Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel

Brewed by Brasserie d’Achouffe (Moortgat)
Style: Abbey Tripel
Achouffe, Belgium

Bottle. One of my favorite beers I,ve had to date. Golden color with large head. Plenty of spice & citrus. Interesting concept & I loved it. Looking forward to having on tap

What a wonderful bitter IPA! Pours a cloudy golden color with 3 finger thick head that barely disapates. Lots of wonderful lacing and plenty of hoppy flavors

Murky yellow lookin feller with a big ’ol head. The flavor is somewhat bitter but mostly sour with a dominate lemon flavor and some spices. Sort of an IPA and Tripel mix but I guess thats the point. Its ok but Chouffe has better stuff.

Bottle. I was in the beer store the other day to fill out a trade request, when the beer manager approaches me with this, he tells me it just came in the back, so I told him it is going out the front with me. Pours a hazed dark yellow with an amazing super thick head that overflowed on me while I was trying to read the bottle and pour it at the same time. Just a big white volcanic head. Sweet lemon and yeast nose with hints of citrus hops around. Yep, lots of lemon citrus here, some orange flavor, some dinner roll flavor too. Getting some grapefruit on the back end. The first taste shook me a bit, but I think it was due more to it being the first thing I have tasted today. If I had food in the house this would be a nice meal beer, as is it works as breakfast on it’s own. The earthy flavor from the yeast and the sweet malt background work well with the abundance of hops without over doing it. I like this one. Ap-4 ar-7 tas-7 pal-4 ov-16

This blonde ale poured with a massive white head, most of which dissipated in a few minutes. There is a strong floral aroma, and a very solid body that is much more malty than any other IPA I have tasted. However, the hops and malt blend very nicely to create a unique and satisfying flavor.

Shared with gputty. Lightly hazy gold with a whopper of a white head. Head gets rocky on the way down, forming an "iceberg" in the center of my glass that is left behind even after the brew is gone. Nose is all textbook tripel - fruity, a touch of floral hop and an underlyiny yeastiness. Flavor follows suit, with a bit of a floral hop bite. Alcohol is very well hidden. Excellent!

A large, creamy white head stands steadfast above a light-hazed, golden/amber body, lacing in wet sheets as it settles... and as I drink. I attribute above-moderate carbonation to the etching on my Chimay goblet. (I should mention: the "light hazing" becomes a dense murk of yeast as the last ounces of the bottle are poured.) Aroma is multi-faceted, with a honey sweetness coating the yeasty funk of a sweaty, leather shoe which is crushing graham crackers near the edge of a field of wildflowers. Her flavor is the epitome of balance. Hop, yeast and malt engage in heated conversation, each one at times raising its voice above the others in such a well staged debate that I can’t help but be swayed at every new punctuation. Smooth, creamy, fulfilling palate. Flavors linger in alteration – for a minute I find grasses and herbs, while after another sip I get caramel and cheeses. It’s like watching fireworks... not knowing which burst will surprise you next. Wow. I find that I do not try to deconstruct this beer but am simply (and humbly) enamored of it. I had high hopes for Houblon (which has cellared nearly a year) but as I enter my numbers, I most certainly did not expect it to be one of my highest ranked of 1800+. ~~~~~~~~~ Given to me at my "retirement" party, Aug. 29, 2008, consumed July 2009. (And I apologize for some of the allegory in my review, but sometimes the beer simply takes hold and I run with it.)

750 ml bottle - Hazy golden topped by an extremely intricate and lovely white head. Glass lace is exceptional. I am really digging the aroma. Loads of floral hops, sweet citrus, satsuma comes to mind, and wild yeast underpinning. The flavor is equally as yummy. Sweet at first then a developing bitterness mixed with pepper and more sweetness. Some alcohol comes forth just before the swallow. The finsih is quite bitter. The palate is really nice, medium, with a hop crispness and not syrupiness. An excellent amalgamation of styles.