La Chouffe - Brasserie d'Achouffe

UCLABrewN84

California

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

On tap at The Lab Brewing Company in Agoura Hills, CA.

Pours a slightly hazy honey orange with a white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of grain, fruits, spices, yeast, and some slight banana aromas. Taste is the same with a nice spice finish. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2012 02:27:22 | More by UCLABrewN84

watthree

New York

4.28/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Was a little hard to see the color because it was very dark in the bar, but it seemed fairly golden with a thin head.

Smell was somewhat spicy with only a hint of fruit. Maybe a hint of sweet.

Taste was crisp, with hints of spice and sweet along with peach notes.

Light mouthfeel. Carbonation is apparent.

Alcohol was very subtle for an 8% beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 14:14:56 | More by watthree

sfprint

Germany

4.08/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Exp 11/2012
A: Puffing column of carbonation up the center, sediment city, oranger than a moderately steeped black tea. head resembles boiled noodle scum.
S: Alcohol apparent though dressed up as a thickness, peachish syrup, moderately yeasty, floral.
T: A hair tart/bitter although I tried to keep out the yeast. Preserved peachy fruitiness, with a floral punch at the end which i find quite special and nice.
S: on the soft side with soft carbonation. a hair creamy.
O: Pretty darn good for the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 01:25:51 | More by sfprint

Etan

Illinois

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

Served from a green 25.4oz bottle into a brandy snifter.

A: Mellow golden haze with a head of fine bubbles, devolving into some wispy traces on the beer's surface. Light lacing.

S: Light pale malt and yeast, with some mild peach and nectarine and classic Belgian yeast, white wine-like.

T: Dry apricot, unripe white peach, vanilla cake, slight hop bite flashes by, golden raisin, assertive yeast, mellow honey. Alcohol is almost unnoticably melted into the yeast-malt flavors.

M: Very fine but pervasive carbonation. No alcohol bite.

O: Alcohol, like most good Belgians, is very well-hidden. Classic Belgian pale profile; very smooth and tasty but nothing jumps out as extremely special.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 03:53:45 | More by Etan

Drinkerofales

California

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark gold and cloudy with hints of brown. A medium almost white head forms and is quick to go. Fine lacing is left behind as the tulip is emptied.

Smell is of that Belgian yeast, clove, coriander. A light citrus hops and candy.

Taste is complex, caramel and lightly toasty malts up front with the spices throughout, yet not overpowering. A nice tangy yeast on the finish.

The medium bodied brew feels light and smooth. The fine bubbles make this easy to drink, and I want to drink more.

What a nice beer. Great complexity yet relatively easy to drink. The gnomes are coming to my house again.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 09:47:26 | More by Drinkerofales

Douberd

Netherlands

3.6/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 330 ml bottle.

The colour is hazy golden yellow, with bubbles rising to the top. Thick head when poured, remains about 1/4 intact after a while, leaving lacing on the glass.

Smells of caramel and alcohol.

Taste is bitter, the high alcohol is no traceable.

Medium thickness on the palate.

Overall a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 17:28:49 | More by Douberd

bobhits

Kentucky

3.88/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

I freaking love yeast in beer. This one really shows off the thick cloudy chunky yeast. The blend of golden straw color and orange chunks of yeast is nice but not amazing.

Rich caramel sweetness that enhances the spiced apples, plums, and raisens.

Smoother bready caramel with layer upon layer of rich dark fruits, apples, and a nice hint of spice.

The 8% here doesn't really get noticed, but the smooth and creamy body really does work.

This isn't my style, but damn it's good. A great example of an ok style.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 00:09:39 | More by bobhits

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

dbaker61

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

330 mL bottle, best before March 2014.

Appearance: With a careful pour down the side of the glass, got just under a finger of off-white foam, dissipated in under a minute. Expected a bit more after reading other reviews. Brown-shade amber in color, with just a few visible bubbles. Just a bit of lacing over a quarter of the glass as I drank.

