Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel - Brasserie d'Achouffe

KyleMWood

Texas

4.88/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on-tap at a bar in Amsterdam in December. I had never had it and I chose it at random, but I was not disappointed. It was served in the Chouffe glass - pours very cloudy, with a thick head. Great smells of citrus - lots of lemon. Very drinkable for a beer with such high alcohol content. Very complex, but balanced, good hop flavor balanced by the citrus. Overall, an exceptional beer, so much so, I ordered another one. I was very happy to find it in my local liquor store on Columbus St in Boston.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2008 20:17:07 | More by KyleMWood

BelgianBeerPope

Belgium

4/5  rDev -5%

05-21-2013 11:32:08 | More by BelgianBeerPope

DanGeo

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-21-2013 02:41:55 | More by DanGeo

Kmat10

Alberta (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-21-2013 00:50:06 | More by Kmat10

rondufresne

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%

05-19-2013 20:08:29 | More by rondufresne

Holland

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-19-2013 04:11:29 | More by Holland

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

4.64/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

11.2oz bottle poured into a Duvel tulip. Best before date of 3/2015.

A: Crystal clear sunshine golden color. Three fingers of creamy head retain extremely well. Patches of foamy lacing. This beer looks great.

S: Hop aromas of freshly cut grass, lemon zest, tangerine, pulpy mango. Hops show dimension with some earthy tones as well. Wet leaves, herbal/spicy scents. Just as apparent on the nose are the classic aromas of a great Belgian tripel. Doughy and biscuity malts, chalky and earthy yeast, light peppery phenol spices. Tropical esters of tangerine and pineapple are a perfect compliment to the hops. Awesome nose.

T: Oily hops at the outset. Big herbal and spicy bite. Gripping pine resin bitterness. Very grassy too. Much more aggressive than the nose suggested. Sharp spike of clove and pepper phenols and a hit of alcohol play nicely off of the aggressive hop tastes. All of this aggression tapers off just enough to let through the more playful side of the beer. Tangerine and pineapple esters marry beautifully into shifting hop tastes that bring flavors of lemon zest, white grapefruit, tangerine, and mango. Doughy malts and a pleasant bready and chalky yeast foundation provide the all-important anchor that brings the beer together. Yeasty and doughy on the finish with a bite of bitter, oily, and tropical hops that lingers forever.

M: Medium bodied. It displays that classic melt-in-your-mouth texture that the truly great tripels have. Ultra creamy. Hop oils cut through it all with an enamle stripping feel. Very warming. Even the mouthfeel is multi-dimensional.

O: This is one of the most fun beers I've ever had the pleasure of drinking. A sensory roller-coaster ride. A perfect harmony of over-the-top American-style hop aggression and deft Belgian brewing technique. Very heady, yet supremely drinkable. This will go down as one of my highest rated beers, and for good reason.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 17:55:06 | More by ryan1788a5

DelMontiac

Oklahoma

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-18-2013 03:06:20 | More by DelMontiac

Artjsantos

Ohio

4/5  rDev -5%

05-17-2013 03:04:14 | More by Artjsantos

ncstateplaya

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-14-2013 13:40:40 | More by ncstateplaya

mrw1zard

Alabama

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-14-2013 13:36:41 | More by mrw1zard

campfirebrew

New York

4/5  rDev -5%

05-14-2013 01:05:53 | More by campfirebrew

Roman5150

Michigan

4.59/5  rDev +9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle into tulip

Appearance: cloudy range with huge particles, biggest i've ever seen in any beer.

Smell: has a pleasant yet funky smell, sassafrass, earthiness, citrus, coriander

Taste: like la chouffe but smoother... Earthy hoppiness that rounds out the flavor. Lots of fruit: citrus, guava, some grapefruit, lemon. Alcohol is completely hidden

Mouthfeel: average amount of carbonation, full body

Overall: Having really high expectations as La Chouffe is one of my favorite Belgians, it surpassed them. On par with normal La Chouffe this is a great example of a Belgian IPA. A world class beer that everyone should try.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 21:22:36 | More by Roman5150

Krakpoff

Quebec (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-13-2013 02:50:09 | More by Krakpoff

thibratschi

Switzerland

4/5  rDev -5%

05-12-2013 00:02:55 | More by thibratschi

JWing

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-11-2013 20:14:33 | More by JWing

barczar

Kentucky

4.09/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Best before end 2013, so probably lost some hop character.

A gusher when opened slightly warmed, pours a somewhat hazy medium golden peach with a frothy 2 inch ivory head that dissipates slowly, leading spotty, sticky lacing.

Musty belgian yeast, earthy hops, fruity yeast esters of green apple, pear, and peach form the initial aroma. There's a bit of barnyard funk, along with belgian candi sugar sweetness and lightly toasted malt. Clove and banana surface late.

Flavor reveals fruity yeast esters initially, with bitter, earthy hops sneaking in mid palate and dominating the brew. Notes of green apple, peach, pineapple, and pear underlie lightly sweet, toasty malt. There's a slightly phenolic, almost smoky quality that surfaces in the aftertaste, along with clove.

Body is moderate to slightly full, with fairly high carbonation, almost prickly, and moderate alcohol warmth.

Fairly bitter hop notes, with nice, complex yeast esters and a hint of funk. A little too bitter dominant for my palate, but I love the esters.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 03:26:33 | More by barczar

SanDNigel

California

3.56/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5

A- A slightly opaque 24-carat gold with a rich creamy pure white head
S- Classic Belgian Tripel clovi-ness shines through much brighter than the hops, but definitely not in a bad way
T- Very interesting. Reminds me of the bitter cousin of a Japanese Lager. Hops are much more a bittering aspect than anything else.
M- Intensely carbonated yet silky when it first hits the tongue.
Its a good beer. It doesn't strike me as amazing though. It is easy to enjoy. My palate keeps taking me back to a sushi restaurant (on that note, it would probably pair great with most seafood)

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 22:25:38 | More by SanDNigel

l1fted

Virginia

4/5  rDev -5%

05-07-2013 23:49:45 | More by l1fted

Liquoric3

Germany

4/5  rDev -5%

05-06-2013 17:51:05 | More by Liquoric3

wer3w01f

Russian Federation

3.5/5  rDev -16.9%

05-06-2013 08:39:54 | More by wer3w01f

Doctor_Dee_Cee

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-04-2013 23:40:14 | More by Doctor_Dee_Cee

6thstreetbrewpub

District of Columbia

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-04-2013 19:43:15 | More by 6thstreetbrewpub

FliryVorru

Alabama

4.75/5  rDev +12.8%

05-02-2013 20:10:43 | More by FliryVorru

leprechaunandfatman

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-02-2013 00:42:40 | More by leprechaunandfatman