N'Ice Chouffe - Brasserie d'Achouffe

Brabander

Netherlands

3.78/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

We had this beer at tasting two weeks ago at my cousin Peters place. Great beers and great fun.

This beer was poured in my Essen Christmasbeerfestivalglass (what a word for wordfeud!)

In the early days, when i began to drink beer, Chouffe was a beer i avoided. How would a beer taste with 'kabouter' on the bottle. That could not be a good beer. Years later i knew i was wrong. Chouffe is a great beer!

The fluid has a colour like cola and it has a light sweetness over it. VERY drinkable, that is the biggest advantage of this beer. Even non beerdrinkers will like this type of beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 14:09:29 | More by Brabander

BretSikkink

Mexico

4.08/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Tasted alongside another 10% Belgian winter ale, from St. Bernardus. The N'Ice Chouffe was the clear winner in my view.

Dark brown with caramel and ruby highlights. Head is strong and sticky. Nose is strongly spiced, with black peppercorn and dark fruit.

Cloves, allspice, hints of cinnamon and mulling spices. Boozy, and quite spicy. Bitterness and pepperiness from the hops does a more than adequate job of meeting the malt halfway. Fairly sweet with raisin and fig, with surprising notes of pear and green apple.

Great flavor with spices and malts leading the way. Not my personal favorite, but hopefully my review is impartial enough to indicate the complexity and fine brewing skill involved in the creation of the N'Ice Chouffe. A fine effort.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2012 05:56:14 | More by BretSikkink

DCon

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed on-tap @ the Bridge Tap House & Wine Bar in St. Louis, MO for $8. Tapped from a White Tap handle w/ the Elf on top into a 12oz Snifter Glass.

Aroma- Tons of funk and nice complexed aroma. Tons of sweetness, caramel, richness, fruits, and maybe a sour note? Had SO much going on, tough to throw everything out there!

Appearance- Received with a dark brown, 1 finger head that had great retention. Dark brown colored body with a hint of copper/gold and quite a bit of haze. Leaves this lacing behind.

Flavor- Starts with a ton of malt and a twang that satisfies. Sweet and had a great amount of strength. Light bitterness and tons of hop hanging around. Complexed like the aroma but can tell this one is malt dominant.

Mouthfeel- Medium Bodied, Light-Medium Carbonation, Smooth, but then finishes with a Vodka taste... Dusty and a high alcohol finish. Strange...

Overall Impression- There are only two times I go from reviewing a brew on-tap and wanting it in the bottle as well. Firstly, if I feel the beer wasn't in the best condition (whether tap line or keg problems), and the other is it was an A+ beer. This one met the second criteria! Would recommend anyone trying this one. Could never be bored with one of these in front of me.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2011 19:10:38 | More by DCon

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -39%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A-cherry brown with a thin white head

S-sweet caramel and peppercorn. hot belgian spices, some licorice. medium strength

T-comes in with a smooth but warm taste of licorice, light belgian spices, and peppercorn. matching after-taste with a lot of heat to it.

M-almost not carbonation with a hot finish

O-i just simply do not like my beers to be so hot, i also like my belgians to have a good amount of carbonation to it. those two aspects made this beer difficult to finish for me and its something i'll be avoiding from now on.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2011 03:41:21 | More by AdamBear

daryk77

District of Columbia

4.3/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2008 vintage, 750ml bottle. Stored in a box at room temperature.

Pours black with reddish hue, head dissipates quickly. Plenty of floaties here. Beer settles down after a few minutes. Smell dark fruit, classic dark Belgian aroma. Taste is rich and sweet, again dark fruit with a clean finish. Great mouthfeel, balanced with the rest of the beer, very smooth.

This beer tastes a lot like it does when fresh, I am surprised their hasn't been more of a change. Would love to cellar this for 5 years or more and see if there is more of a change.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 20:25:42 | More by daryk77

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.88/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottled in 2010.

A: Massive 1 1/4" tan coloured head that left a nice lacing over brownish-amber coloured liquid.

S: Yeast, spices, apples and pears.

T: Apples and pears up front which transitions to cloves, spices, bananas, figs and cherries in the finish.

M: Medium viscosity and a high level of fine carbonation.

