Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel

Brewed by Brasserie d’Achouffe (Moortgat)
Style: Abbey Tripel
Achouffe, Belgium

Hazy light gold, large lasting white head, tiny intense bead.Nose is mostly dusty yeast, light hops.Flavor of alcohol and hops, but not pleasant hops.I basically had to choke this down!!

Re-rate: November ’06, draft at Half Moon: Ditto my comments on appearance, just a pretty looking beer, perfect lacing, continuous. Aroma was unchanged, nice IPA hopping, the flavor was very nice, great balance of pine / citrus hops amidst the Belgian base. If you are in the mood for a sweeter Belgian, this may disappointed, but if you want some good hops and a Belgian, great stuff. Definitely not overkill, nicely done. Enjoyed more than my previous bottle review (bumped appearance from 8 to 10, and overall to a 9). Original review: Poured a pale yellow color with a rocky, fluffy, huge head. The lacing was fluffy and continous around the edges of the glass. Great stuff. The aroma was of spices, citrus hops, and light bananas. The flavor was of citrus hops, yeast, some candi sugar, and light bananas, much better than the Urthel Hop-It, but still... I like the tripels with a nice sweetness and a touch of hops in the finish.... this was overkill in the hop arena. Mouthfeel was moderate and carbonated. Good stuff, but not great, imo.

Bottle: Poured a deep dirty and hazy yellow color ale with a super huge pure white foamy head with absolutely perfect retention and lacing. Aroma of floral hops is quite intense with what I think are Saaz hops really taking over this wonderful mix. Taste when beer is slightly below room temperature is akin to a wonderful triple (Westmalle, Moinette) with some added floral undertones. When beer gets at about room temperature the hops really comes out and provide a bitter finish which I enjoyed a bit less. Nonetheless, this is a great experience and would probably try this again even though price is a bit high IMO for this beer.

Pours with a golden body, topped by a thick, creamy, lasting head with lots of lacing left behind. It’s slightly sweet but mostly bitter and yeasty with a slight flowery, perfumy note. Doesn’t live up to the hype in my opinion. Light bodied and dry.

750 mL bottle. Hazy yellow with a fluffy white head. Crisp aroma of citrys, peach, and yeast. Bright palate. Crisp citrus lemon taste followed by a sharp bitterness. Dry champagne finish.

Achouffe, Belgium Au fut Very hoppy but well balanced with sweetness and carbonation A winner

Draft at Redlight Redlight. Fairly clear, pale golden body with nice carbonation. Moderate white head with excellent retention and thick lacing that coats the entire glass. The aroma is lightly fruity and hoppy. Muted orange citrus smells show through, accompanied by ample citrus hops and a light, creamy malt base. The flavor is surprisingly hoppy, though sufficiently fruity. Its really a near perfect blend of two distinct styles, as its name suggests (IPA and Abbey Tripel). Citrus hops piggyback on a light and refreshing fruity body. Medium body. Smooth and easy to drink. Refreshing, even at 9% ABV. A very interesting brew, for sure.

sampled blind at "Better Know a Style: Abbey Tripel". pours hazy golden with creamy white head. nose is citrusy, hops, vanilla, yeasty. flavor is hoppy, faded leathery hops, citrusy. balanced. yeasty, dry finish. this wasn’t a fresh bottle as it probably had just over a year on it and although the hops weren’t fresh or bitter everything seemed perfectly balanced and a joy to drink.