caramel. At this point the brew is quite sweet , with the flavors then joined by a moderately strong boozy flavor. This alcohol flavor grows stronger and stronger as the flavor advances taking on more rum like characteristics as the taste moves toward the end. With a yeasty and Belgian spice flavor joining the group of tastes late in the game a warming and moderately sweet dark spiced fruit taste is left on the tongue.

Mouthfeel-The body of the brew is on the thick and creamier side with a carbonation level that is rather high overall. The thickness, mixed with the alcohol flavors make for the nice warming quality of the beer, while the carbonation actually helped keep it on the more drinkable and exciting side and complimented nicely the fruit flavors of the brew.

Overall – Strong dark fruit flavors with a good balance in warming boozy flavors, yeasty flavors and spice. A nice slow sipping Belgian strong dark,; great for a relaxing evening on a cool night.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 07:59:09 | More by Darkmagus82

dar482

New York

4.64/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

This comes in a dark brown and ruby color.

The aroma has big cherry, plum, prune, and brown sugar.

The taste is spot on for a Belgian Dark Strong. The cherry pop reminds me a bit of Three Philosophers. It has good dark fruit flavors and then brown sugar, wonderful mouthfeel and middle, and then a kind dry finish.

Compared to my favorite, Trois Pistoles, it really does lack in the champagne carbonation. However, it's dangerously drinkable with its 10.5% ABV. What lovely and complex full flavors this beer has.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2013 03:02:59 | More by dar482

barczar

Kentucky

4.26/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Pours a hazy deep brown with a frothy, pillowy, 2 and a half inch light tan head that slowly dissipates, leaving sticky lacing.

Burnt caramel, pineapple, pear, and rich treacle form the initial aroma. The fruity esters cut the rich malt character perfectly. It's almost buttery. Boozy notes of prunes, dates, and raisins surface as it warms.

Dark fruit character is initially evident, fading to lightly toasted malt, which becomes sweet with a molasses character, eventually drying slightly in the finish. Dark cherries accompany a base of prunes and raisins, adding complexity. Sweeter notes of dates and figs balance the malt character well mid palate. Pineapple and tangerine emerge late. The finish is a little flat.

Body is smooth and fairly thick, but too light to be syrupy. Carbonation is fairly low, and alcohol warmth is present, but doesn't overwhelm.

Delicious beer. Think the aroma trumps the flavor. But highly complex malt and yeast esters. A little too sweet mid palate, and the finish is somewhat of a disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 01:04:17 | More by barczar

jonb5

United Kingdom (England)

4.08/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

330ml bottle, poured into large tulip shaped wine glass.

A: Dark ruby, taned head, great retention + lacing, looked thick rather than hazy or opaque.

S: Malt, rasperry, molasses.

T: Malt, plum, biscuit, brown sugar, earthy molasses. Burn from the booze comes at the finish.

M: Smooth, body is medium to slighty thick, coarse edge from the booze burn.

O: I think this would benefit from being aged, missing the wow factor but still very good.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 14:25:24 | More by jonb5

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.66/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Gulden Draak has a thin, off-white, root-beer head, and a very hazy, medium-brown, highly bubbly appearance, with innumerable tan chunks floating throughout. There is some thin lacing left behind. The aroma is sweet, of dark, over-ripe fruit, brown bread, and a bit of spice. Taste is similar, with added caramel, toffee, and even a shade of metallic. Mouthfeel is medium to heavy, and Gulden Draak finishes semi-dry, highly bubbly, and not undrinkable. Overall, this is at least a most excellent beer, and I recommend it in the strongest terms.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 15:48:59 | More by RonaldTheriot

gc0801

New York

3.19/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.25

Had: 2 months ago, from notes
Serving type: Bottle, interesting shape/design/texture, certainly unique. Bottle was on on sale for 8.00, usually is 10-12 or so.
Poured into a regular glass.

Appearance: Pours a deep dark color, petrol dark+some brown, legs of alcohol down the glass. Nothing much to say here. I like the color/legs of Strong belgian beers (and really, who does not?)

Smell: feint alcoholic burn, dark fruits, caramel, smells like a heavy beer

Taste
The alcohol burn is much more felt here. Overpowering sweetness and harshness due to the alcohol burn. Dark fruits and caramel still comes through. Actually tastes good but the high burn level prevents much enjoyment sadly. It becomes more enjoyable after the first few sips however curiously.

