La Chouffe

Brewed by Brasserie d’Achouffe (Moortgat)
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Achouffe, Belgium

On tap at De Deugniet Café, Amsterdam.
Cloudy golden coloured, medium sized white head, spicy cidery nose. Vinous honey, fruity and yeasty taste with notes of coriander, orange peel, green apple and touch of vanilla. Alcohol is well balanced. Intensive spicy bitterness in the finish and long aftertaste.

Cute label and kind of expected same from taste, maybe some simple and bright. Actual experience was far from the label. The well balanced aroma and flavor were well balanced sporting many well defined flavors. The flavor of banana baby food and pumpkin spices, the grassy flavor of some bitter hops, the bread like flavor of malt, all with a pretty significant sweetness made for a constantly evolving flavor. I need to serve this to friends.

RateBeer Rating, Style and Glass: 96, Belgian Strong, Trappist, tulip, tumbler ABV, Volume & Calories: 8 % in 25.4 fl oz. estimated at 400 C Purchased at: Canal’s Lawrenceville, NJ for $6.99 Aroma: sweet, banana, cloves, fruit. 9 out of 10. Visuals: hazy, golden, thin white head, light lace. 4 out of 5. Taste: classic Belgian, banana, fruit, clove, sugar. 10 out of 10. Palate: wet, dusty, medium bittersweet finish. 5 out of 5. Overall: A very good Belgian style. More balanced than Victory’s Golden Monkey. I’d look for it again. It’s well crafted, and very good. 17 out of 20.

Tasted 21/08/2008. 750ml bottle from Regional Wines, shared with Matt and Sarah. Hazy pale gold with a creamy white collar and light lace. Sweet, fruity, honeyish, full-bodied, with a little spice and hop. A little breadiness. A lot sweeter and heavier than I thought I remembered this beer being (or at least expected) - verging on flabby. Feels like it could do with being a shade drier. Nice drop all the same.

Date: 33cl. bottle shared with DoBoy 08/02/08

Aroma - Light fruit, honey, peppery spice

Appearance - Practically clear with some small floaties, a creamy, generous off white head with good durability

Flavor - Fruity sweetness up front, and a delayed spicy bitterness ultimately comes through

Palate - Medium body, lively effervescence adds to the clean, zesty palate

Overall - Quite refreshing, a little harsh when cold, flavors develop nicely as it warms

2008 Flour City Brew Fest. Pours with an excellent light foamy white head, clean crisp smelling ale. Flavor is sweet with a light fruit taste. Excellent Golden ale, with a sour taste to end.

750ml tipped into trappist glass. wonderful head that rages nearly as whipped into a frenzy as its dobblein brother but not quite. aroma is wonderful of yeast with a strong backbone of belgian spice. i have had this a few times but never formally enough to pen a review; however, the aroma alone before the first swig feels like a visit from an old friend. meaty and chewy, strong but without even a hint of unprocessed booze. this is as pure and clean as a refreshing babbling brook. this is a drink for good times and laughter. hints at sweetness but then dissapates before any real attack, the back of the tounge aches from the splice but revels in it. this is a small masterpiece even to the most jaded pessimist.

Presents a hazy golden orange colour with a towering, rocky collar of foam, which is tightly packed and laces quite well. Aromas of lemon and spice dominate with some hinting caramel and honey notes. Palate is complex, displaying chewy caramel malt, citrus rind and an abundance of Chinese five-spice. High carbonation matched with dry yeasty notes give the perception of a dry finish, when in reality substantial sweet malt is present and proves to add great balance.