N’Ice Chouffe

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

[1141-20080229] Tap. Mild nothing aroma has a hint of maltiness. Slightly hazy, dark red brown body with a quick foamy off-white head. Flavour is muted but has notes of pencil lead malt. Medium body. Seems plain today.
(@ Kulminator; Antwerp, BE)

Appearance: Dark mahogany-hued body with an inch of creamy-looking, off-white head. Very delicate, powdery lacing on the down. Smell: Sugary, boozy nose with notes of caramel, dried fruits, earthy spices, and orange extract -- it smells like a slice of fruitcake with a shot of liquor poured over top. Taste: Sweet mix of dark candi sugar and caramel upfront followed by dried cherries and a shot of what you’d expect raisin schnapps to taste like. Small savory, peppery hint along with a taste of dried, bitter orange peel. Light bitterness throughout. Sip of spiced wine. The alcohol particularly comes through on the dry finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation. A bit chewy, a bit sticky. Drinkability: The drinkability for this big, warming, spiced concoction is fair. Another fine beer from a fine brewery.

Shared with blankboy, gregclow, and hogtown harry, thanks for the bottle blankboy. Dark brown, medium bubbly off white/orange head, looks nice. Alcohol, spice, sweet aroma. Wonderful taste! Lots of spice, lots of malt, some alcohol. Full bodied for the style, yet balanced with a perfect amount of carbonation. A near perfect taste for the style. Bloody lovely.

Bottle: Caramel fruit aroma. Dark transparent amber with an off-white head. Fruity and woody. Alcohol is noticeable in the finish. Woody aftertaste. Light alcohol burn.

2004 bottle via Kevin. Pours to a beige bubbly creamy head atop a deep woody brown. Nice lacing. The aroma is mildly malty and figgy with a Belgian yeastiness and is woody-ish. Definite Curaҫao apparent in the aroma as well. Spicy with Curaҫao. Light Belgian yeastiness. Creamy and medium-full bodied. No discernable alcohol except a light warming of the gullet.

2006 bottle. Great sweet aroma, malty with plum, raisin, vanilla, a bit of chocolate, sour apple, and toffee. Light orange peel and some underlying spicyness. A little bit of vapory character. Fruity rich and lightly hopped. Aroma is very comforting. Dark coppery brown clear with thin off-white lacing head. Medium-heavy watery body with medium carbonation - goes down very easily, with a bit of warming. Starts sweet with bread, deep fruity esters, plum, some vanilla and spice, woody. Orange peel and some bit of spice in there, a bit herbal but very mellow. Candy sugar, marshmallow, toffee, and light toasted grain. A bit of alcohol, slight warming. Finish is sweet but dried enough by the little bit of hops and floral spicyness. Not sickly sweet as many can be, and leaves you with a nice mellow sweet aftertaste. This is a really nice beer to enjoy on a cold Thanksgiving day.

Not much in te aroma, just a little spicy. This is a nice Belgian strong. The alcohol is noticeable but not bad. I can’t say that I notice the orange peel or the thyme. Mostly just a solid dark Belgian strong.

Spicy, peppery nose; deep ruby color. Quick sweetness up front turns to a spicy, cinnamony middle with a sharp, peppery finish that is dry and chalky. Not as complex as I expected, but great balance. Medium body - not as fat as I thought either. The alcohol was unnoticeable in the flavor profile.