Gouden Carolus Noel Jeroboam (3 liter)

Belgian Christmas Ale in a huge 3 liter bottle

Brewed by: Het Anker Brewery
Country: Belgium
Style: Winter
Color: Red/Brown

ABV: 10.5%
Cellaring: Yes
Ratebeer.com rating: 99
BeerAdvocate.com rating: 89

From a recipe that includes three kinds of hops and six different herbs and spices, Gouden Carolus Noel from the Het Anker Brewery is an award winning Belgian Seasonal Ale that pours a deep, dark red with a frothy beige head.

Traditionally brewed in August and then allowed to age a few months more, the brew is top fermented and bottle conditioned.

Aromas include bready roasted malt, cinnamon, anise and ginger, dark fruits, cherry, raisin, sweet toffee and vinous notes of red wine.

Taste is similar to aroma and also includes notes of wood, banana, pepper and clove. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and creamy with mild carbonation; the 10.5% ABV is present but not overpowering. The finish is long, warming, fruity and dry.

Food Pairings

Pair with grilled pork or beef; also with sharp or pungent style cheese like Cheddar, Gorgonzola, and Limburger. Serve at 9 - 12 degrees C.

Brewery Information:

Located in the town of Mechelen in the Flanders region of Belgium, the Het Anker Brewery was founded in 1872 when Louis Van Breedam purchased the site of what had once been a brewery and hospice run by a community of Beguine nuns. He modernized the facility – it became one of the first steam powered breweries of the time – and his heirs would later greatly expand its influence.

By the 1980s, like many family owned breweries of the time, Het Anker found it difficult to compete with large commercial breweries, and entered into partnership deals which never succeeded as intended.

In the late 1990s, Het Anker, helmed by a fifth generation of the Van Breedam family, became independent again, and both focused and diversified its business. Today, the flourishing brewery includes both a restaurant and a hotel while producing a dozen or more ales exported around the world.