Carolus Hopsinjoor

by J.S. Holland

I've always been a big fan of Gouden's Carolus Belgian ale, mainly because it's so close to Duvel (the yardstick by which I measure all other liquids on Earth) that I can get it and feel like I'm actually drinking a variety instead of being stuck in my glorious Duvel rut. (Hennepin is another good one for that.)

Now I'm on their super-hoppy "Hopsinjoor" variety, which is even more Duvelicious, and I have to admit, it's every bit as good as the limited-edition Duvel Tripel Hop for a fraction of the price tag. I daresay it's even better - sacrilege, I know - because it's got a smoother, more well-rounded bite rather than the bitter sting of Duvel's megahopped incarnation of itself. And it's light-years ahead of more pedestrian stuff like Schafly Dry-Hopped APA, savory though that may be.

I'll most certainly be serving this at my outdoor cookouts here on the JSH Plantation this summer. That is, if it ever stops raining.