Gulden Draak - Sweet, Sweet Booze

No pun intended. This is a sweet beer, so if that’s not up your alley, then steer clear. But if you can wrap your head around a brew that digs its sugar-claws into your tongue, then this Draak’s for you.

Imports, especially Belgian imports, can be a difficult category to break into, if only because of the enormous variety and strange, strange names - names like Gulden Draak, for instance. Which is why most budding beer freaks cut their teeth on American crafts, leading to the inevitable palette-screwing wherein drinkers tend to think that all well-made beers should taste like American crafts. The thing is, American crafts are largely over-the-top hopped beers, in your face, subtlety be damned.

But, should you find the courage to venture down the import aisle, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Take this Gulden Draak. Where the Americans rip your face off, this beer could take you or leave you; it simply exists. Classified as a Strong Ale, due to the high ABV (10.5 % booze, kid!), the alcohol hides itself well inside the sugar rush. This beer is sweet, so expect that. But its not a cloying sweetness, a pixie stick kind of sweetness. It’s like roasted caramel, were I to try and pinpoint it. The finish post-swallow has a bit of bitterness to it, but that’s the only suggestion of hops you’ll find. And that bitterness sticks around, making this a good bet for beer with a meal, each sip getting you ready for the next bite of… well, whatever you’re eating. I’d recommend something like bbq, with its own spicy sweetness rubbing up well against the beer.

Trust me, try it. That’s all I got.

dJp

Tags: bbq, Belgian, Gulden Draak, high ABV, Import, Strong Ale
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