N’Ice Chouffe

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

750ml bottle (Drink Shop, Tallinn)
6 Gentle aroma, slight roast maltiness, a touch of apple.
4 Rich reddy brown, fizzy head settles to a ring and small patch in the middle, supported by a nucleation site in the stem.
6 Sweet apply almonds in the retronasals, some cherry too. Dry and papery marzipan/almond taste in the mouth. Quite a waft of alcohol too.
3 Crisp palate, lively carbonation. Finish a little fruity, but more herby and bitingly bitter. Tingle lasts quite a long time, but the long finish is like dry old stale hops.
12 Doesn’t cover the alcohol as well as many, but that’s because it’s not so laced with sugars as others.

UPDATED: NOV 28, 2004 Deep dark brown with a big off-white head, quickly fading. Big spicy aroma of cloves, thyme, cinnamon, a little hay-ish and definitely on the sweet take (caramel, toffee) with light notes of alcohol. Taste is more of the same original spiciness, very smooth altogether. I swear you taste the barley in there, siding sweet chocolate and candyish toffee. How belgians manage to balance their beers to avoid being cloying through spices keeps me in total awe. Slightly alcoholic finish. Creamy medium body, rather carbonated. Good, but I still prefer their Chouffe and McChouffe, so it’s a mild disappointment.
Resample many months later. I still don’t see this as my favorite achouffe product, but I liked it more than the first time, having this last version 1yr and a half older than the last one. Nice parsley and herbal flavors. Great flavor integration. Doesn’t get overly sweet, nice spicy bitterness. Soft mouthfeel. Rising from 3.7 to 3.9.

The king of Chouffe. Light head on dark orange colour. Medium mouthfeel. Lace, some yeast, sugar. This is a controlled orange taste and spice beverage, worthy of the sip. Yes there could be thyme. 2006.

My first "Christmas" beer of the season, and a damn fine one at that. Pours great turbid dark brown with a medium, off-white head. Aroma of malt, barnyard, similar to Westy 12. Tastes malty, with great complexity and balance, and a slightly dry finish. I detected spices, florals, citrus, and dark fruits in the taste. A world class beer.

750mL bottle, 2005 vintage. Poured fiery reddish-orange wih a coating, well-retained cap of tan head. The aroma picked up dark fruits and dry banana bread with peppery spices, orange peel, and green herbs around.. thick yeasty impression with lesser spice on the back of the nose.. very good! The flavor had a soft bready and dark fruity base surrounded by a great array of spices and heavy yeast.. orange peel, cardamom, cinnamon, and white pepper came to mind.. more fruit and dry spice on the finish. Medium-bodied with moderate-to-high carbonation on the palate.. building warmth that extended to the belly well after the finish.. balance was good, and the mild oxidation really didn’t have a negative effect. Good stuff!

Aroma gives thistles, ginger and yeast. Tste is similar a slittle sweet but generally very balanced. Alcohol is hidden to a remarkable level. The easiest 10% 75cl iv ever had.

75 cL bottle from www.belgianshop.com. Pours mahagony with minute bubbles quickly rising to greet a rocky tan head; creamy lined lacing. Yeast (earthy, cobwebs) and oak, caramel malt aroma, alcohol notes and wheay dough. Sweet candied caramel, maple malt like brown sugar melting on your tongue flavor, medium bitter and acidity, spicy apple hop notes. Medium warm body with a fizzy, spicy dry finish.

Bottle. Pours a big brown cloudy body with a big head. Aroma and flavor of fruit raisins and peach, light floral hops, and a big etoh warming in the finish. good.