Mc Chouffe

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

Very huge creamy head, not stable. Beer rather dark-amber than brown. Nose of roasted & caramel malts, spices. Herb-bitter, like Jägermeister. Spices, no hops above perception treshold. Thick malt base, but not sweet. Just a bit of liquorice and wood retronasal. Full-bodied, thick maltfeel. No alcohol-burn, but the wooden mallet is lying in wait. Aftertaste is again quite spicey, without any particular spice or herb coming to the fore. All in all, quite truer to the British-Scotch ale, than to the Belgian 'Scotches', which would have more overwhelming burnt malts. But the alcohol is Belgian.

The Scottish cousin sets up his own piece of earth…On it he cultivates chocolatey raisins, dry fruit and caramel…Once in a while he spreads them out on the ground with some bitter orange peels and woody hops…Let the jig begin…

11.2 oz bottle. Dark brown beer, ruby tint, with a thick, sticky, light brown head. Sweet malty aroma, plum, pine (needles, not hops), brown sugar, yeasty spice, clove, and a nutty breadiness. Very complex and superbly balanced nose. Flavour is awesome, malty and sweet up front, but never cloyingly so. Brown sugar, toast, clove and spice, some heavy plumminess. Full bodied and delicious. Awesome beer.

Bottled. Brown beer with a beige head. Sweet and malty aroma. Warming, sweet and malty. Rating: 6-3-7-3-15-3.4. 051028

Bottle, 33cl. It’s a more or less clear beer, dark amber body topped by a beige, finger-thick head. Typical Belgo-sweet sugary nose with a good dash of alcohol and dried fruits. There’s roasted malts in there as well as a spiced note it seems. Sweet, malty flavor with dried fruits and roasted malts. A good alcohol warmth plays with my mouth and throat, and some bitterness lingers. Full-bodied and well carbonated. The finish is lasting and maybe a bit warm for this beer, but overall I really enjoy it. Well worth a revisit or two. 091102

Bottled: Hazy amber coloured. Huge brownish medium lasting head. Fruits, malt, yeast in the nose. Yeast, liqourice, light roastyness and malt in the flavour. Smooth. Well hidden alcahol. Dry and sweet finish.

What a nice, warming brew. Although I’m a confirmed hophead, I enjoy a good Scotch ale, and this is an interesting Belgian twist on the style. It’s got a clear, deep nutty brown body with a tall, rocky beige head. The aroma is a rich, slightly smokey, somewhat nutty malt, a modestly caramel sweet malt. The body is thick and syrupy, delivering a sweet, smokey malt flavor that slides down way too easily. The finish is sweet and warm, although the sturdy abv doesn’t truly makes its presence known until it’s well into your system. Very, very nice.

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Slightly cloudy chestnut color with a bigger bubbled, smallish beige head. Aroma reminds me of a few of the T'ij brews, strong overripe fruit drenched in caramel. For some reason I envision fruit flies. Smooth flavors start with a touch of peat, move on to fruits of pineapple, dates and plums. Finishes with a balance malt and hops curious, corpulent, conglomeration. Finish is really rather fleet, with just a linger of licorice. A complex and satisfying libation.

Bottled. Plum, raisin and light lactic aroma. Brown color, beige head, good lace. Light sweet, licorice, plum, dark malts. Sparkling and warming. Very nice beer I could easily drink all night and sleep like a baby.