N’Ice Chouffe

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

Green bottle, 75 cl, best before 05/09/2009, savoured on September 20 2008; eye: brown with golden caramel reflections, hazy, no effervescence, good creamy beige head that remains; nose: malt, caramel, candied fruits, alcohol, slight cigar, light fruity, molasses, yeast; mouth: malt, caramel, candied fruits, alcohol, slight cigar, slight spices, slight fruity, molasses, slight liquorice, yeast, finale in caramelized malt with a good presence of nicely warming alcohol, medium-full body, tingly in the back of the throat, mildly sweet, slightly bitter, silky and creamy texture, below-average carbonation; overall: quite likable FRANÇAIS Bouteille verte, 75 cl, meilleure avant 05/09/2009, savourée le 20 septembre 2008; œil : brune avec des reflets caramel doré, voilée, pas d’effervescence, bonne mousse beige crémeuse qui demeure pendant la dégustation; nez : malt, caramel, fruits confits, alcool, très léger cigare, léger fruité, mélasse, levure; bouche : malt, caramel, fruits confits, alcool, très léger cigare, très léger épices, léger fruité, mélasse, léger réglisse, levure, finale en malt caramélisé avec une bonne présence d’alcool réconfortant, corps moyen-corsé, pétillement en arrière-gorge, moyennement sucrée, très légèrement amère, texture soyeuse et crémeuse, carbonatation sous la moyenne; en résumé : bien aimé

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.

Nutty. Rich. Carmel mixed with some hops. I stayed in the La Chouffe room in a hotel in Oostend. The bar had two giant gnomes for taps. I like this beer.

Opaque deep ruby amber with large, large bubbled lasting beige head. Spicy ginger cinnamon aromas when cold - moving to malty festive plum pudding, rum and raisin as it warms. Palate is relatively light and crisp for such a high ABV brew. Flavorus are medium low caramel malt sweet with medium hoppy bitterness and a touch of that gingery spice, some alcohol and yeast. Finish was medium light short bitter. Hummm . . . .maybe I was expecting a bit more in the flavour stakes otherwise it’s quite um . . .nice?

750ml - 2006 - Aroma of dark fruits, holiday spice and a touch of citrus. Pours dark brown with a small head and good lacing. Flavor matches aroma. Palate is smooth with a tart finish. Not a lot to say, but a great tasting brew.

Dark Brownish red color, hazy, with a moderate whitish tan head. Aroma is alcoholish, fruity, sweet, and yeasty. Flavor is dry(alcohol) with a sweet finish, with some hop bitterness. Great Beer!

750ml bottle. 2006 edition sampled in March 2008. Very murky reddish-brown color. Still retains a good head on it, perhaps not as over the top as a fresh bottle. Highly reminiscent of a Barleywine, but with a more elegant herbal and spice finish. Sweet and full bodied, with a nice warming finish. Hardcore.

Enjoyable, no longer remarkable. A Belgian strong with a hint of orange peel and some sweet spicing. I really do want more intensity and more complexity in a strong beer, not just a quick alcohol slam.