La Chouffe - Brasserie d'Achouffe

JohnnyChicago

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 32oz growler into a wide-mouthed glass.

A: Dirty amber with a cluster of soapy off-white bubbles.

S: Weak, sugary water with some bubblegum and clove phenols that just plain don't smell that good.

T: Follows the smell. Tastes like the watered-down remains of what may have been a good beer. Rough phenols and harsh beerish water taste. Carbonation is abrasive.

D: Dumped the last few oz of my growler. This is off and I'm pretty dissappointed.

Overall: Not sure what was up witht this keg, but this was not a good beer. Tasted old, undercarbonated, underattenuated and maybe even infected. Lots of off-flavours and roughness. Not good.

Serving type: growler

01-26-2012 20:04:45 | More by JohnnyChicago

Knuckles_Nuclear

Missouri

4.56/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours into my snifter a gorgeous golden color with a reddish hue. The pour retained a nice tight head with minimal lacing. The nose has a delicate spice with fresh-bread notes. Not quite clear, yet not cloudy. Very pretty.

I'm really diggin' this brew. Wonderful balance, clean finish. The high ABV was not evident. Refreshing...an all-season ale I could enjoy by the fire in December or on the deck in July. Once again, I will have to re-arrange my Top 5 to include La Chouffe.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 01:14:37 | More by Knuckles_Nuclear

JuliusCaesar

New Hampshire

4.3/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Golden color. Good head retention and lacing.

S: Yeast, spice, and fruit.

T: Follows the nose. Peach and some pepper come through with a light malt backbone.

M: Light and nicely carbonated.

Overall: Great beer. The Smell is an enticing mix of fruit and yeast. It's very drinkable for 8%. A complex and enjoyable Belgian.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 00:56:58 | More by JuliusCaesar

Roman5150

Michigan

4.71/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: large white frothy head, beautiful amber orange color. Unfiltered, lots of particles.

Smell: smells a lot like a delerium and a duvel, you can really smell the citrusy belgian yeast.

Taste: my favorite belgian strong ale, its a lot smoother than the other famous ones. You get all the complex flavors an spice notes you would expect, but the big thing about this beer is the smoothness. Very citrusy, strong notes of coriander and slight banana aftertaste. I taste a lot of apples as well. This is a very refreshing beer.

Mouthfeel: pretty carbonated, very sweet and doesnt leave tour mouth too dry.

Overall: This is one of my favorite beers for any situation. Ive had it on tap in Amsterdam, for my first experience. But honestly i almost like it out of the bottle better. Maybe thats an unfair assesment as I haven't had it on tap in years, but regardless this beer will amaze anyone. Its so drinkable that this could convert even non beer drinkers into avid beer snobs. If you love Delirium or Duvel, you need to give this a shot, you'll probably like it even better.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 18:47:42 | More by Roman5150

Smurf2055

Washington

3.68/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into my Duvel Tulip. I poured a bit too fast, as there’s sediment galore.

Appears dark orange and with a lot of sediment, as previously stated. I thought it was pretty well carbonated on the pour too.

Smells a bit like oranges and cream. Yeasty. From the smell, I feel like it will have a bit of a bite to it. Spicy. Maybe a hint of lavender. Very floral.

I was surprised at how mild it actually was. A lot of citrus working in there. A very nice spice bite as you swallow. Belgium yeast.

Mouthfeel was tingly and not very viscous at all.

Overall, not a bad beer. It’s certainly something I’ll see again down the road, but nothing that knocked my socks off.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 20:07:09 | More by Smurf2055

dar482

New York

4.73/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

The color is a hazy amber orange with a big head.

I tasted this with another beer and the aroma is just delicious. It’s fruity and of
It has an extremely fresh smell of yeast. There’s an off orange, like tangerine, and apple and pear. There’s a bran cereal note with honey.

The taste is similar to the aroma. However, the backbone maltiness carries throughout the mouth quite well. It’s just so very smooth throughout. It’s a good malt and fresh fruitiness and then it just cleans up nicely. There’s a clove, banana there.

This is a dangerously drinkable beer. It hides the alcohol so well and you just want to keep drinking it.

I taste tested this with Duvel and I would say I prefer this because of the smooth maltiness, but also the lovely fruit flavors.

What a wonderful beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 02:53:13 | More by dar482

Beelzebeer

Newfoundland (Canada)

4.53/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle, served in oversized tulip

A - semi-cloudy wheat colour, 1" head that dissipates

S - pale malts, a little funk, some gum-y hops

T - pale malts, a little wheat, sweet without being overly so, maybe a little grape?

