Kristoff GC Signature Series Double Toro and Gouden Carolus Noel: Pairing

The Ale

Gouden Carolus Noel

Het Anker

Mechelen, Belgium

11.2oz bottle

$19.99 four pack

10.5% abv

Appearance: Brown body with a light tan head

Aroma: black licorice, sweet fancy raisin, coffee,

Flavors: the black licorice stands out to me … reminds me of Smith Brothers Licorice Cough Drops, then the coffee hits the palate and then hints of sweet fancy raisin, fig, and a touch of chocolate.  I do not notice the alcohol.

Mouthfeel: low carbonation, very light bitter note hits the mid palate if you are paying attention, black licorice and a light roasted coffee with milk lingers on the aftertaste.  Body weight seems to be medium-full.  That 10.5% abv does not even seem to be a factor so, watch out.   

My Strength Rating: 6 – just making it into the medium-full range. 

To the Point: I have never had this beer before and when I took a quick sniff and a sip … I thought what did I waste my money on … this is just plain old sweet, sweet and sweet … well … it also has some weird flavor.  Then I said, I need to review this … let’s do it and get it over with.  After thinking about what I smelled and what I was actually tasting I then started to like this Ale.  After all … I love black licorice (the good stuff) this is not your cheap sweet Swizzler type licorice.   Not for everybody but, if you think about what you are drinking and understand … then you may like it … if you like licorice. 

This was an interesting tasting for I went from hating it from the first sip to thinking about it and trying to understand it and eventually liking it (maybe really liking it).

On beer advocate it scored a 90 with 419 reviews.  I would have guessed it to be in the 70’s.  I don’t know if I am ready to say it is exceptional nor am I going to say it is average. 

The Cigar

Kristoff GC signature Series Double Toro

Kristoff.com

Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro

Binder: Cuban Seed Honduran

Fillers: Cuban Seed Dominican, Cuban Seed Honduran, Cuban Seed Nicaraguan

Size: 6 x 60

Off the Light: a bit airy, coffee … mild coffee, light dry vegetation.  As the smoke continues, the coffee note stays on the mild side; a mild forest floor tone cultivates with a little dry earthiness, dry leafs are still present and a hint of wood builds.  (Earth, leafs, and wood = forest floor)  There is a touch of sweet tobacco swirling around the other notes.  The cigar held a good inch and a half gray ash.  Mild-medium here at the start.  I’ll give it a 3 on my strength scale. 

Mid-Point: by the halfway point the cigar builds to a 4 which is still a mild-medium smoke on my strength scale.  The coffee reminds me of a mild-medium roast with milk and this has moved to the front; the forest floor tones follow now; the wood note makes me think of a light sweet yet spicy cedar;

Down the Stretch: Getting down to the last couple of inches and the cigar starts to move to the medium range.  The coffee is a nice medium-mild roast; the forest floor notes are starting to become a little burnt but still tasty.    

Thirty years of smoking cigars and I have never dropped a cigar right into an ashtray – butt end right into the ashes and I did just that.  A little spit on the finger and it wiped off pretty good. 

To the Point: I have not reviewed the Robusto yet but, I smoked one the other day and I enjoyed it and I think it was a little fuller than this big boy. 

The Pairing

I liked this pairing.  The licorice flavors of the Ale melded with the earthy and mild coffee tones of the cigar.  They worked well together and did not interfere with each other.   I would like to smoke a fuller bodied cigar with this ale