Mc Chouffe

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

Nice dark pour, medium head. some sweetness, but well balanced by smokiness, and dark fruits, alcohol well hidden, good brew.

Pretty nice, though mild for the style I thought. The malt isn’t as peaty as I would have expected.

From a 750 ml. green bottle with a blurb and serving suggestions on the back label. Sampled at a cooler cellar temperature in a La Chouffe snifter. Poured a hazy golden orangey hued brown with a foamy, creamy off-white head that settled into a thin bubbly lacing, minimal amount of sticking. Aromas of bubble gum and spicy, earthy alcohol, peppery hops and sweet grainy, lightly caramel malts. Good carbonation and a crisp, dryish, creamy smooth medium bodied mouthfeel. A nice velvety taste, light sweet caramel, bubble gum and clove yeasty, grainy, peppery spicy hops, a soft fruitiness that mingles with the alcohol, the alcohol provides a warming presence in the palate, and a dry spicy, yeasty, sweet malty finish. Easy, smooth drinkability, another good ale from this Belgian brewer, well worth trying.

Bottle Pours a clear dark brown with a very thick fizzy head. Coarse spotty lacing. Aroma is brown sugar, apples ans a sweet toasted note as well. Flavors are dark roasted, slightly smokey, kind of like a strong porter butr with that spicy belgian yeast flavor. ABV is present and fairly up front. Feel is a bit thin with quite lively carbonation. Trailer is a sour bitterness but not overly so.

Bottle. Dark brown with a large light beige head. Caramel, malt yeast and fruit in the aroma. Quite an effervescent, medium to full mouthfeel. Malty, caramel taste with raisin and some spices at the finish. Well hid alcohol until the strong and late warming. Quite highly carbonated which downgrades the mouthfeel a bit. Very good.

La moins commune, même dificile de se procurer des deux d’Achouffes au Québec. Je l’aime pas mal mieux que La Chouffe. Une bonne saveur de scotch, une arome chaleureuse. Je n’ai pas dégusté la versoin RJ.

Re-rate 7/15/08: Draught. Dark brown with a medium beige head. Aroma of malt, caramel, some dark fruitiness, licorice hints and light spiciness. Sweet flavor with malt, caramel, dark fruits, some brown sugar and dark bread hints. Finishes spicy and alcoholic. Medium-bodied. Quite nice. 7/4/7/3/14=3.5

Bottle. Very dark red-brown color with an off-white head. A bit of sparkling. Aroma is malt sweetness, some carmel and spices. Flavor is sweet and spicy, with caramel and a very light bitterness. A medium to full body. The finish is soft sweetness with alcohol. 8/4/8/4/16=4

Dark brown, somewhat ruby red when held up to light with a thick white head. Aroma of pear, spices, hops and caramel. Taste has notes of brown sugar, yeast, pear, raisins, roasty malts, nuts, chocolate and spiciness. Pretty sweet. Alcohol content very well hidden. Medium body with lively carbonation. Not much lacking but good head retention. Good stuff.