N’Ice Chouffe

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

This beer was the high point of my vacation in Illinois. Very dark brown with good lasting head. Malt and carmel with smooth finish. I do not know if it is available in Central New York, but you can be sure I’ll look for it.

This is great, great stuff. Easily the smoothest beer I’ve ever had above 7% (it’s 10%) and one of the smoothest ever. Plums, raisins, and a very enchanting honey quality make this like a thick mead. Very rich and extremely subtle, the opening, mid-palatte and finish are very synonymous.

On tap, had this several times in winter @ Café Gollem. This is the stuff that makes you go through the storms of winter to a bar. Nice dark reddish/brown appearance, off white head. Aroma of dark fruits, brown sugar, some alcohol, some yeast. Flavour is just perfect, really smooth flavours of dark fruits, molasses, some spices, brown sugar. Soft alcohol finish. In general the alcohol is very well hidden. Soft palate, making this highly drinkable. Very, very N’Ice.

Limited Edition 2007. dark red ruby brown with a scant white head. Candy aroma with faint caramel. Medium effervescent mouth. Malty flavor with spices. Very complex, my favorite Christmas ale during a 9-beer tasting of various Belgian Christmas ales.

e75cl Bottle. Poured a murky dark reddish brown with a white tan head that lasted to the end lacing the sides of the glass all the way down. Aroma was a had a alcohol smell with a sweet fruity aroma. The hops just hints the flavor of this beer giving it just the right kick that it needs. Be care with this beer it is 10% alcohol but you don’t really notice it in the flavor of the beer to much. With the sweetness of honey or carmel and the fruits and with the roast malts you should enjoy this beer all the way to the bottom of the glass.

Dark raisen in color, creamy malt head. Smells of wine and sweet prunes. Tastes peppry, with notes of leather and fruit. Finishes clean with little after taste.

On Draught at Brouwers in Seattle. Highly recommended, possibly the best beer I’ve had all year. Aroma is dried fruit forward, followed by sweet malt and an excellent floral hop boquet. Beer is a vary dark brown with a strong amber undertone, slightly hazy, with a good off-white head that leaves excellent belgian lace on the glass. Flavor is malt forward, lots of carmel, tons of dried dark fruit and low hoppiness. Flavors blend together excellently with this complexity, no clashing here. Body is moderate, as well as the carbonation and feel; great creamy finish. Overall, a very complex beer that should wow anyone. It’s hard to put this much into one bottle and not find something standing out too much to object to. Well made.

This is the beer for winter! Full bodied and creamy, dark red-brown colored one with some delicious sediment in the body, a creamy tan head. Fruity and fine spicy-herbal thyme in the aroma, toasted grains. Complex body, fruity flavor with the herbal thyma again.