N’Ice Chouffe

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Bottle. Deep orange brown with a big beige head. Plummy dark fruity aroma with some underlying spiciness. The flavor has dark fruits, some caramel, and unidentified spices.

UPDATED: DEC 17, 2005 Bottle: Red brownish colour with a creamy minor shortlasting head. Taste of fruit and spiced. Well balanced, but a very alcoholic finish. Draft: much better beer than the bottled one, much more aroma and taste

In the 750 mL bottle from Beertopia. Pours a dark brown color with strong red highlights and a thick durable beige head of tiny bubbles. Mildly carbonated body and beautiful lacing remain. Aroma is earthy and orange coriander. Flavor is peppery on the tip of the tongue and the mouth is overcome by a giant wave of raising/plum excitement. Mild, but lingering hop spiciness remains long after the swallow. Plenty of orange flavors reside as well.

8/29/10. 2007 750mL bottle. Dark brown pour, very deep red when held to the light. A fizzy khaki head that fades to a film fast. Sweet, spicy aroma that reeks of alcohol, damn, this is 3 years old? Was this everclear when fresh? The flavor is huge sweet malt and dark sugar. Whoa this is sweet and boozey. A hint of orange in there, and spicy Belgian yeast. Meh.

Bottle. 2009 vintage. Poured a hazy amber color. Soap bubble tan head with decent retention. Smelled of dark dried fruits, spices, and a bit of chocolate. Medium to full bodied and sweet with very low carbonation. Lots of spices in the flavor with molasses and dark fruits. I also got a bit of salted meat.

Sample @ Norøl juleølfestival’07. A cloudy brown beer with a dense, lasting yellowish head. Initial aroma of malt-sweetness and yeast, followed by some pleasant whiffs of wood, mouldy cellar, fruiity acidity and spices. Taste is refined suger-sweeetness and malt-sweetness with notes of berries, yeast, farmyard and wood. Medium to full body. Lingering bitter-sweet finish. A very nice, tasty and challenging Belgian.

750 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. ABV is 10%. 19 degrees Plato. Refermented in the bottle, unfiltered and unpasteurised. Ingredients include sugars, thyme and curacao. Hazy reddish dark brown colour, huge tan head. Pleasant but fairly moderate aroma with vinous notes, notes of oak and spices, hints of farmhouse. The flavour is distinctly spicy and oaky, with a substantial but not overwhelming sweetness from the malts and sugars. Some yeasty notes. Distinct hoppy bitterness in the aftertaste. Warming mouthfeel, but the 10% ABV does not dominate. As a Christmas beer, this one is better suited to accompany an English Christmas pudding than a main course of meats or fish - but is also nice to drink on its own.

Very sweet, rich, caramel and brown sugar, dark fruits. Extremely spicy as well. A bit over the top, really, though reasonably nice.