Mc Chouffe

Poured a dark ruby red with a sizeable head. Sweet aroma with some faint peat, but mostly candi sugar . A touch of metal and also some tea accompanying. Somewhat thin with no real depth, which in some way helps in that it doesn’t get cloying.

Bottle 8% (from Bitter Virtue). Toffeish slightly earthy hop presence, dried fruits and chocolate. A little spicy yeastiness. Not as sweet as it initially seems which is a good thing. Alcohol has a slight presence but is not overly noticeable. Full rounded body but not overly sticky. Nice flavours and suprisingly light on its feet.

(Draught at Akkurat, Stockholm) Dark brown colour, rather cloudy, with firm beige head, Malty, fruity, slightly yeasty, nose with dried fruit (prunes, figs) and dark bread. Malty, fruity and spicy taste with dried fruit, liquorice and chocolate. Rather firm body. Nice beer with the traditional tasty, spicy Achouffe character giving it an extra push in the right direction.

Bottle. Pours a darky brown-red colour, thin bubbly off-white head. Aroma is sweet malt, some sour fruit, sherbert and yeast. Warming mouth, grassy notes, rich and bold, but with this nasty pine aftertaste that lingers. That spoilt it a bit, for what is a very nice beer. Palate is not too heavy, drinkable, worryingly so. Good, apart from that nasty aftertaste.

Bottle purchased at Whole Foods: Pours a dark brown with an airy head, malty aroma, sweet taste, very smooth. This is something I could buy again.

No date on bottle. Brown-maroon in color with no clarity and a fairly full, fizzy, off-white head; settles quickly to a lasting, fairly small, frothy head leaving minimal lace. Nose is mostly Belgian-like and certainly rich with malts but faint; notes of spicy yeast, dates, figs, Belgian chocolate with rich brown sugar and light earth with a typical Achouffe spiciness. Flavor is similar but seemingly more rich with less Belgian characteristics; forefront is brown sugar and some maple with also date, chocolate, and toasted caramel. Palate is lively, medium-full, and soft-feeling but lightly viscous. Finishes mostly sweet with lots of brown sugar still and some light notes of earth and it dries out as it progresses. Nice, rich, Belgian-influenced scotch ale but seemed to carry more Belgian character than Scottish. Certainly lots of typical Achouffe notes which are pleasant, but nothing in this to make it worthy of great marks; still enjoyable though.

One of my first favorite beers was Newcastle Brown Ale. The second I opened the 75cl bottle of Mc Chouffe, I caught a familiar aroma, but better. Much better. The pour was great right into the center of the tall glass, creating an immense, cream colored head, followed by beautiful lacing. Taste was rich, buttery, burnt, caramel. A pleasant fruity sweet aroma catches the nose. The taste lingers and can be felt on the tounge minutes later. Crisp and refreshing. Excellent beer.

Pours dark brown with little head. Strong aroma of caramel, spicy, and a little sour. Solid mouth feel with a light, but present hop quality. Along with a mildly caramel flavor, bits of raisin and alcoholic warmth come forward with yeast esthers coming forth.