Gulden Draak
 33cl bottle of Gulden Draak | |
| Manufacturer | Brouwerij Van Steenberge |
|---|---|
| Alcohol by volume | 10.5% |
| Style | Dark triple ale |
Gulden Draak (Dutch for Golden Dragon) is a dark Belgian beer with high alcohol by volume (10.5%), brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge in Ertvelde, East Flanders. It is named after the golden dragon at the top of the belfry in Ghent.[1]
There is also the quadrupel variant, the Gulden Draak 9000 Quadruple.
Aroma and taste
Gulden Draak has a strong scent of alcohol, which hampers the ability to easily define its aroma. Still, there is a powerful fragrance of barley, ripe plums, and cherries. Different testers worldwide mention a sweet coffee aroma. Compared to the aroma, the taste is influenced somewhat less by the alcohol. It hints at sour cherries and brown sugar. The aftertaste is somewhat bitter. Gulden Draak also has a high alcohol content for a beer at 10.5%. Gulden Draak was awarded the best-tasting beer in the world in 1998 by the American Tasting Institute (now ChefsBest).[1]
Color
Dark with caramel-colored foam head.
Process
Akin to the other special beers of the Brewery Van Steenberge, Gulden Draak is a high fermentation beer with secondary fermentation. For the secondary fermentation, a wine yeast is used. Fermentation happens both in the bottle as in the barrel, which ensures a preservation for years.[2]
Packaging
Gulden Draak is packaged in a white, opaque, bottle in volumes of 33, 75, and 150 centilitre, and in kegs of 30 litres.
Origin
The legend of the gilded dragon says that it was first featured on the prow of the ship with which the Norwegian king Sigrid Magnusson sailed on in 1111 to go on a crusade. Sigrid offered the statue to the emperor of Constantinople (the current Istanbul) to put it on the cupola of the Aya Sophia. Over a hundred years later, the Flemish count Baldwin IX had transported the showpiece to the Belgium regions. The Norwegian dragon ended up in the hands of Bruges. After the battle on the field of Beverhout in 1382, the inhabitants of Ghent took their spoils of war, including the dragon as and put it on top of their Belfry. In the Belfry all communal charters were kept. The dragon had to protect these documents and it was also the symbol of the freedom and might of the city. The brew-master gazed upon this statue and was founded with inspiration to create and thus name the ale.[3]
References
- 1 2 (Dutch) Van Steenberge Brewery - Gulden Draak
- ↑ http://www.vansteenberge.com/en/our-beer/gulden-draak/gulden-draak/
- ↑ http://www.vansteenberge.com/en/our-beer/gulden-draak/gulden-draak