Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel

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

Huzzah! to d’Achouffe for continuing in their creative ways! It takes a fun brewery like this to create a hopped-up tripel. Great pour - a bright hazy yellow body with an explosively erupting, rocky white head that "chunks" the glass rather than laces it. The aroma is full of hops, floral, pine, and a touch of grapefruit. In the second tier of scents one finds a sweet bready malt, yeast, and alcohol. Light bodied, it leaves a hot, peppery feeling on the tongue. The flavor is a masterful blending of cherries, bananas, sharply sweet malts, white peppers, alcohol, and a serious-although-not-overpowering hoppy bitterness. The hops and the alcohol linger the longest, delivering a dry, bitter finish. Very good. I’m already eagerly awaiting d’Achouffe’s next creation.

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Hazy to cloudy golden liquid with an absolutely huge head. Warning even after setting about for a half hour or so do not attempt to pour straight into the glass, a new and overflowing head will reappear. Not lace, but rather a 1/2 inch of foam clinging to the side of the glass. Light pale malt and citrus course through the nose. Wild flowers and weed in springtime comes to mind. Light citrus and mild pine dominate the flavors. Underlying malt helps reassure the beer qualities. This is an amazing brew in that the 9% is not even close to being felt or tasted. Finish has some pepper and light floral components. This just gets better the longer it is in the glass. I will enjoy this one again.

Bottle@Home, May 09, 3.5: Fresh aroma of citrus and hops. Pale yellow colour, white head, good lace. Malt sweet, very biter, citrus, grassy. Burning from alcohol and bitterness. Powerful and very hoppy. Bottle@chris o, Aug 2007, 3.5: Citrus aroma. Hazy, yellow color, large white head, good lace. Yeasty, citrus, very bitter, light floral, dry mouthfeel. Not too complex but nice.

Bottle: Highly carbonated with very nice white head. Formations abound in this head. Nose is spicy with light hops and Belgian yeast, a bit woody like pine, but overall a more than averagely hopped Belgian ale. Nice spritsy body and a lively mouthfeel. Some expressive hop bitterness in the finish. Decent Belgian IPA (not like it’s a style though) but they’re both here independently.

Draft at Dilly Deli. Hazy amber pour with a large creamy white head that lasted and had good lacing. Moderate yeasty sour fruit aroma. Medium body. Full yeasty sour fruity flavor with a smooth hoppy finsh of moderate duration. Good interesting brew.

Draught at ZBF 2006. Hazy golden colour with a big white head. Fruity hoppy aroma with some spicy hints. Very bitter flavor with hints of pine and resins. Long bitter aftertaste.

Bottled - Chris O shindig 2007 - A blonde beer with a big white head. The aroma is spicy and extra hoppy for the style. Lemon notes also. The taste is highly spicy and hoppy. Over carbonated and really not all that. I had high hopes for this but was disappointed.

Bottle. Golden with a white head. Aromas are yeast and soft citrus with some pine. Some honey in the form of Lockets cough lozenges. Tropical fruit mix with some herbal, floral notes. Flavours are sweet tropical fruit with grapefruit and apricot. Some herbal notes also come through. Yeasty and dry with a peppery finish. Warming alcohol with some light pine bitterness on the finish. Good.