McChouffe - Brasserie d'Achouffe

TheycallmeTim

New York

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml. bottle poured into an Ommegang chalice.

A--Pours up a pretty ruby chestnut reddish-brown. Head is minimal, maybe a finger, and fizzy cola. Dies quickly and doesn't lace.

S--Raisins, some roasted nuttiness way back there, and a sweet liquer-like back end that's hot in the nostrils. Hot in the nostrils--sounds like a rock band.

T--Bright and earthy at the same time. At first I thought this was just a dubbel lookalike. Now I'm not so sure. The center of it certainly has abbey ale written all over it--has those plummy, raisiny, jammy notes. Yeast is prevalent, too, in a spiciness. But the hops really lend something here: both an herbal quality and an earthy quality. You also get some pepper from either hops or yeast. The saaz and golding are definitely happening, and alongside the lively carbonation cut through the sweetness of the nearly scottish ale malt flavors, which on the finish somehow transmogrify into a chocolate malt nuttiness. Very juicy, but at the same time very lively and spicy/earthy. Hard to describe but lots of fun.

M&D--Again, bright--champagne-like bubbles which normally annoy me but work well alongside the more syrupy dark flavor profile. Drinkability? Yeah, sure. It's worth trying. Watch the ABV on this, though, as the alcohol is well-hidden.

Claims it's a "new style" abbey/scottish ale. All the way. Crafty brewing by the little gnome who, as the story goes, met himself another gnome who wore tartan. This would all be much less charming if the beer wasn't so dang tasty.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2009 00:25:02 | More by TheycallmeTim

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