April Ales Tell Complex Tales

Triple Your Pleasure with Gouden Carolus

Het Anker Brewery, Mechelen, Belgium
9 percent alcohol by volume
750 mL corked bottle
Sampled: April 5, 2008

I only knew this brewery from its phenomenally strong, dark seasonal Grand Cru of the Emperor, but my love of Triples drew me in. What a passionate nose – literally. Banana, mango, burnt orange, tangerine and other fruits emanate from this orange-gold ale with its thick spongy head and creeping lace that hugs the glass all the way down.

Late great beer guru Michael Jackson was correct – the orange dominates, but an odd mix of ripe fruit, mainly fig, infiltrates the body character. The finish is mostly medicinal; its strong coriander tones mingle with a root bitterness indicating licorice.

The stiff, dry orange and spice bouquet have a chaste quality unusual for Triples – the passion fruit backs off, save the orange and banana, then the dryness rules the flavors until the herbal finish kicks in. It’s a different richness, but this Triple is better for it.

With the standard deceptive Triple alcohol content – 9 percent by volume – this monster can stealthily approach the unaware drinker.

The strong herbal presence in the finish, deeply complex nose and dry orange-spice character merge into a Triple on par with the best Trappist versions, such as Westmalle. Among secular Belgian brewers, this is a king among Triples.

Rating: 9.5/10

Pitch-perfect stout from Down Under
Cooper’s Brewery Best Extra Stout
6.8 percent alcohol by volume
Sampled: April 6, 2008

Cooper’s starts with a perfect stout nose – oak, vanilla and roasted chocolate tussle for elbow room, but manage to find a balance in which all gently coexist.

The roasted character will come back to dominate in the body, with already-introduced chocolate matched with nuts and toffee but none of the dark fruits that drive heavier stouts.

The finish comes slightly bitter and surprisingly effervescent. Maybe it’s a Cooper’s trademark – even though effervescence would be the only connection between the stout and the brewery’s powerhouse sparkling ale.

With the pleasant, oily texture, this stout simply cruises, possessing all the drinkability that lower-alcohol stouts offer.

Forget about Foster’s – if there’s any justice in this former penal colony, Cooper’s is Australian for beer.

Rating: 7.5/10