Gouden Carolus 7 Year Old 2011 Single Anker Cask Finish

In Blaasveld (Belgium) the brewery Het Anker continues to distill their prize-winning Gouden Carolus whisky. They just released their 5th anniversary edition ‘Victor’. But for the 25th anniversary of Bresser & Timmer – famous importer in Holland – they bottled a single cask from 2011. 350 bottles at 65.0% went up north. The whisky first matured for 32 months on a former first fill bourbon cask and then was finished (or is that a second maturation?) of 53 months on a so-called Het Anker cask.

Dark, sweet and succulent nose on baked apples, tarte-tatin, old port and cinnamon. I hear Christmas bells in the back of my mind.

Nicely oily and round. Very sweet on apricots, baked apples, nectarine and a truckload of honey. Piquant on nutmeg and black pepper. A nice bitter touch of oak. Does not need water, which I like. The second sip offers some eucalyptus, molded wood and cuberdons.

The finish is very long, dark and sweet and spicy.

I think I have just tasted the best Gouden Carolus single malt to date. But 65 EUR for half a liter is quite expensive.