La Chouffe

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

(bottle) Bubbling, hazy golden body with a medium white head. Aroma has pear, banana, spices, and earthy notes. Moderately sweet flavor, citrus, bread, and some funky, wild-earthy flavors and a hint of citrus. Drier on the finish with a warming alcohol sensation at the end. Medium bodied and lively carbonation.

Small bottle. Pours cloudy golden with a small white head. The nose is nicely funky, but not really sour. Maybe something like wild hay. Light citrus and papery hops come out to work with the fruity esters. I was a little surprised to find this sweetness in the flavor. It’s certainly not exessive, but the aroma lead me to believe this would be a rather dry tasting beverage. Lots of orange, lemon, and grassy notes. The finish brings out more fruits and a lingering, juicy sweetness. Pretty decent stuff.

Sweet grain malt and hop aroma. Smells like boiling wort. Cloudy golden color with a large white head that quickly diminishes. Initially sweet with a mild tangy finish. Light palate.

pours a semi-cloudy orangish with a very large white foamy head, lively carbonation, sediment floating around, very good lacing.
smell is apricot, peach, pear, yeast, and spice.
taste is dry and thick on the tongue, peach, pear, spice, malt, slightly sour, finishes dry with just a touch of bitterness.

Bottled, Cloudy golden with some floaties present. This one is obviously past its prime. Still has nice citrus, coriander aroma going, but it’s overpowered by oxidation. Still drinkable, but a disappointment. Would love to tast this fresh.

On tap. Pours hazy golden with a nice white head. Good lacing. Nose of yeast, oranges and correander. Sweet caramel flavour with mild hops, spices and notes of yeast. Medium bodied. More dry and slightly bitter finish. A very enjoyable beer.

On tap at De Deugniet Café, Amsterdam.
Cloudy golden coloured, medium sized white head, spicy cidery nose. Vinous honey, fruity and yeasty taste with notes of coriander, orange peel, green apple and touch of vanilla. Alcohol is well balanced. Intensive spicy bitterness in the finish and long aftertaste.

Cute label and kind of expected same from taste, maybe some simple and bright. Actual experience was far from the label. The well balanced aroma and flavor were well balanced sporting many well defined flavors. The flavor of banana baby food and pumpkin spices, the grassy flavor of some bitter hops, the bread like flavor of malt, all with a pretty significant sweetness made for a constantly evolving flavor. I need to serve this to friends.