Mc Chouffe

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

(11.2 oz bottle ("best before end ’07") from <A HREF=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/maine/portland/ target=blank>Downeast Beverage Co.) Pours medium brown with medium biege head. Aroma of yeast, brown sugar and toffee. Not much lacing. Mouthfeel prickly, kind of thin. Tastes moderately sweet, brown sugar-ish, light banana. Definite Belgian characteristics from yeast. Don’t get the Scotch or peat characteristics like I normally think of with a Scotch ale but this was pretty enjoyable anyway. Flavor doesn’t really stand out, perhaps the most distinct characteristic is the prickliness.

Clear brown with a medium dissappearing head. Yeasty, apple fruity aroma. A well balanced beer. Personally I like the La Chouffe better.

Large head, diminishes. Nice lace. Cloudy, dark red-brown colour. Aroma; fruit (apple), spices (coriander), yeast. Taste; malt, fruit, chocolate and a little bitter (liqourice-like?) finish. Very nice.

my style of beer, though not the best of its kind. amber w/ a huge head. fruity, caramelly aroma. rather sweet, though there is enough complexity to justify it. malty and decent, but missing something.

Dark brown in colour with an off-white head. Lots of carbonation. Aromas of caramalized malt, yeast, and cut grass. The flavor is an odd combination of sweet malt and spritzy saison-like flavors (citrus, yeast, etc...)... it tastes good, but still somewhat muddled.

A Scottish/Belgian ale. Interesting and delicious. Tart. Sweet. Fruity. Spicy. Bubbly. All Good.

A’Chouffe’s La Chouffe has been on speedy rotation from cellar to fridge to glass for years now, yet I’ve kept this one in the dark for more than 2 years without the need to crack it. Well, tonight was the night the seal was broken, and the reward was worth the wait.
Into a La Chouffe tulip, cool but not cold. Deep, deep garnet body, shimmering in the light, and crowned off by a wonderfully thick, creamy beige head that I think is the hallmark of this brewer’s beers. Stretched a good two inches up the spout, stabilised and frosted over the glass as I downed it. Xmas fruitcake aroma with light notes of toffee, burnt toast, figs and prunes, and a good dose of vinous, spicy alcohol. Becomes a little woody after a few whiffs, a damp forest floor comes to mind, unusually inviting. Strong and rich in the mouth. Starts off with aged plums, caramel and walnuts, doughy yeast and dark malts, and a light hint of roasted grain. Lively carbonation throws the flavours around the palate and moves it along swiftly. Develops a pleasant, fruity sweetness like sultanas, dried cherries and figs, which balance the nutty, darker malts. Finish is all topsoil, fell fruit and wood which gives the impression of something nasty, but it works to make this a delicious brew. Alcohol is nowhere to be seen, despite being noticeable in the aroma, and in this one’s case is a bit of a let down as it is too easy to drink. It’s like liquid fruitcake. Lovely!!! (75cL, 2005, Con’s Case place [now under new-management])

Crushed with Jakebra. Kinda fruity nose. Mouthfeel: once again awesome. Flavor is very nice. Not getting much scotchiness, but the fruity flavors and dry finish make it very nice and yummy.