M - a little denser than normal, but it really works. Medium-light on the carbonation.

O - very nice! I'd like to do a BPA A/Bing sometime.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 00:45:29 | More by Beelzebeer

elNopalero

Texas

4.58/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

This pours a clear golden color with billowy foam. There’s a vibrant aroma, estery & floral, with notes of coriander and lemongrass. Spot on, it smells great!

The flavor is crisp, bright, with a clear estery finish that showcases some noticeable straw notes. Sweetly dry, this was enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 08:02:28 | More by elNopalero

ujsplace

Pennsylvania

4.41/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a chalice.

A cloudy, golden colored brew with a snow white head that fades fairly quickly, but sticks around for a bit.

Smells of bright fruits, yeast and spice.

Tastes spicy with a nice balance of hops and candied malt sweetness. Peppery and a nice balance of that sweet candied Belgian malt. Nice hop presence that adds just the right amount of bitterness.

Thicker than I'd expect from a BSPA, but thicker is always better. Luscious and creamy.

A very satisfying brew. An instant go-to brew for the style. This was a gift and my first from Brasserie d'Achouffe, but I am definitely impressed with this brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 21:45:29 | More by ujsplace

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml Bottle from the SAQ Gatineau QC for 6$

Appearance - Hazy gold colour with an average size fizzy white coloured head. It's hard to make out the amount of carbonation showing and there is some good acing. The head lasted for 3-4 minutes. There are also some particles floating around in it towards the end of the bottle.

Smell - Breads/grains, grapes, coriander, pepper, hops

Taste & Mouth - There is an above average amount of carbonation and I can taste bread/grains mixed with some grape juice. There is also some corriander/clove mixed with yeast and some hops. It ends with a fruity yet spicy aftertaste.

Overall - An enjoyable beer that was a little bit different than I was expecting. Some nice fruity notes and some spice to balance it out. Not sure I could drink more than 750ml of this in one night though, it's a touch sweet.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 17:16:13 | More by spinrsx

teromous

Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Light gold color, very hazy, fluffy white head, good lacing rings.

S: Various spices come through. A bit peppery, with some lemon scent, some alcohol scent in there as well, and a ginger-like scent. It doesn't smell like ginger, just very similar. Very pleasant and multifaceted in scents.

T: Some caramel, some alcohol characters that are flowery tasting, and some spice quality to the flavor. There is a cream-like taste to it as well. It feels creamy, but there is an actual cream-like taste. Some bitter hop flavors in the background. The aftertaste is more caramel.

M: Very light, creamy and soft, yet bright with carbonation. There is a light bite at the end, with some bitterness. Very carbonated.

O: Overall I thought the beer was very enjoyable. Everything from the caramel flavors to the spiciness was a journey. The alcohol would pop up from time to time, which isn't preferable, but there was enough going on that it didn't detract much from the experience. Belgian beer lovers would really enjoy this beer. I highly recommend seeking it out

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 22:30:58 | More by teromous

Radome

Spain

4.34/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Served from a 750ml bottle bought in Germany.

A - Beer is a medium golden color and very clear. Head is pure white, thick and sticky, made of large bubbles. It persists very well. Constant stream of bubbles rising through the beer. A beautiful beer.

S - Aroma is more hops-forward than I was expecting, but is still very well balanced. Good blend of fresh, green, grassy hops and bready malt. Some cracked grain in the end. Very clean; very nice, but not very deep or complex.

T - Taste is well balanced. There is a light to moderate hop bitterness with gently grassy hops flavor. Balancing that is bready malt with a grainy wheat cracker note. There is a yeast note with black pepper and bubblegum, but fairly faint.

M - Medium body. Sparkly, tingly carbonation. No alcohol burn.

O - This beer was a very pleasant surprise and it can hold its head up with the best of the breed. It isvery clean, well-made and balanced. I consider the appearance to be perfect and the aroma and taste are nearly so, just lacking in depth/complexity to make it the best of the best.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 21:19:40 | More by Radome

Muhly

Alberta (Canada)

3.89/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 33cl bottle into a brandy snifter. Warmed for 15 minutes after removing from the fridge.

A-Pours a slightly cloudy gold/amber colour with a small white head. The doesn't drop completely and leaves a thin layer with some patches thicker than other. Leaves isolated rivulets of lacing.

S-Sweet and slightly sour or citric aroma. Lots of pale malts shining through.

