N’Ice Chouffe

Bu à Vignola, à Portland, Maine, en bouteille de 750 ml. Brune foncée brumeuse, mince collet beige pale. arome de malte très caramelisé, des notes de raisins sec et d’épices doux, soupson d’alcool. Goût de malte doux, peu caramelisé et des fortes notes de fruits épicés, sensation d’alcool plaisant.

Taster on tap at Stone brewery after aged beer tasting. No head. Deep amber color. Taste is a bit young and unrefined. Smell is too mild to rate. A little background harshness. Possibly the tiniest bit of background sourness that rises off the back of the tongue as a finish. Alchohol is prominent, reducing the drinkability of the beer.

Pours translucent dark brown with red notes. Nose is spicy, herbal, with Belgian candy sugar, yeast, cream. Flavor is initially allspice and thyme, quite sweet, with a rather biting peppery yeast note. Strong alcohol note. Creamy mouthfeel. Heavy bodied. Pretty good stuff.

On tap at Stone. Cloudy dark brown with a thick creamy white head. Earthy aroma of dark fruit, yeast, chocolate, and caramel. A rich smooth taste of chocolate, dates, figs, and the hops come through in the finish.

2005 Limited Edition bottle. This is a very interesting brew, difficult for me to describe. Pours a deep copper color with a copious beige head that lasts. One of the spicier Belgians I have ever tried. Very herbal aroma, hints of grass, and the classic notes of banana, pear and raisin. Sweet and peppery initial flavor that fades into a more citrus-based hops finish, followed by the noticeable amounts of thyme used. Yeast is definitely present too. Great tingly finish on the palate. Nice!

750 ml bottle. Bottle labeled as Limited Edition 2005. Pours copper in color with brown head. Sweet malty and hoppy aroma. Taste is of yeast and malt with a dry finish.

Bottle - 750ml. Dark brown cloudy body with good carbonation and a thin off-white frothy head. Complex malty/hoppy aroma with herbal, spicy and yeasty notes. Perfectly balanced taste that carries yeasty, spicy and fruity hints. Texture is soft/oily and alcohol is well hidden. Ends with a good warming finish. Nice!

750. Pours deep grainy, opaque ebony with a thicky, goopy, moussy tan head. Enormous dark fruit nose hits you at arm’s length, even from a fairly cool beer. Dust and hay as you reel in the glass. Big thick body but totally free of stickiness or oiliness. Nice soft abundant carb. Heavy roast fruit flavors, wet leaves, leather, tobacco--it’s a super rich mid palate. Nice sharp herbal hop sting to the finish; beautiful contrasting element.