Talk about packaging. Guldenberg comes first wrapped in paper, then a bottlecap hides a cork that needs removed with a corkscrew. If only the corkscrew had come out with that pleasing effervescent pop. (There was plenty of fizz nonetheless.) Ah - ignore that. Let's get to the beer.
Guldenberg bills itself as a Belgian Abbey Ale. Google tells me that it's a craft beer - brewed in small batches on weekends only by passionate enthusiasts (not by monks, it appears). It looks like medium-colored blonde ale - not really clear, yet not overtly cloudy. Colored like your dark-colored piss when you haven't had enough water to drink for a couple of days. (Poor metaphor, but accurate). Very pleasant, typical Belgian mid-sized foam that you love to see build up as you rapidly pour the beer into your glass. And mmm, it's tasty! But it's not like your typical Dubbel or Trippel Ale. Yup, it's high-alcohol at 8.5%, and that comes through in spades. The esters and alcohol are pretty up-front. But it lacks that fruity, almost syrupy aspect of your typical sweet belgian blonde. Instead, it's a hoppy, yeasty, slightly sour beer that has you saying "They bill this as a Belgian Abbey Ale? Why?" This is more like Saison than it is Chimay. If you're a hop-head, and normally stay away from the typical Belgian blonde, try Guldenberg.
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