T-Sweet and finishes moderately dry as I expected. The sweetness isn't just one note though as there seems to be a burst of fruit after the initial malty sweetness. I'm also detecting a bit of tartness. After the sweetness the cardamom pops in giving it some spicy/peppery notes. Little to no bitterness.

M-A fair bit of carbonation giving it an almost pop-rock kind of sensation. I get very little if any heat from the alcohol (and it's 8%!!!)

O-Damn, damn, damn this is enjoyable. Refreshing, surprising, and everything I had hoped it would be. It was pricey, but worth it. Definite revisit in the summer season.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 03:59:45 | More by Muhly

Arno

3.5/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

appearance: Hazy gold, off-white head.

smell: citric fruits, lemon/grape. Tad sour yeast, quite sharp and mild hops.

taste: sour/bitter Lemon/Grape with subtle honey like sweetness. Spices i find hard to define. Bready yeast with mild bitter hops.

mouthfeel: Medium thickness, could do with a tad more creaminess to it. Quite a hefty tingly carbonation kick all the way.

overall: Nice refreshing beer, which is dangerous considering the ABV :) Not the best Belgium ale i've had though. Just ok.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 22:07:01 | More by Arno

SStein

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 33cl into a Brasserie d'Achouffe tulip glass.
Pours a hazy golden color, with a white, finger width head. The head slowly goes down to lacing, which slowly becomes lacy islands in the beer.
As you smell it, there is a solid spice smell. It is peppery and has a pleasant burn to the nostrils.
There is definite spice as you drink it. There is some lemon and pepper notes. There is a nice level of hoppiness.
It is medium body with light carbonation. A nice bit of bitterness from the hops. It is very balanced
It is a solid beer, definitely one to add to my regular line up.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 19:16:37 | More by SStein

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours with the slightest of haze. Thick, doughy head flares off to a fine bubbly skin with clusters and patches in certain areas. Head is bleached and leaves light lacing islands.

S-Candied cracker malt with plenty of Belgian yeast and noble hoppiness. Cloves and other spices along with pale-fleshed fruits. A well balanced trio of yeast, hops and malt. Sweetens after every sniff.

T-The spices set up the cracker malt which leads into the hops. Pears set atop crackers. Yeast creeps in during the middle. A slight bit of barny funk and hay. Definitely getting the clove and coriander combo. Lemon zest too.

M-Light and incredibly drinkable with plentiful, yet soft carbonation. Medium bitterness. Booze hidden quite excellently.

O/D-I enjoyed their Dobbelen more but this one is no slouch. The large bottle will disappear quite quickly. Balanced and well-crafted.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 21:07:50 | More by VelvetExtract

jwhancher

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle at a Philly bottle shop for ~$7.00. Knew this was a little much, but because I was brewing a blonde ale this weekend with the La Chouffe strain I decided the price was worthy for research. Allowed the bottle to warm up for 20 minutes out of the fridge prior to sampling.

A: Pours a hazy golden color with nice fluffy white head that dissipates to a thin coating with nice Belgian lacing on the wide-mouth glass sides.

S: Aromas of wheat, fresh bread, lemon peel, coriander, green apple, subtle spices and the typical Belgian Ardennes yeast characteristic.

T: Lemon with a nice bitter bite. Sharpness due to seemingly high carbonation. Wheat is evident with a fresh, doughy white bread-like taste.

M: Feels light to medium. Bitterness & sweetness give balance to one another. Refreshing.

O: A very well brewed artisan beer. Has typical Belgian qualities. Would seem great in the summer months. Glad to have tried, but was expecting a little more complexity.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 17:34:04 | More by jwhancher

Arborescence

Finland

4.35/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Hazy, golden/light brown. Pours a perfect white two finger head, which recedes fairly quickly.

Aroma: Malt and herb-like hops, medicinal qualities, yeasty aromas typical for this type of Belgian Ale.

Taste: Balanced mix of fruity/floral sweetness and malt, with slight bitterness and intriguing herb-like characteristics.

Mouthfeel: Smooth but robust, medium or almost heavy body.

Overall: It's a classic, of course, a near-perfect representative of its style. Always a pleasure, although it could be more adventurous.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 17:17:06 | More by Arborescence

claspada

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out a lightly hazy, golden-hued color with a rather large wispy, white head that recedes to leave some light spotty lacing.

Smell: Aromas bgein with golden blossom honey and some generic rock candy sweetness. As it warms you get some herbal and spice notes of coriander, herbaceous grass and some lavendar perfuminess. There are also green apple skin notes.

