La Chouffe

Amsterdam 08. On tap. Pours a clear golden with a big white head. Smells fruity with a hint of pineapple. Sweet with yeasty citric aromas. Also some corriander and spicy hops notes. Medium to full bodied. Dry finish.

Enjoyed at The Stable. Pours a cloudy gold and could pass as a hefe. Aroma offers a nice orange peel along with yeast. Flavor was also full of orange with yeast. Some nice hop provides floral notes as well as some bitterness. Multifaceted and very interesting. An enjoyable beer.

(Bottle, Stockholm Beer Festival, 27 Sep 2008) Golden yellow colour with frothy, white head. Fruity nose with tropical fruit, pineapple and hints of yeast. Fruity taste with notes of tropical fruit, pineapple, citrus, hints of yeast and generous doses of spicy hops in the finish. Rather sweet. Nice and solid beer.

Blonde foncée avec une mousse épaisse qui dure. Goût pétillant épicé avec une bonne amertume.

Large headed in foamy white over a particulate-hazed, golden/amber body. The head falls slow and sticky, leaving crusts of lace down the sides of my goblet. Fresh, green, spicy aroma is all florals and herbs which gives a sweet, yeasty base a little something more to sing about. Since my first hearty swig is a sugar-cloyed cottonmouth of fluff, I take a step back and relax now that I know what to expect. And LaChouffe becomes an enjoyable slow-sipper, a tad sweet but multi-layered... subtle yeasts, honey, florals, berries, a hint of herbs and a lingering clovish spice above that persistent sugar sweetness. Interesting to be sure, but either a little too delicate for my palate or, quite possibly, for the mood I’m in today.

Presented to me on a day to celebrate a new path in my life... enjoyed on a day to contemplate a new path for my wife.

Pours hazy orange with minimal head. Aroma is a spiced fruity blast. Light body, with a bit too much carbonation. The flavor is similar to the aroma, with more opportunities to pick out the different aspects. There is a citrus tang to it. Not very sweet. Orange, alcohol, cinnamon, coriander... the whole gang is here. The hops are very subdued, but extremely well balanced.

Aroma is fruity and yeasty. Also smells of spices. Very complex, could smell this bad boy all day. Color is golden yellow with a small but steady head with good carbonation. Taste is of fruity yeast and some hops with a follow up reminder of alcohol. Very crisp. Lacing is moderate. Mouthfeel is a little too light for me. Still a solid brew.

Bottle: Pours a nice hazy golden with a thick and creamy off white head. Very aromatic- sweet pale Belgian malts, dates, honeydew, fruity esters along with subtle spiciness of cinnamon, allspice and gingersnap cookies. The palate is creamy and peppery. The flavor has a great balance of sweet Belgian malts and spice character- glazed pastries, honey, coriander, bread crust, vanilla/toffee, later yeasty spiciness of peppery phenols and spice notes of spruce and cinnamon. Pretty hard to describe, but it’s complex in it’s subtlety. Elegant and unique.