Every year on the 24th of February Gouden Carolus brews the Cuvee de Keizer Blauw, or "Grand Cru of the Emperor" to celebrate the birthday of Charles V. The Cuvee de Keizer is brewed uniquely with only fine Belgium hops and with it being 11% ALC/VOL. this beer will age extremely well over the next several years with a complexity and intensity usually reserved for only the finest wines. This beer pours with a deep caramel color and golden tan head with aromas plums, raisins and wood leaping out of the glass. The palate starts of with sweet caramel that soon gives way to fruity flavors of figs and plums with a slight tart quality. The finish is long and mouth filling as the Belgium hops flex their muscles making it both sweet and bitter at the same time. It is still a little young so if you can keep your hands off of it the 2008 Cuvee de Keizer will only continue to develop over the next couple of years. What a treat!$10/750ml
Rating: 9.7 out of 10
What a wonderful beer. If you like the Saint Bernardus Abbey 12 this is a beer for you.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I and a couple of bier fiend friends who love(d) Saint Bernardus 12 are concerned, Gouden Carolus Blauw beats it, hands down. Way more complexity and richness. We tasted the Bernardus after the Blauw and it didn't compare. The Blauw is superb! The Rood (the red) cuvee is just as complex but in a strange way. It reminded us of lysol.
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