N’Ice Chouffe

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

(bottle 750 ml - 2007 vintage) Dark ruby pour with a very thin tan head. Aroma is sweet and spicy with hints of cloves, toffee, plums, raisins, caramel malts, and alcohol. Flavor has lots of sweetness and spice. A lot of raisin, plum, and pear notes at the beginning with a spicy middle of cinnamon, cloves, and anise, and a lightly bitter and warming finish. Medium bodied with good carbonation.

A bridge between a dark strong and spiced holiday ale. Nose is of anise, clove, chocolate, toffee and plum, raisin and fig esters. Medium to lighter body, slight warmth but no slickness. Additional coffee, dark chocolate and brown sugar notes in the flavor, with a slight citrus and earthiness from the hops. The overall impression isn’t too sweet, more rich and complex and warm.

2007, 750 mL bottle courtesy of Butters at the Barrios Nashville tasting. Poured a muddy brown color with ruby red highlights and a two finger off white head. The aroma was thyme, coriander and a sour note. The flavor was very spicy, with some warming alcohol, and a bit of metal on the tip of the tongue. The palate was average, with a very dry mouthfeel, average carbonation and a medium body.

2007 bottle at Barrio’s tasting courtesy of Butters. Pours a murky brown with a beige head. Aroma of dried thyme and Belgian esters. Medium bodied with a fine Belgian effervescence. Flavor of dark wheat malt, spice, candi sugar, and yeast. Detectable alcohol on the finish, but not overbearing. Good beer.

2007 Bottle at Barrios’ Impromptu Tasting to pop Smitty’s Surly. Pours a clear mahogany with fair light tan head. Nose is alcohol, plum, caramel. Anise, light chocolate, dark berries, and some yeasty banana qualities. Medium chewy body with large amount of carbonation that makes it feel a little creamy.

Bottle that I got free from a co-worker whose husband got it as a secret santa gift and doesn’t like good beer. Score! Pours cloudy light brown with a thin off-white head. Yeasty aroma with spice and sweetness. Sweet flavor up front giving way to spice and hop with a candi sugar finish. Not a big fan of the style, but this was good.

Pours a thick mahogany color, with a bubbly champagne-looking head. Little christmas spice note on the aroma, earthy and crisp. Taste is of spice, alcoholic chocolate, raw sugar. Meh, not bad, alcohol flavor is overpowering.

Reddish brown pour with small head. Malts and yeasty aroma with alcohol and coffee/caramel hints. Flavor of malts and fruity notes with strong alcohol finish.