Mc Chouffe

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

Bottle, 75 cl. With Francky. Dark brown beer withbeige foam. Malty aroma with spices, caramel. Taste is powerfol, and stays long in the mouth. It is sweet and has burned and fruity tastes.End with a hard bitterness of hops and spices...

THOUGHTS: A nice Scotch ale with a decidedly Belgian twist. I’ve known the Belgian made a lot of Scottish ales and have ever since been dying to try one. This was my first. I was surprised at the Belgian yeast being such a huge player her. I figured their love of Scottish beer would drive them to try to re-create the style closely, but this may have the base of a Scotch ale, but it definitely very Belgian. It hid the alcohol very well. This bottle may have been slightly skunked. I need to buy it somewhere other than the Shop Rite, with its glaring fluorescent lights. Doubt it was skunked, but did seem slightly off. Not a true Scotch ale, but a really nice beer. Very different. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a dark brownish orange with reddish amber highlights and beautiful carbonation that kept the head from ever fully diminishing. It had an average to large, off-white head that kept a decent sheet. The aroma was a light to moderate molasses and caramel malt and possibly grain or straw that might have actually been part of the complex yeast strain that increased as it warmed. There was also moderate to heavy dough yeast that was like under baked biscuits or baking bread and also some slight funk and a little spice when it was warmer. There was also a little apple and cherry, but yeast was the dominant aroma of this beer. The initial flavor was sweet and ever so slightly acidic; while the finish was lightly sweet, acidic and sour with an average to long duration. There was caramel, apple, cherry, toffee, doughy yeast, a sort of maple syrup, candy, spices and slight tea. I couldn’t tell if it was just the yeast or if there was also some slight grain notes. The medium body was a little syrupy for a split second and they became rather dry with lively carbonation and a light to moderate astringent, very lightly alcoholic and very dry finish.

Garrafa, 750 ml. Coloração preta avermelhada, turva, com um creme bege consistente e persistente. Floral e frutada. Notas de frutas vermelhas, leves, e de fermento. Presença de sedimentos. Carbonatação alta. Final relativamente seco e levemente amargo. Não tão complexa. Sabor não tão longo.

75cl poured into a pint glass. Nice light brown with red tints. Light beige head. Smells nice and yeasty with some alcohol on the nose. Good flavors of candied sugar, light carmel, finishes with a sharp bitterness that fades to a light alcohol end. The moderate to heavy carbonation works well and keeps the mouth crisp with the flavors popping. The end feels slightly creamy. Excellent head retention and a very nice beer.

Fad. Rigtig god start på aftenens øl. Flot mørk øl med nydeligt skum. Masser af frugt i duften med en anelse blomster. Frugten bliver rigtig godt afbalanceret af et humlebid i smagen der gør det en fornøjelse at drikke.

Poured dark brown with tan head. Aromas of yeast, malt, candy sugar. Milld sweet flavor of caramel, sugars, and some fruitiness. Medium/full body with lightly fizzy carbonation. Very good, I’ll definately have this again.

750 ml. bottle, bb 2009, tight foam with a winey nose and first sip, very good body and excellent smooth finish with hops and caramel, an outstanding ale

RateBeer Rating, Style and Glass: 93, Scotch Ale, Thistle ABV, Volume & Calories: 8.5 % in 11.2 fl oz. estimated at 200 C Purchased at: Canal’s, Lawrenceville, NJ for $4.29 Aroma: typical brown ale scent. 7 out of 10. Visuals: deep, brown, red, cloudy, light head, nice lace. 4 out of 5. Taste: special, fruity, nice, sparkling fruit juice, some bitterness, dry. 10 out of 10. Palate: dry, terrycloth, fruity, bitter finish. 4 out of 5. Overall: Very much like seltzer and fruit juice. Refreshing. I like it, but it’s way too expensive. Not a favorite, but well crafted. 16 out of 20.