Name: Gouden Carolus Indulgence Botanik (2017)
Brewery: Brouwerij Het Anker
Bottling date: Summer 2017
Drinking date: 31/12/2017
ABV: 8,5%
IBU: 2
Beer style: Belgian Blonde Ale
Package: Bottle 750 ml
Bottle nr: limited edition (didn’t check if there was a bottle number!)
Purchased at: Bier&zO (Rotterdam)
Tasting notes
- Aroma: the herbal aroma is quite prominent, although for me it was too hard to distinguish exactly which ones. Lovely, not too strong.
- Visual: pours a lovely white stable foam, has a light gold color
- Flavor: I don’t know what angelica root tastes like, but I felt the cloves and rosemary came out well. The elderflower usually gives the beer a flowery aroma and taste to it, so I am guessing it balanced the herbs, because the herbal taste wasn’t over the top. The beer didn’t have a strong Belgian blonde sweetish taste to it that they usually do, maybe because of the added herbs, which I really liked, since I am not a fan of the sweet taste. Overall easy to drink. Suitable for a large audience.
- Mouthfeel: medium body, medium – high carbonation
The brewer’s description of this beer: “Gouden Carolus Indulgence [Indulgence, something that is done or enjoyed as a special pleasure] is a limited series of beers brewed every year with varying content. These ‘Indulgence’ brews are exclusive delights to be savoured at special moments or shared with special people.
Botanik is the 3rd taste expression released under this label. A special blond beer was brewed using barley and wheat for this purpose. A selection of 4 natural botanicals was added during the ageing process: elderflower, angelica root, cloves and rosemary. A pleasantly surprising bouquet!”
We drank this on New Year’s Eve and it was the perfect beer. Effervescent and champagne-like, with a nice bite to it, making it stand out and memorable! Would definitely recommend this one for a festive occasion!