Mc Chouffe

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

Serve in Thistle

750 ml. Pours a deep red with a whispy whitish head. The aroma is very floral and complex. Lots of spices here like nutmeg, coriander, and clove. A honey sweetness is noted along with bubblegum and lots of flowery scents. This is pretty sweet, but not to the point of being excessive. A distinct oak flavor sort of makes me think of a Scotch ale, but I’d never make that connection on my own. Hints of raisins, port, nutmeg, coriander. . .this almost has a quad feel to it. The mouthfeel is medium with sporadic spritzy patches on my palate. This is pretty darn good, I’m impressed with the Chouffe lineup thus far.

Draft at Duck Island. Pours a clear mahogany with a huge fuffy white head. With La Chouffe already under my belt I was prepared to love this beer, but there just isn’t nearly as much here. To be fair, I have to admit that I tried it right after a pretty amazing DIPA, but still... not much here. A bit of toffee and wood in the nose. The taste is sweet with caramel malt, and a bit of fruit and nuts. I’m thinking these guys should stick to Belgians and the occasional Belgian IPA.

75cl poured into a pint glass. Nice light brown with red tints. Light beige head. Smells nice and yeasty with some alcohol on the nose. Good flavors of candied sugar, light carmel, finishes with a sharp bitterness that fades to a light alcohol end. The moderate to heavy carbonation works well and keeps the mouth crisp with the flavors popping. The end feels slightly creamy. Excellent head retention and a very nice beer.

Red-mahogany with a cream head. Toffee and yeast rule the nose, light butterscotch. Flavor is sweeter but still quite balanced, still showing heavy caramel malt but additionally some wood and alcohol that brings out chocolate and bitter grass in the finish. Creamy, dry beer. One of the better Scotch Ales that I’ve had.

750 ml bottle.
Pours a dark, only slightly opaque brown colour with a large, foamy, natural white head. Aroma of sweet dried fruits and syrup. Flavour of sweet caramel malts, syrup, raisins, mild nuts and some hops in the background. Medium bodied with a thick mouthfeel and a dry, slightly warming, malty finish. Yet another pleasant brew from d’Achouffe.

Green bottle, 750 ml, best before 30/01/12, purchased at the SAQ, drunk in its glass, savoured on July 4 2009; eye: dark caramel with reddish hue, thick, nice beige head that turns into a ring, good lacing; nose: caramel malt, candied fruits, light spices, light tobacco, brown sugar; mouth: caramel malt, candied fruits, light tobacco, light spices, light alcohol, light pepper, brown sugar, somewhat dry finale in malt-candied fruits with presence of alcohol, full body, rather carbonated, mildly sweet, slight astringency, sticky texture; overall: quite likable FRANÇAIS Bouteille verte, 750 ml, meilleure avant 30/01/12, achetée à la SAQ, bue dans son verre, savourée le 4 juillet 2009; œil : caramel foncé avec des reflets rougeâtres, dense, bonne mousse beige qui se transforme en un anneau, bonne dentelle; nez : malt caramel, fruits confits, léger épices, léger tabac, cassonade; bouche : malt caramel, fruits confits, léger tabac, léger épices, léger alcool, léger poivre, cassonade, finale un peu sèche en malt-fruits confits avec présence d’alcool, corsé, plutôt carbonatée, moyennement sucrée, très légère astringence, texture collante; en résumé : bien aimé

Dark reddish-brown body topped with a nice and lasting off-white foamy head. Good malty nose with spicy and yeasty hints. Robust and complex taste that has some notes of toffee, spices, dark berries, and brown sugar. Ends with a long and warm finish. More than drinkable.

Draught (Keg). I didn’t think I would like it, but in the end I found it to be pretty good. Nothing special.