O: A beautiful and complex Belgian Strong Dark Ale, and my favorite so far from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 00:26:05 | More by DaftCaskBC

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a nice opaque copper with a short head and excellent lacing. Moderate carbonation.

N: Dark fruits, banana and light spices.

T: Primarily prunes and dates that are just fantastic. Banana notes follow mixed with some chocolate and pleasant booze. Finishes with molasses and faint spices of cinnamon and nutmeg. Exactly what I was looking for.

M: Medium-full bodied, semi-chewy and severely easy drinking.

O: I'm quite impressed. Very complex and easy drinking. Dark fruit notes are exceptional. Banana and chocolate are also fairly strong. Overall a great BSDA.

Serving type: on-tap

12-26-2011 22:49:07 | More by justintcoons

Mar02x

Netherlands

3.28/5  rDev -20%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A now that it is Chrismas, it's time to open this bottle.

A - A bright brown ale on which a light beige head rests.

S - A vague scent of malt syrup.

T - A light sweetness upfront and the malts come through along with some faint spices. There is no way of telling that this a 10% ABV.

M - As the medium carbonation is died out, there is a creamy left over, nice!

O - It's not a bad Christmas ale, but there are nicer ones out there.This one doesn't blow me of my socks.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 18:47:44 | More by Mar02x

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Creamy smaller head fades semi slowly hint of lacing, semi hazy auburn tan brown color.

Nose nice Belgian dark malts, light spices, sweet malts, light booze and esters, hints of nutmeg, dark fruits, fig and nuts, molasses, dark candi sugar.

Taste is almost the same as the nose, starting with light bitter spices, light booze and esters, dark fruits and nuts, fig, raisin, etc, typical holiday spices, nutmeg, ginger, etc, dark Belgian malts, molasses, candi sugar, dry Belgian yeast, tasty.

Mouth is heavier bodied but not syrupy, decent carb.

Overall tasty, a staple for Belgian Xmas beer, great malts and fruit flavors, hints of esters and some booze, light spices, drinkable and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 02:21:26 | More by jlindros

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750mL limited edition bomber poured into a chalice

A chestnut brown with a deep red overtones. A bubbly ecru cap raises about one finger and falls to form a thin collar around the glass. Little to no lacing.

The nose is of candi sugar, herbs (thyme), dried fruits, orange peel, and spiced cake. Spicy and sweet.

Spicy clove and candi sugar up front while brown bready malt carriers through the middle. The finish is of orange peel, dried orchard fruits and an herbal dryness.

Medium body with moderate carbonation. This looks and tastes like it would be a lot thicker and fuller than it really is. The carbonation lifts this guy off the tongue and leaves a raisin/sugar finish with an herbal dryness.

This is a nice BSDA and one that I enjoyed. The addition of thyme helps cut through the overall sweetness and lends a welcome drying characteristic.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 14:33:33 | More by ColForbinBC

kylehay2004

Florida

3.6/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Single finger head on a cloudy amber body. Lots of lacing. This is a fairly thick beer. Aroma is mostly light on the dark fruit with some fig and juniper. Overall aroma is light. Flavor is a semi sweet dark fruit however this is light. It is a little watered down. Medium in body and moderate to high carbonation. Overall not in my tops for Belgian dark strongs.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2011 04:03:49 | More by kylehay2004

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The wintery scene of the village of Achouffe on the label is quite charming although I cannot say the same for the beer itself. It is a muddy brown colour and littered with chunks of sediment that look like partially digested food. And for a Christmas-y beer I'd have hoped for a little more white on top; there's no snowy peaks here.

All you shy people out there will relate: N'ice Chouffe needs a little time before opening up. Once doing so, however, it turns out not to have all that much interesting to say. The bouquet of dark, sticky-sweet malt is typically musty and yeasty for a beer of this style, from this part of the world, and yields no real excitement.

Although thyme and curacao peel are the ingredients that stand out most in the name, it's the dark candi sugar that sticks out most in the taste. This viscous, syrupy-sweet flavour, combined with the malt, becomes like some sort of concoction of liquid bran muffin and molasses. It's not half bad, but we'll see if it's '750ml bottle' good...

All signs continue to point to 'yes' at the halfway point. In fact, the flavour is easily my favourite part of this beer. It tastes like some kind of wonderful hazelnut bread baked with brown sugar, cinnamon bark, honey, and a spritz of sweetly fragranced orange oil. Strength is somewhat perceived but the alcohol is never tasted outright.