Mouthfeel
Too much of an alcohol burn to really feel much else, not that enjoyable compared to the taste.

Overall
It is hard to say whether I like this or not. I enjoy the taste but the alcohol is just way too overpowering.. It is simply too strong to be a SDA but somehow it does not have the balance of what I usually see from a Quad. Has some of the bad qualities of both as well as well as most of the good qualities. Would prefer there to be slightly less alcohol. Simply too much burn.
If the alcohol was half-way hidden, this would get a 3.5-4 easily, if it was fully hidden (as beautifully as some other Strong Dark Ales/Dubs/Quads/ I have had) 4-4.5 or higher, easily.

2.75

Edit:
Retried it to give it as second chance. Sipped it slowly and had it in a proper glass. A bit more balanced now. going up to 3.25

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 08:49:16 | More by gc0801

ksimons

New York

4.21/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A-dark chestnut with ruby highlights and a massive amount of head that slowly disappears and sticks to the glass

S-dark caramel malt, dark fruit (plums, cherries, raisins), light chocolate and molasses

T-lots of dark fruit, malt, brown sugar, yeasty spice, and a very light amount of hops

M-medium body, medium carbonation,

Overall this is really tasty, maybe a tad too sweet, but overall a beer that I would have again and again

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 22:11:48 | More by ksimons

Roman5150

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Very unique white bottle

Appearance: Dark mocha blackish brown, with 2 finger white head.

Smells: Like a trappist trippel, but with some more sweetness. raisins, plums, coriander notes, and dark figs.

Taste: Reminds me of the sweetness of a Chimay Blue, tastes pretty close to a Rochefort 8 in terms of flavor complexity and dark fruits. Very malty. This is a well balanced trippel, even though it has the ABV of a quad. For a 10% beer, the alcohol is pleasantly disguised. You actually can't taste it at all, although you can tell it's there due to the warmth in your throat. This is a damn good beer. The more it warms up, i'm enjoying it even more, the flavors really come out.

Mouthfeel: Amazing! Good amounts of carbonation and the sweetness just attacks your tastebuds.

Overall: Will buy when I see it, this is a damn good belgian. World class...

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 00:29:04 | More by Roman5150

KYGunner

Kentucky

4.3/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

The appearance would include the most gorgeous bottle I've ever seen. For the ale it's a very well presented brown to dark amber with loads of carbonation that stacks as high as you want to pour it. The bubbly head sits on top as a frothy mass.

Wine like qualities hit the nose with a soft alcohol aroma. Grape, must, prune, date and vinegar-like aromas hit the nose in a supremely well blended scent.

The taste has a lot of vinous grape, must and sweetness. I don't get as much fruit as I got in the scent but this is very well constructed and just good to drink.

The feel is very airy, which makes sense as there's loads of carbonation but it gives a real champagne like feel. The throat and chest are filled with air which descends to the stomach, begging you to drink slowly.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 22:44:17 | More by KYGunner

Chrysostom

Ohio

4.49/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

As always, I review live, not from notes, puzzling out the libation brewed in houses of salvation. As always, I review to style (ala BJCP), modified by personal taste (contra BJCP), not solely to personal taste, which would be unfair to many great examples of styles that I don't personally favour.

I'm re-reviewing this beer. I had it first out of a small bottle and did a "quick rating" of 3.75 - it was drinkable, and even good, but I wasn't impressed.

Called a "Dark Triple" by the brewers, this is more of a unique Quadrupel.

Presentation: 750mL corked and caged bottle, $11.99, covered in a white plastic coating, making it opaque. Poured in to a Chimay chalice/goblet at around 45ºF, warming as I write.

A: A cloudy, but still translucent-to-nearly-transparent around the edges, dark nut brown colour with strong highlights of some shade of muddy red. On a gentle pour, one finger of head is left, which recedes slowly to an almost-cap upon the face of the beer and a ring around its edges. Lacing nonexistent.

S: The nose is dominated by fruits and esters, with a strong malt presence and sweet odor. There's some elusive caramelized sugar and toffee in there, too. There is no detectable alcohol in the nose at any temperature - it blends that well with the other smells. The fruits aren't the standard Belgian Strong Dark dark fruits - they're more citric. As it warms, a mild Belgian funk and equally-mild spice become noticeable in the nose. Not extremely complex smelling, but appetizing and inviting.

