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

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rAvg: 4.23
pDev: 11.58%
Reviews: 1134
Hads: 957

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Brewed by:
Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.

Belgium

Style | ABV
Belgian Strong Dark Ale | 10.50% ABV

Availability: Year-round. bottle (1018), on-tap (114), growler (2).

Notes:
No notes at this time.

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Reviews

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Reviews by nhindian:

nhindian

Pennsylvania

3.95/5 rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

11.2oz bottle poured into a Delirium Tremens tulip.

Gulden Draak, often described as a Dark Tripel, is often characterized as the catch-all, "Belgian Strong Dark Ale", and by the brewery itself as a Barleywine style. Hopefully throughout this review I can try to deduce some points of the beer rather than try to lump it in with a style.

A - Upon pouring, it certainly takes on characteristics of a Quad. Dark burgundy body with bright, cordial highlights. Builds a huge 3.5 fingered, khaki colored head that is apparent throughout the entire beer. The bright highlights make it possible to see the absolute torrent of bubbles streaming from the bottom of the glass which really aids the retention. Lacing is on the high end of the spectrum, as there are elegant and eccentric webs spinning all over the glass.

S - The smell is also very reminiscent of a Quad or a heavy Dubbel. Lots of dark, candied fruits with only small traces of Belgian yeast. Figs, plums, grapes and bready malts make up the majority of the smell and there is also noticeable heat from the alcohol. Alcohol imparts an strong ethanol characteristic which is a bit unpleasant.

T - One sip from this makes me feel like I could jump in the vessel on the bottle and sail across the ocean. Very sweet and alcoholic. The fruits are incredibly sweet and tangy, and as they assault the front of the mouth, the alcohol goes straight to the back to complete the two-stage attack. Grapes and plums are the forefront of the siege, and the tannic notes from them really mesh well with alcohol heat. It tastes like a sugary Welsh's Grape Juice with a shot of Everclear. It isn't unpleasant initially, but it wears on as the drink settles.

M - Mouthfeel is heavy bodied with lots of mouth involvement. As mentioned earlier, each characteristic of the beer hits a different spot of the mouth, and the heavy carbonation helps keep everything moving smoothly.

D - Drinkability is moderate. The flavors are strong and smooth, but the sweetness is just a bit too much as I continue to drink. Pretty heavy bodied and a bit syrupy, it's a nice treat to start but a sugary at the end.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2010 04:19:45 | More by nhindian