Smell: Caramel, candy sugar, citrus and a slight spice note; nutmeg?

Taste: Refreshing bitterness, but without a lot of the maltiness I expected. Is this La Chouffe? Maybe it's being faked here in China. There is a zing in the flavor, but not much of the aroma is reflected in the taste.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied. The bitterness is up front and personal. Slight alcohol presence detectable. Very dry, with a slightly sweet aftertaste.

Overall: I was expecting more. It has been a while since I had La Chouffe, but I thought it would have more body and a more complex flavor profile. Are they tuning this to the Chinese palate? I'll try it again once I return to the States, but this experience was mediocre.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 14:06:58 | More by dbaker61

kylehay2004

Florida

4.38/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Two finger frothy head on a dark golden hazy body with nice lacing. Aroma is excellent with a distinct musty floral note with a fruity background. Taste is also on the floral side. The coriander is robust in the one with a semi sweet fruit flavor as well. Medium body and light to moderate carbonation. I enjoyed this one and will get it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 23:53:24 | More by kylehay2004

Raven3464

Japan

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: The beer pours a golden body with lots of carbonation. The retention is good.

Smell: Sweet malts, floral notes from the hops, Belgian yeast and a hint of clove can all be detected immediately.

Taste: The "Belgian Twang" from the yeast hits immediately followed by a prominent coriander flavor. Banana, clove, and alcohol are more noticeable as the beer warms.

Mouth feel: Dryness and carbonation are wonderfully balanced. I was expecting a little more dryness from the hops but the overall feel does a good job of enhancing the flavors on the tongue.

Overall: This is a delicious Pale Ale I hope to revisit in the future, well balanced in every aspect.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 06:19:43 | More by Raven3464

Agent1

Alberta (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

One of the first Belgian beers to grab my attention a couple of years ago. Let's see how it measures up, now that I've been fortunate enough to drink so many other beers from the same region.

Appearance - A beautiful amber orange. Quite vivid and bubbly. Not much head at all here, in fact, it's a little disappointing. A fairly active beer. All of that said, it seems a little dull in the glass compared to other Belgian blondes.

Smell - Bitter orange peel and yeast. White sugar, coriander and light fruits such as apricot and grapefruit shine through. Surprisingly, this almost gives off a subtle aroma of white wine. Not too complex on the nose, but nice.

Taste - Heavily carbonated for a Belgian blonde. Almost cuts through the tongue (in a good way). Lots of orange peel here. Coriander is prominent, vanilla, banana, wheat, mandarin, honey with light traces of toffee.

Mouthfeel - A fairly impressive mouthfeel mostly due to the carbonation. This beer definitely stimulates all parts of the palate. Not as smooth as I would like, but nice.

Overall - I love how these beers are typically unpasteurized and unfiltered. Definitely my favorite thing about Achouffe's products. After drinking so many Belgian beers (blondes and quads alike), this happens to score pretty low for me, unfortunately. There are certainly a dozen or more blonde ales that are far more complex and superior. However, this is still a delicious treat from time to time. No question about that!

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 04:33:04 | More by Agent1

HalfFull

California

4.03/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml. bottle poured into a large wine glass. The La Chouffe shows a deep straw/golden on the pour. An nch of white foam decays slowly, leaving nice lacing on the glass.

Offers a nice yeast presence on the aroma, touch of sugar and some lemony grain. Gotta bump the appearance, meaningless that it be, to a 4.5. Great lace and retention are offered here. Aroma is solid and offers good depth, not to sugary in nature.

Luscious flavor with a touch of citus and a hint of spice on the finish. Rather rich and bready for the style, yet pleasant across the board. Quite nice, ane well refined with a fuller feel than typical for the style. Touch of lemon is everpresent.