T: Malts, brown malts, roasted malts - lots of malts, did I say? - fresh red grapes, raisins, plums and prunes, a slight, typically Belgian spiciness, with a mild solventy or spicy alcoholic taste on the finish, which actually adds to and completes the flavour, instead of detracting from it as it can so often do. A thread of moderate, but far from cloying or unappetizing, sweetness runs through the beer from start to finish, as is typical in true Belgian Darks but so often devolves in to overly-sweet, unbalanced cloyingness in American "replicas" of the style. The sweetness runs, melds, interchanges and combines with a bready dryness which also runneth from stem to stern. A little warming alcohol on the finish intertwines with the omnipresent exchange and interplay of fruity sweetness and bready dryness. Excellent.

M: The carbonation is loose and light-feeling. This drink is reminiscent of St Bernardus Abbot 12 - the best beer in the world, and the only that I have ever rated perfect 5s down the line - but is a bit thinner in mouthfeel. The loose, bouncy, spritzy carbonation doesn't allow the flavours to pull together as well as they could. It's still excellent.

D: High.

O: I'm blown out of the water by the differences between the first small bottle I had and this large one, for whatever reason (freshness? etc.). A worthy Belgian Strong Dark/Quadrupel, an excellent example of the style, well-deserving of the reputation it has built up. 4.5s down the line here, and I may be under-rating the appearance and taste a little bit. Highly drinkable, moderately-highly complex, begs you to take another sip. Not as complex and unfathomable as a St Bernardus Abbot 12, but comparable to a Chimay Blue. I'll be sure to come back to this one.

To style (BSDA/Quad): 90/100
To official BJCP style (16E, "Belgian Specialty"): 97/100
To taste: 93/100

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 12:10:32 | More by Chrysostom

jmendels

Michigan

4.64/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

This beer was outstanding. At the behest of my best friend, I sought out this beer. As a lover of European beers, this was definitely on my radar. What better time to try it than Easter weekend?

The bottle alone is full of personality, having a different shape than most domestic beers. It draws one's attention to it as something special. It pours a nice amber-brown with the head lacing the bottle rather elegantly. It smells of toffee and roasted malts, with subtle chocolate notes. The first sip came and I was not disappointed. I had to pause and collect my thoughts on what I just drank. There were some spicy notes, yes. There were some toffee notes, yes. It has a noticeable alcohol flavor but not so much that it detracts from the flavorful crafting that went into this brew.

I put this up there with Schlenkerla or Ayinger. Delicious to the last drop.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 23:18:30 | More by jmendels

CurtFromHershey

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a beautiful ruby brown with fizzy khaki head which quickly fades to a thin ring. No lacing.

Smell is sharp, poignant, but not entirely unpleasant. A bit of chocolate and spiciness.

Taste is pretty boozy. Fairly bland BSDA flavor, which is not a knock. Nothing sets this apart from other beers of the style I've had though.

Mothfeel is creamy and well carbonated. After it settles in my mouth, it's much thinner than other Belgians.

Overall not a bad beer by any means, but not something I'll likely crave in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 23:22:10 | More by CurtFromHershey

Damian

Massachusetts

4.29/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Drank from a 750 ml/25.4 fl. oz. bottle purchased at Colonial Spirits, Acton, MA
Served in a tulip

Hazy, deep crimson-mahogany. An enormous, bubbly, rocky, sea foam, ecru colored head topped the liquid. As the crown fell, it became frothier and eventually turned into a thick dollop of foam. Sheets of drippy lacing clung to the glass, lasting the entire session.

The nose was outstanding. Super complex and enticing. Tons of banana and clove. Strong raisin and dark fruit notes. Very bready and sweet. Loads of dry, Belgian yeast notes and dark candi sugar. Spicy alcohol. Phenolic, fruity and rich. Hints of apple and pear came through as well.

Like the nose, the flavor profile was also robust and complex, but quite harsh on the finish. Strong malt presence up front. Loads of spices (allspice and clove). Good amount of raisin and dark fruit notes. Banana was also apparent. Initially, the finish contained strong metallic notes and a surprising amount of alcohol heat. As the beer warmed, the metallic notes subsided but the booziness increased.

On the palate, the beer was highly effervescent with lots of tight, tiny bubbles. Super frothy, creamy and slick.

Gulden Draak is a classic Belgian ale and a gateway beer for many. At its price point, it cannot be beat. My only complaint was the amount of alcohol heat on the finish. Even with a year-plus of age on this bottle, it was still quite hot.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 14:59:49 | More by Damian