N’Ice Chouffe

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

In the 750 mL bottle from Beertopia. Pours a dark brown color with strong red highlights and a thick durable beige head of tiny bubbles. Mildly carbonated body and beautiful lacing remain. Aroma is earthy and orange coriander. Flavor is peppery on the tip of the tongue and the mouth is overcome by a giant wave of raising/plum excitement. Mild, but lingering hop spiciness remains long after the swallow. Plenty of orange flavors reside as well.

Bottle. Clove, berry and thyme aromas. Dark brown with large tan head. Spicy hops up front followed by a nice sweet raspberry flavor and ending with alcohol burn. Nice beer - very well balanced with a complex flavor that doesn’t allow the alcohol content to overwhelm the more subtle flavors. A nice beer to sip while smoking a pipe (which is what I’m doing right now).

Medium coarseish beige lasting head. Deep dark translucent red body with vigourous carbonation. Fruity yeasty bready licorice and spice aroma. Dry sharpish licorice and fruit taste with spicy peppery notes. Considerable alcohol heat as well as carbonation in the mouth. Dry wooden spicy alcoholic licorice aftertaste. Some chocolate, too. Surprisingly light in body and taste. Very nice! (0.75l bottle, a Christmas gift from hcalsos.)

Dark hazy reddish brown, big creamy beige head with long duration. Yeasty aroma of anise, cherries, coriander, dark plums, wood and pepper. Yeasty flavour of caramel black berries, spices and toffee with a acidic undertone. Long yeasty finish of plums, cinammon, figs, dried cherries and alcohol. Nice one!

2006. I have yet to be disappointed by a Dachouffe beer. This is sweet and malty. There is lightly fruit and a solid base of sweet malt with the hops no where to be found. It might best be described as a classic Belgian strong; it doesn’t try to push any boundaries or make you think too hard. Dark brown and medium carbonation.

Bottle. Dark amber-brown with a big beige head. Spicey aroma with yeast and dark fruits. Very yeasty flavor with sweet malt and subdued citrus and herbs. Rich and complex. Alcohol’s there, but it goes down easily.

Pours a murky brown color with yeast sediment in suspension, thin head. Very pleasant, complex and subtle aroma of thyme, curaçao, bread and sugar. Very good flavor of caramel, malt, curaçao, it seems to be fruity too, slightly acid and sweet finish. Full body, full enough to hide it’s alcohol content of 10%, slightly liquorous texture, soft carbonation. Very good, well-balanced, n’icely done !

Aroma consists of dark malts, fruit and anice. Bit bready and some yeast. Dark brown coloured with a lasting, off-white head. Taste is sweet, malty, anice again. Some bread. Balanced taste.