Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel

11.2 oz bottle. Huge billowy, frothy off white head...lingers, laces. Sticky looking foam stays in center like ancient ruins while larger bubbles dissipate along outer edges. Murky, cloudy golden orange with floaters. Aroma of malt, sugar. Typical belgian tripel smell. Some fruit, yeast, apricot, some citrus hop aroma. Malty tripel flavor, semi bitter, some mild alcohol flavor present, hints of citrus, ever so faint grassy notes. Not overly sweet or dry. Well balanced and unique but the hops only stand out slightly more than average tripels. Slight astringency fades with carbonation. Very solid.

Bottle, bought @ the brewery, tasted @ home. Hazy golden colour, thick white head. Aroma of hops, perfume, flowers. Taste is malty, lots of hops and loads of perfume. I don’t like drinking eau de cologne, and this was too much like that. Completely out of balance. Soft mouthfeel though. I will try this again someday, but the first impression was not good. Re-rate: Less perfumy than I recall, especially after a few sips, but still too harsh and bitter. The first score stays.

Nice pour, good head and lacing. Strong sweet and floral hops in the nose, like candied flowers. Perfumy character. Initial taste is bitterish and bready. Light woodiness. Belgian malt character subdued by the hop profile. Decent, but not a favorite.

Bright, bright honey gold and a massive, rich and frothy rocky mountain head with lots of lace. The aroma is intense! Starts with fresh, lively, stringent pine from the double dose of hops. Then there’s a load of vanilla, citrus, some grapefruit, and a perfect malt balance, keeping the "tripel" part of the beer alive. The taste is a whole new experience in and of itself. Very interesting, with honey, vanilla pod, pineapple, spruce, and intense bitterness overwhelming the palate. Still, it is very well balanced, and ferociously appetizing. A perfect aperitif. Very American in it’s hop profile, very Belgian in it’s special yeasty, spicy fruitiness. This ale is the perfect marriage of cultures, and interesting beyong words. I have loved every beer released by Brasserie d’Achouffe, and this one proves that they are as innovative and individual as it gets.

33 cl bottle. It’s a cloudy golden color with a very unusual fluffy cotton-like head that settles very slowly and unevenly. The head remains unique and is the basis for the "5". Malt is considerably more apparent in the nose than hops, odd for an IPA but this new balance seems to be their focus. Carmamel first, then grapefruit, then a range of pleasant esters. An even medium and slightly bitter body that settles across your tongue for a long bitter finish. The 9% remains unapparent. Not as hoppy as I expected but it turned out to be an excellent mix of styles that I’d highly recommend.

One of the hoppiest belgian brews I have had in a while. Pours a beautiful bright, hazey golden colour with a thicker then thick white whip cream like top. Plenty of sediment, which is evident all throughout the bottle. Aroma is very fruity, with a strong hop floral scent. Taste is very astringent, hop infused and creamy. Very interesting brew all the way through, glad I tried it.

Bottle from KAggie97. Is there no end to his awesomtivity?
Pours a lush bright yellow with a head that would make Peter North insecure. Aroma is subtle hop spice with a touch of bready yeast. Alcohol is very apparent when ya sniff the drink. Flavor is unlike anything I have ever tasted; on the one hand, it’s bitterly hoppy, but then a buttery yeast takes over and subdues the sour tones. Nice bready finish. Watery palate really detracts from the overall experience. Not too shabby; interesting, if nothing else.

750 ml bottle. Pours hazy golden yellow with ample foamy, creamy white head which is lumpy and long lasting. This beer has amazing lacing, each gulp leaves a semicircular ring. A very nice taste manages to taste somewhat double IPA’ish with lots of hop flavors (citrus, pine) but also with some style characteristics of belgian ales. It definitely leans more to an IPA though and is pretty damn good.