N’Ice Chouffe

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

(Bottle) This one seemed to be in a hurry, upon opening the foam exploded and parts of the beer ended up on my kitchen floor. Seriously annoying! So what about the beer that didn’t run away? Dark reddish brown colour with huge, but rather brief, beige head, leaving lots of lacing. Huge, fruity nose with dark fruit, orange, banana and a hint of ginger. Rather vinous. Malty, fruity, vinous taste with notes of chocolate, orange, yeast and herbs (spiced with thyme and curacao). Malty sweetness. Full body, smooth mouthfeel. Fiery and warming. Moderate hops, overshadowed by dark fruit, malt and herbs. Very nice beer (but beware when you open the bottle).

On tap in Ghent. Pours dark copper brown with a beige head. Aroma’s of caramel, molasses and more molasses. Velvety silk texture. Very soft on the swallow. Good beer.

Nice, dark carmel color with tan head. Lot’s of banana and malt aroma. Very engaging flavor. Sweets malt and dry hops. Simple, but full and smooth. Has series overtones of rootbeer and old time ginger flavor hard candy.

A very good Belgian quasi-abbey ale. Indeed there is a lot of berry and other dark fruits present both in aroma and in flavor, along with maple, brown sugar, and some citrus way in the background. The carbonation was a little more than necessary. Overall it’s delicious.

Draught at BTAH, into tulip. Pours cloudy brown, somewhere between the colors of dark and milk chocolate, with a full, fluffy, 2 finger off-white head. Some wispy lacing at the top of the glass. Aroma is breaady, yeasty, slight sweet, bit of alcohol. Taste is caramelized brown sugar and a big spicy yeastiness, some roasty bread crust, moving to a full, rich bready, spicy character, with sweet figs in there also. Spicy alcohol makes itself felt also. Finishes with a sweet spiciness - notes of cinnamon, candied figs in the finish. Mouthfeel is soft and lush, softly carbonated, creamy, light but feel. Word class beer, one of my winter favorites.

Poured dark brown, malty, caramel, spice, dark fruits, little vinous, little bready.

Bottle 2009 edition, christmas beer tasting 2009-11-27 have to add the curaco, that was there this year Rating date: 2008-12-30! Color: amber, fudge shiny head. Aroma: Yeast of dark source Flavor: Sweet and nice, heavy hops and bitterness Getting better and better - this one you don’t whant to share - alchole level probebly have to do with this!t Last in bottle in Karlskoga (picked it up from the display window :-)) (Had my first one 2002!)

Bottle(2006) from Whole Foods. Dark maroon color upon pouring. Sweet dark fruity aroma. Some raisin and fig. Fruity sweet flavor. Some yeastiness. Some roasted malty goodness as well. Good quality winter brew. Alcohol is only slightly noticeable.