Today’s Advent beer pick is a Belgian strong dark ale from Brouwerij Het Anker out of Belgium: Gouden Carolus Christmas. The venerable old brewery is also home to a hotel and distillery, and produces the Gouden Carolus line of ales as well as several others. Their Christmas ale is 10.5% alcoho by volume and spiced in the Belgian holiday ale tradition.

For more than 35 years we had to miss the Christmas beer but in 2002 the tradition was restored with Gouden Carolus Christmas. It’s a strong, dark ruby red beer with character and contains an alcohol percentage of 10.5 % alc.vol. Brewed in August, the beer rests a few months to reach an optimal balance. Three kinds of hops and 6 different kinds of herbs and spices define the rich taste of this Christmas beer. Top-class!

According to the brewery’s specs, this beer was brewed exclusively with Belgian hops and you can expect to last up to three years in the bottle (though I’m betting it will cellar for more just fine!). A three-year vertical would be quite the Christmas treat!

Find Gouden Carolus Christmas on:

• Untappd
• BeerAdvocate
• RateBeer
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