The tastes begin with the same sweet, honeyish maltiness with some emerging sweet fruitiness highlighted by lemon, green apple and almost a pineapple twang. As it warms you get the grassy hops and spicy, drying yeasty flavors.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium-plus carbonation. Finish is on the drier end but appropriate for any classic Belgian ale.

Overall while this is not my favorite of the "Chouffes" it is still a quality example of the style and probably one of my favorite of the Belgian Pale Ale category. The Ardennes yeast is less phenolic and estery than many other Belgian yeast strains which makes this much more drinkable and enjoyable overall.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 20:10:03 | More by claspada

spoony

Colorado

4.35/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From a 750 ml into a tulip.

A-An orange-tinted brew. Mostly clear with a fair amount of visible carbonation. The head was two fingers of shiny, dirty-white foam, and pretty thin to start, but it receded into a dense cap that never really left.

S-I picked up a little bit of green apple to go along with the spicy orange, sweet alcohol, and light malts. There was just a hint of hoppiness, too. Nice complexity to the smell, but pretty subtle.

T-The apple is mostly gone and the taste is nicely integrated alcohol (the alcohol heat and spice are definitely noticeable, but these characteristics enhance the beer), along with some citrus and light malt. I noticed a trace of bitter, peppery hops as the beer finishes.

M-Lighter to medium bodied with pretty substantial carbonation. The carbonation carries the beer through your taste buds and into your throat, but the beer never feels overly gassy.

O-I knew I loved the Chouffe and this beer confirmed that for me. Subtle aroma, perfectly integrated flavors, and excellent balance on the mouth. This a beer you could drink a lot of and never get tired of it. A great example of how things don't need to be overdone to be good.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 04:36:49 | More by spoony

ckollias

Maryland

4.23/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this 11.2oz stubby brown bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden-orange hue with a thin, 1-finger, white head that quickly dissipates into a wispy lace leaving a wispy lace.

S: Spicy Belgian yeast aroma with hints of citrus fruits.

T: Creamy and spicy Belgian yeast flavor with a citrus background and hints of hops.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Excellent Belgian brew – one of the best around.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 03:40:07 | More by ckollias

Serge

Alberta (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

An orange beer with a fantastic light orange head. The aroma is fantastic: it is malts sweet with notes of alcohol, fruit, oranges, coriander, and cinnamon - a wonderful nose. The flavor too is fantastic - it starts with a nice malts sweetness containing notes of oranges, fruit, coriander, cinnamon, and alcohol. In the end, the alcohol sting your tongue, before it leaves you with a sweetness that lingers on your tongue and lips. It has a very nice palate. This is a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 21:13:47 | More by Serge

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

4.41/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bottle into chalice glass, from notes. The look of this beer is perfect, pleasant golden colour and amazing retention right to the end a foamy cap and excellent lacing.

Smell is quite subtle, yeasty with soft fruit notes, crisp and dry mineral notes, really soft and balanced.

Taste is pretty amazing, a perfect balance of bready malt, solid amount of citrusy hops and a bit yeast influence, soft florals, perfect complexity, and so much integrated flavour. Pleasant light hay notes, bready with soft mineral punctuations, a decent amount of hops coming through as well which is nice.

Mouthfeel has a moderate body, appropriate carbonation, nicely dry on finish. Very easy to drink, satisfying amount of body and great long finish.

Wonderful beer. Seek it out. Exceptionally well-balanced

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 13:11:48 | More by mick303

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sample I got fizzed quite a bit when I opened the bottle, but not so much that I needed a towel - just had to pour some out before it got messy. Aroma is fruity, yeasty and a bit woody, not strong but still appealing. Pours a nice clear bright solar yellow with a thick and fluffy, if none too persistent, white head. Flavor is better and stronger than what the aroma promised - fruity, malty, a little yeasty with a hint of butterscotch. Must be butterscotch. Texture is firm-bodied and a little syrupy; fizz is not strong but lasts, leaving a nice, fruity, tingly, slightly sweet finish. Worth ten bucks for 750 ml? Definitely.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 17:28:19 | More by Cyberkedi

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330 mL bottle acquired at the MLCC. BB 02/2015. Poured fridge cold into a perfect pint glass.

Pours a clear straw with a nice fluffy white head that drops to a cap and leaves light lacing. Very nice nose of pepper, straw and hints of barnyard. Body has a fairly strong sweetness at first that later gets overpowered by earthy hop. Nice amount of pepper with notes of apple juice. Overall a fine beer, worth drinking more of.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 02:10:42 | More by kjyost