N'Ice Chouffe is an easy ale to recommend. Whether or not it'll make my want list next year remains to be seen, but I'd gladly welcome a bottle in my stocking any time. The Belgians, like the French, know as much about drink as they do food, and, good Catholics they are, they obviously know a thing or two about celebrating Christmas too!

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 21:21:38 | More by biegaman

jsanford

Georgia

3.28/5  rDev -20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

08 Vintage poured into a Tulip Glass.

A - Dark mahogany with a fluffy ivory head that settles to a 1/2 inch cap.
S - Sweet and slightly funky, with aromas of dark Belgian candi sugar, lots of orange peel, and a touch of savory herbs.
T - Similar to the nose, with flavors of dark candi sugar, dried fruits, orange peel, and thyme/sage. There is a bit of a metallic "twang" and a touch of oxidation, this is just a bit past it's prime.
M - Slick mouthfeel with a medium body and prickly carbonation.
O - A very interesting Winter beer, I love the herbal character added from the thyme. I do wish I had consumed this about a year earlier, though.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 15:52:39 | More by jsanford

thegodfather2701

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this on tap at Sticks and Stones.

A-Poured into a Chouffe glass which was very nice. It pours a dark amber color with a thick and frothy off white head. There was some nice lacing left on the glass as well.

S-Belgian yeast, spicy, herbal, alcohol was present, and very malty of course. The nose was nice, but not over powering.

T-Very similar to the nose. The Belgian yeast is prominent. There is some spice and also a nice herbal element as well. The alcohol is present but not over powering. I couldn't really pick up on the Thyme specifically. It is very malty and truly delicious.

M-Chewy, but not too thick. It drinks very light.

D-As noted above, this beer drinks really light. It is complex and delicious. At 10% it is a sipper but I drank two glasses and was barely buzzed.

Overall, this beer was a true delight. It was delicious. It also pared perfectly with the pizza. I highly recommend it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2011 14:26:33 | More by thegodfather2701

birderbeerer

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tea-colored, have to wait a few minutes for the head to settle. Bottle says to drink at 60 degrees, so it's just as well. I could only get about 6oz. poured into a glass on account of the head.

Great spicy, yeasty aroma. Hearty, bready malts. Just a hint of alcohol. Bit of pilsner malt too. Very rich and deep.

Rich taste too. Nutty malts, multigrain toast, spice, with an edge of yeast.

Feels a little thin for the complexity of the taste and aroma. It has a creamy taste but the actual consistency doesn't match. Though the 10% abv is deceptive. Seems too light for the abv.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 00:27:27 | More by birderbeerer

ianjsullivan

Maryland

4.22/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

ST: 750ml poured into a chalice. The bottle lists the ABV and a DBD.

A: Dark mahogany brown with a HUGE off white rocky head. The head continues to sit on top for over a minute.

S: Piney hops, spice, orange, fruity esters.

T: Belgium sugar, orange, grapefruit hops, dark berries, warming alcohol, Belgium funky feast, and spice.

M: Heavy and smooth.

O: Heavy, fruity, and spicy, this beer offers an excellent warmth for the winter. It is certainly a beer to have more as a desert, and to sip, rather than to drink a lot of in one sitting. It is the type of beer that truly does seem special and meant for the holidays.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 01:10:29 | More by ianjsullivan

gatornation

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on tap

A- pours a slight hazed amber/brown color with a light tan head and some lacing on glass

S- was spice and bread with malt

T- very good with some spice like nutmeg, sweet dark fruit, hints of caramel and toffee

M- medium high carbonation with a crisp dry start

O- very tasty, great fruit and spice and yeast profile in a smooth drinking winter srong dark ale

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2011 21:43:46 | More by gatornation

steelerguy

New York

4.4/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Nut brown, huge light tan head, lots of carbonation keep the head around for awhile, and lots of lacing.

S - Yeast, spice, and some caramel malt with hints of dark fruit.

T - Malt throughout, from beginning to end. Starts with a bit of lingering sweetness from some sugars that were not broken down. A nice spiciness then comes on along with some yeast. The spice is then complimented with some alcohol notes as you finish the sip.