Solid feel and drnk.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 06:19:47 | More by HalfFull

JosLutz

Netherlands

4.15/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My brother brought me a Big Chouffe (1,5 liter magnum bottle) from Belgium,the 2011 collector's edition.I shared it with friends on new years eve.

appearance: blond, golden/light brown
mouthfeel: enough bubbles, but never too much
smell: fruits, yeast, cinnamon
taste: lovely fresh but characteristic taste, coriander

Chouffe invites artists to decorate the botlle. This one had a funny party-scene of a dwarf and a few animals drinking chouffe around a table.

I really loved it!

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 21:39:37 | More by JosLutz

jjkatter

Australia

4.88/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

750ml bottle poured into a Trappistes Fochefort goblet...

A- Golden blond with very thick and creamy snow white head. Plenty of carbonation with great head retention.

S- Wonderful belgian yeast, bananas and various subtle spices at the finish. Warming alcohol glow. This is a good example of why people love Belgium beer so much; lots going on and all held together with well controlled balance.

MF- It’s like a party going on in your mouth. Extremely pleasant mouth-feel and pleasing alcohol affects. There seems to be a growing desire to brew Belgian style beers in the U.S. I hope more examples of this style are on the slate.

O- One of my favorite Belgian ales. I would love to find this on tap sometime. If you haven’t tried this one yet and have a chance, I highly recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 04:30:06 | More by jjkatter

draheim

Washington

4.08/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750mL bottle into a tulip. Pours a clear golden color w/ a white frothy head, sticky lacing.

Aroma is Belgian yeast, orange, and spice.

Taste is clean crisp water, floral Belgian yeast, pale barley malt. Really nice clean Belgian golden ale. Full-bodied, smooth mouthfeel.

Overall a solid Belgian strong pale ale, one I'd enjoy again.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 23:47:48 | More by draheim

haddon

Kentucky

3.9/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on Christmas Eve hanging with the wife in front of a fire.

Pours out a light golden-hued body with a white head. Evidence of carbonation flowing through the goblet. Nice looking beer.

Aroma of honey, candy, lemon, & sour apples.

Sweet, honeyish malt character attacked with a bit of fruitiness -- lemon & green apple character cross the tongue. The Belgian yeast gives a bit of spice to balance the sweet flavors.

Medium-light body. Medium-plus carbonation.

Easily likable, and easily drinkable. Don't think I like the Belgian pales quite as much as their dark cousins but a a good beer none the less.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 05:34:35 | More by haddon

RollTide05

Hong Kong

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I liked this beer. It isn't as carbonated as everyone makes it out to be. I noticed a lot a of clove and Belgian yeast. Similar to a Leffe with the clove but way more complex. It was very refreshing and one of the best examples I have had of this style, which is my favorite. Not a lot of hops but very crisp and refreshing. I would have to say that this is as good if not better than a Duvel.

La Chouffe isn't as available as Duvel but if you can find it, it is highly rewarding. I highly recommend this beer to anyone who is interested in Belgians. One of my top five favorite Belgians and I have had all of them.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 17:02:37 | More by RollTide05

colforbin73

California

4.58/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

fantastic spicey effervescent ale here -- farhouse rough and ready -- this is what you want the farmer to pul out of the barn.

pours a rich deep golden yellow with a big white head that dies down quick and leaves little lacing. a cloudy bottle fermented beer, but the taste is very clean.

the aroma is outstanding, lively bready yeast aroma mixed with the saaz hops and a note of the coriander. very enticing, almost champagne type smell...

the taste follows suit, grassy, earthy, a little oil on the tongue but pretty dry. very spritey hop bitterness, overtones of yeast -- some citrus -- a full feel to the beer, lovely pale malt flavor, ZERO roasted malt or caramel flavor here -- just a perfectly developed pale malt ale. EXCELLENT.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 04:26:11 | More by colforbin73

grittybrews

Washington

4.19/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured an orange-tinged cider brown with a thin film of head and lots of speedy bubbles rushing to the surface. Aroma of apple, yeasty banana, and malty caramel.

