La Chouffe

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Appearance: cloudy medium gold (when poured with lees), with a two-finger white head that shrinks to a thick, soapy collar; lots of residual lace. Aroma: notes of herb garden, spices (clove, coriander), hint of sweet citrus and white bread. Taste: biscuity, with notes of slightly bitter herbs, coriander and clove; sweeter notes more prevalent as it warms. Finish: long, slightly tingling and a little numbing, with sweetness giving way to an herbal remainder. Notes: Very nice BSA. Herbal notes more forward than I’m used to, but nicely balanced, and I liked how it sweetened up just a bit as it warmed. Great palate: silky smooth yet light, with good, gentle carbonation. Solid, very easy drinking for a higher-abv beer. Poured into a Duvel tulip.

Bottle into tulip glass. Poured a nice golden amber with thin head, but thick, and good lacing. Lots of sediment. Nose was quite sweet with a bready, yeast aroma coming through. Taste was appealing. Light citrus, grapefruit maybe, with a dry herbal front. Semi-sweet and bread like. Pretty good.

La Chouffe contains one of my favorite qualities in a strong Belgian ale: restraint. It isn’t a syrupy-sweet morass of spice and wheat, nor does it attempt to flail your brain with incessant alcohol. La Chouffe offers balance, using the European hops (Saaz?) to even out the apple-cider sweetness. Darker than you’d expect, but lovely and golden and picture-perfect for a Belgian. Again, though, what’s with the gnomes? (2008)

Bottle poured into an ol’ trappist glass. The most golden-golden ale I’ve poured, with a thin shimmering head and tight lacing. The scent is of sweet bread, like honey oat with a hint of spice. The spice I would say is stale... oregano! The taste is rather pleasing, for the sweetness of the golden hops is side by side with the spices. The carbonation is generous in this brew, carrying an almost bitter wheat taste in the bubbles. The aftertaste is intriguing, it feels as if I have just eaten a slice of fresh bread soaked in beer! This beer is very playful on the palate, and I would highly recommend this beer with a monster of a fresh, crunchy, meaty, deli sandwich.

SCHIUMA: bianca, buona presenza, abbastanza fine e media persistenza COLORE: oro chiaro leggermente velata INTENSITA’ / FINEZZA / AROMA profumata, in evidenza note fruttate (confettura di albicocche), classici sentori di lieviti belga, piuttosto fini, un fondo maltano e zuccherato e sentori di alcohol ben dosati, leggermente vinosi GUSTO / RETROGUSTO / PERSISTENZA entra fresca, con un dolce fruttato smussato da un pizzicore dovuto all’alta carbonatazione e una punta di citrico, poi con fluidità passa a sapori più dolciastri di confettura, zucchero e compaiono i malti, che accompagnano verso il finale mano nella mano con un leggero amaro di luppolo, sfumature speziate e note alcoliche ( gli 8 gradi ci sono tutti) che stuzzicano le gengive con una sensazione finale quasi piccantina CORPO / CARBONATAZIONE / CONSISTENZA corpo medio, appena aperta molto carbonata ( forse un pelino troppo), anche se lavorano in favore del gioco dei sapori. birra gradevole, equilibrata, che rinfresca al primo sorso e poi scalda con i successivi. Le varie componenti si mescolano molto bene, dando un prodotto di qualità. Dopo la MC chouffe , si riconferma la bonta’ del brand. Unico appunto: un pelino troppo carbonata.

0.75 l bottle. Copper orange color with creamy white head. Nice clean aroma with pepper, clove, coriander, honeyish malt, orange and plenty of fruity esters. Coriander, clove, pepper, herbal hops and fairly firm bitterness in the flavor. Spicy and herbal-bitter finish. Tasty and clean!

I had this on draft at slater’s 50/50 in Anaheim Hills. This is a nicely flavored, golden beer. Good spiciness, paired well with a burger.

pours golden with a thin white head and no lacing. Faint fruit and yeast aroma. taste is rather like cantaloupe with yeast notes. mild hop finish. not terribly impressive.