M - Is it possible for a beer to have a complex mouthfeel? Perhaps not, but this beer does have a lot going on, moderate body, definitely some undigested sugars in there, a nice tingle from the carbonation, warming from the alcohol.

O - This is a nice Belgian Dark Strong, I thought it may be a bit too spicy but I didn't feel that was the case, just a nice complex flavor profile. A worthy limited edition from Brasserie d'Achouffe.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 02:04:40 | More by steelerguy

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

nice belgian take on a winter beer. pours dark berry red with a rising and lasting 3 inch head in a tulip glass. smells belgian yeasty and of sour cherries, possible candy sugar, but this isnt a sweet aroma, just complex. taste has definitive notes of cherries, fresh ones, and a sturdy malt spine. mouthfeel is belgian magic, smooth, not too heavy, and well carbonated. ten dollars for a small pour, but the flavor is worth it. unique winter brew and excellent with some live grateful dead cover tunes!

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2011 05:11:09 | More by StonedTrippin

zeff80

Missouri

3.78/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a clear, burgundy color with a one-finger, off-white head of bubbly foam. It left thin rings of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of spice and a tad bit of skunkiness. There was a touch of breadiness, too.

T - There was a nice presence of candy sugar with some bready malt. It had some good spiciness with a touch of dried fruit.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a dry, clean finish.

O - This was a very nice tasting Belgian. The aroma had some issues but it delivered a great taste.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 02:36:34 | More by zeff80

GilGarp

Colorado

4.18/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750 mL green bottle served cold into a goblet.

N'Ice Chouffe is a deep redish brown color with a slightly hazy appearance. The head is thick at first but settles fairly quickly and leaves only a little bit of spotty lacing.

Aroma is slightly sweet with a brown sugar and carmel quality. The yeast gives pleasant spice note.

Flavor is really enjoyable again with the Belgian candi sugar and spicy yeast. Good depth of flavors with cloves, pepper, dark dried fruits and orange peel.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and well carbonated. Well balanced and the alcohol is well hidden.

Overall a really good Belgian dark ale and probably one of the best Christmas seasonal beers I've had.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 03:15:29 | More by GilGarp

UCLABrewN84

California

3.85/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Blue Palms Brewhouse in Los Angeles, CA as part of their Jingle Bell Jubilee.

Pours a hazy dark brown with a 1/2 inch tan head that fades to nothing. No lacing on this beer. Smell is of malt, dark fruits (plums, prunes), and some mild spice aromas. Taste is of malt, the dark fruits, and a nice balance of spices. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp and clean mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good BSDA with some very nice flavors going on.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2011 20:03:53 | More by UCLABrewN84

babaracas

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a mostly clear orange-tinted dark red with two fingers of dense tan colored foam. Slowly settles to a half inch and leaves a sheet of thick sticky lace down the glass. Smell: dark brown sugar, muted toasted raisin bread. Slightly herbal but not distinctly thyme; no orange peel here. Taste: candi sugar, toffee, herbal and somewhat spicy, red grape skin, bitter orange, heavily toasted raisin bread. Tannin heavy finish overwhelms prior creamy feel. Otherwise pretty good. 2011 version (as far as I can tell from the bottling code).

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 06:11:37 | More by babaracas

SteveGNC

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had it on tap at Vintners. Excellent Belgian strong dark ale. Nice head that dissipated quickly. Great dark reddish brown color. Taste notes of spice and malt, fairly sweet. I thought that it masked the alcohol pretty well for a 10% beer. Overall a great beer that I look forward to having again soon.

Serving type: on-tap

12-09-2011 17:48:50 | More by SteveGNC

yesyouam

New York

4.2/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

N'Ice la Chouffe is a murky brown ale with a soft, smooth khaki head that fades to a film and leaves decent lacing on the glass. Crumbles accumulate in the bottom of the glass. Aroma of alcohol, candied fruit, apple, cherry, nectarine, tobacco and hay. It's pretty full bodied and quite smooth with pretty dry finish. It's richly flavored and just a touch sweet. It's pretty complex with notes of peach, must, tropical fruit, leather, tobacco, cider, phenol and, later on, chocolate and fortified wine. It's a touch bitter at the end and quite warming. This is a pretty classy affair. It's a big bottle, so make sure you share. Very enjoyable; it's kind of a flavor adventure.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 15:09:17 | More by yesyouam