N’Ice Chouffe

Flowery, earth odor, thyme,, pours a cloudy brown with a nice tan head that whisps to a thin head in a few minutes. Starts off creamy smooth, sweet flavour then a sourness.

Fruity dark malt hop aroma. Brown red cloudy colour, brown head, suds lacing. Heaps of hops complex malt flavour. Heaps ’O’ Hops malt finish.

Nice Barleywine style ale,very full bodied with a nice aftertaste with hints of fruit. Very strong beer, try it if you get a chance!

Aroma: plum, prune, spiritous and some passionfruit. Appearance: rich red/brown slightly cloudy with a tan head. Sudsy lacing. Flavour: rich fruity sweetness balanced with some carbony notes. Palate: medium mouthfeel drink really clean.

Described as a barley wine on tap at Old Bay, though I knew it was an from the Chouffe family. A wonderful winter beer that is a delight to enjoy over an hour. Had it in late May outside, though it was only about 50 degrees so I guess it felt like Winter enough. Alcohol is very present, though it is pleasant and easy to drink. Very fruity and wonderful.

Bottle: Dark burnt orange, brownish, large foamy beige head, lovely lacing.   Musty aroma, semi-sweet, soft dark pitted fruit.   Spicy start, rich citrus bitterness, earthy, with minor dark pitted fruit.   Nice body, moderate mouthfeel.   Earthy/musty finish, not as flavorful as the start.   Good, but compared the Gouden Carolus Classic before it, not as tasty or robust.   Lingering yeasty/breadiness after the finish.

Yummy Yummy thickmalt hop spiritus aroma. Dark brown colour with fair head. Thick strong rich flavour with hop malt and spirit. Smooth palate.

From a 75cl bottle, the 2003 edition (no I couldn’t wait very long...) Pours into the goblet a dark brown, almost pitch black with a thick tan head. Some dark reddish hints around the edges. Smells heavenly. Spicy and yeasty. Alcohol flavors but mixed in with orange peel aromas and sticky sweet malt aromas too. Very inviting. My limited palate will not do this beer justice. Spicy and sweet. Orangey flavors, fruity. The fruity yeasty flavors meld wonderfully with the dried orange peel flavors and I am unable to descern where one ends and the other begins. The thyme mentioned on the bottle is evident in the background. The bottle also states that it is brewed with "alot of dark candy sugar" and they do not lie. Lots of sweet, sticky molasses-like flavors. Hints of brown sugar? Lots of sweet malty flavors that I can’t identify. Just know that they are good flavors. Mouthfeel is sticky and the finish surprisingly bitter. Lots of those molasses tones stuck to the roof of your mouth. With all of this big flavor, very very drinkable. The perfect beer for a cold snowy evening. This beer only gets better as it warms. The bottle suggests 60 degrees. My cellar is close to 50 at this point but it warms beautifully. Easily my favorite Chouffe beer. I just have to get some to cellar before this winter is over, I can only imagine how this would taste with a year or two under its belt.