Moderate carbonation and a prickly, slightly sticky mouthfeel. Flavors of apple, banana, spicy Belgian yeast, and a nice dry finish with hints of lemon and grass.

Duvel is my favoriate BSPA but this offers a little more malty sweetness and yeasty heft while maintaining a crispy, dry profile.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 06:33:51 | More by grittybrews

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle with best before date of 6/17/14 poured in to Duvel tulip.

A - Golden pale straw yellow, translucent with one finger of thick, bubbly white head and good lacing.

S - Belgian yeast, banana, clove, bready malts.

T - A dry bitterness up front with some floral notes from the hops present. Belgian yeast, banana, clove, spice and a touch of orchard fruit are present as well. The finish is dry and bitter and lingers slightly on the tongue.

M -Light to medium body with moderate carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 17:18:54 | More by TheSevenDuffs

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 mL quart bottle picked up from the LCBO; best before July 2014. This is a style I don't get around to trying very often, although I've never had one that I didn't like. Poured into a snifter.

Pours a cloudy golden colour with a tinge of orange; extremely effervescent with bubbles constantly storming to the surface of the liquid. Lofty, uneven head of silky froth; nearly three fingers thick at first and coloured a sparkling pearl white. Sticky lacing remains on the sides of the glass as the head gradually seeps away. The aroma is nice I guess, but nothing special. Plenty of Belgian yeast, light spices and fruity pear esters and lemon zest. Nice, but kind of subdued in terms of intensity.

Enjoyable taste; fairly well balanced but leaning toward the sweet side. Bready malts combine with honey, pears, red apples and apricot, which leads into an herbal, grassy finish that dries the palate off nicely. Yeasty, grassy aftertaste that lingers briefly. Some coriander spiciness is evident as well, and the ethanol is nowhere to be seen. Medium-bodied, with rather heavy carbonation to give it a solid, crisp bite. Highly drinkable, though I'd recommend sharing this portion size with another person or two.

This is an excellent BSPA - not the most complex or interesting example of the style, but definitely a smooth, tasty, enjoyable one nonetheless. I like Duvel marginally more, but realistically I'd put the two brews on very similar footing - La Chouffe's big bottle makes it better for splitting with friends, though... I can only ever find those stubby Duvel bottles. Great stuff, definitely worth a try if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 06:37:51 | More by thehyperduck

kingcrowing

Vermont

3.53/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

2011 Big Chouffe magnum poured into a HF tulip for Thanksgiving 2011.

Pours a hazy orange/yellow color with a small white head along with some thin white lacing. Nose is sweet and hoppy, bready yeast and a mellow spiciness finishes it off.

Taste is quite spicy and a bit sharp, there's a very strong hop bite as well, not overwhelming but well balanced. The alcohol is quite present which is a bit disappointing given I have a liter and a half to drink. The finish is crisp with a full body, lots of carbonation as well.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 19:49:28 | More by kingcrowing

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

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

A - very hazy straw golden, thick white head retained very well with loads of lacing
S - strong aromas of fruity yeast, floral, citrus, and fresh bread, with a slight ABV burn
T - fruit notes of pear and sour peach, solid floral perfume hoppiness, with a subtle grainy and spicy finish
M - big body with a rich creamy feel, spicy dry alcohol tickle
O - a fantastic example of a style not seen enough in my opinion, its truly Belgian with a pale ale qualities rounding it out, a must for any beer advocate

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 02:56:25 | More by joemcgrath27

cragus

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle into Duvel tulip
A - Pours a cloudy golden colour with several fingers of white head
S - Malt, yeast, and citrus
T - Yeast, apple and banana with a bit of spice from the alcohol and citrus on the finish.
M - Moderate body with lots of carbonation.
O - Quite good belgian pale ale, would definitely buy again.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 00:58:05 | More by cragus