Mc Chouffe

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

Serve in Thistle

Tasted 22/08/2008. 750ml bottle from Regionals, with Steve, on the occasion of his 45th. Red-to-ox-blood, slight hazy, with a diminishing light tan head. Spicy nose with Mackintosh’s caramel toffee and resiny toffee (toffee apples). Resiny toffee note continues in the mouth, with a hint of candy-like malt sweetness and a pleasant woody spice in the herbal hop finish. Very nice. More please.

Pours brown with a big rocky off-white head. Fantastic lacing. Aroma is very estery, apricot, spicy yeast, raisens, chocolate and rum. Warming body, quite rich and syrupy... however the flaovurs come on a little lighter than expected. I noted chocolate, butterscotch, peach and light flowery hops. The finish is rather alcoholic and fruity. Great beer.

What a nice, warming brew. Although I’m a confirmed hophead, I enjoy a good Scotch ale, and this is an interesting Belgian twist on the style. It’s got a clear, deep nutty brown body with a tall, rocky beige head. The aroma is a rich, slightly smokey, somewhat nutty malt, a modestly caramel sweet malt. The body is thick and syrupy, delivering a sweet, smokey malt flavor that slides down way too easily. The finish is sweet and warm, although the sturdy abv doesn’t truly makes its presence known until it’s well into your system. Very, very nice.

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With the Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel hot off our palates, the gnome’s next of kin was called upon, a brew with a surprising outset. Of Scottish inspiration, the Mc Chouffe was still overwhelmingly Belgian in all respects. In appearance, a familiar moated structure of dense beige lather sprung from the streams of carbonation whirling through the glowing red tide. Obvious fig and caramel leaped forth, accentuated by the light noble hopping, and a steadily increasing complexity. Vanilla custard appeared shortly thereafter, releasing a legion of fascinating scents, from dusty pear to moss, through a series of fruits and spices including plum, banana, coriander and an unexpected hint of curry. Onto the palate, subtly weaved flavors develop upon a base of refreshing mineral water. Custard, delicate nutmeg and the chewy, buttery Nougat of Montélimar resound most conspicuously. The quiet character of this beer is reflected by the smooth and soft mouthfeel - a very relaxing effect. Dry malts, yeast and faint papaya form a long and enjoyable aftertaste to conclude the experience. A unique and enjoyable brew, but it seems to have lost the implied Scottish influence - for better or for worse.

Deep reddish brown with lacy head. Musty, earthy, mushroomy aroma with flavors of wet grass and cola. Pleasingly strange.

75 cl bottle. Dark brown color and long sticky head. Sweet and malty flavour. It tastes more Belgian than Scottish.

Tap@Ølbaren. Brown with a rudy twist. Beige dissapearing head. Pleasant aroma with notes of sweetness, spices and yeast. Soft and fullbodied with complex balanced taste and a warm aftertaste.

[bottle from peckhams] pours brown with a huge fluffy head.nose is roasted caramel, sweet with a little nuttyness. well bodied, well masked, easy drinking.