Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel - Brasserie d'Achouffe

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

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

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

IronLover

Pennsylvania

4.06/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Straw yellow in color and hazy. Poured with a short, fizzy white foam that quickly reduced to a soapy cap. Citrus lemon zest aroma with light orange and tangerine in the background along with bready malt. Medium bodied with rich, lazy, tangy carbonation. Smooth feel down the middle with carbonation along the edges. Bitter citrus and herbal hops are dominant with bready malts, funky yeast, bread and a touch of banana beneath. A nice variety of delicate, distinguishable flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 19:33:32 | More by IronLover

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A: Sunny golden yellow with a minimal thin white head that losses it volume quick.

S: Over ripe bananas and pineapple, with pale malts and yeasts. Sweet biscuits and some spices at the end that might be cloves or white pepper.

T: Fresh bananas and some fresh florals and herbal notes of wet pale bark like wet pine. Hop presences is solid at the back end with citrus bitters that are earthy and less sharp than a West coast IPA.

M: Crisp clean and dry finish with some popping carbonation up front.

O: Light and refreshing. Balances the IPA & Triple style to offer the fruity/yeasty triple profile with hops that compliment the style. Easy to drink and light enough for a lunch without noticeable alcohol. I could see drinking this along side a blue cheese & micro greens salad, the crisp tartness would be a solid foundation for creamy and earthy cheese.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 19:54:59 | More by FondueVoodoo

Schoonerorlater

California

4.36/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

a- a sunny, light yellow. thin, flimsy head that didn't linger. little lacing.

s-specific, full floral scent with an almost fruity subtlety that seemed to play back and forth.

t- the fruit came first. pear, apple, and some splashes of grapefruit. bathing in the afterglow of this crescendo of fruit, i spotted a smoky, almost hickory taste. this brought harmony to the advanced fruit flavors mellowing out the palate and bringing it back to earth.

m-medium feel. low acidity and well-managed carbonation.

o-a nifty little marriage of some sweet, hickory smoked bacon and fruit. charming and endearing, would pair well with chicken or fish. well crafted.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 02:16:14 | More by Schoonerorlater

MadScientist

New York

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: A pale golden beer with excellent clarity. The persistent head pours with two fingers of creamy foam that slowly settle into a cap of big sticky bubbles that leave glass coating Belgian glass.

S: A moderate citrus hops aroma that has some pineapple character along with some spicy hops aroma. There is a light malt sweetness and some floral alcohol notes. There isn't much in the Belgian yeast aromas of fruit and spice but you wouldn't mistake it for having American ale yeast either.

T: A strong hops bitterness with moderate citrus hops flavor that tastes muted from age. There is a moderate orange flavor that seems yeast derived. An orange peel flavor towards the end with a bitter aftertaste. The balance is fairl bitter but the malt does bring a light clean sweetness mid and late palate.

M: a medium-light bodied beer with moderately strong carbonation.

O: I'll definitely need to find a fresh bottle because I know that Chouffe is way better than the score I've got for this old bottle. Tripels can have this amazing ability to hold onto the hops flavor and aroma for a couple years and aroma but this bottle tastes like it's a an old American Double IPA. Unfortunately there was no date on the label to assist me when I bought it.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 00:45:28 | More by MadScientist

Maltmaiden

Alabama

3.66/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: Yellow with some brown. Lots of sediment. Little to no head but it leaves a ring. Sparse bubbles.

S: Lots of apricot. Banana. I'm not getting hops but I do smell a fair amount of pale mats. Smells like it would have a little tang to it.Touch of biscuit. It definitely smells like a tripel, but I don't get the hops I expected. Smells very good.

T: Definitely get the apricot and malt. But I also get a strong medicinal taste. And alcohol. Hops are barely noticeable. Almost like they just happen to be there. Strange bitterness. Cloves. But I like that this beer is not shy.

M: Medium. I was expecting this to fall flat but the crispness of this beer really livens it up. Mas a light to medium dry finish. I enjoyed this aspect of the beer.

O: I'd like to try this on tap. Would love to have it fresher to see if more of the hops come through. Otherwise, I wont be spending so much $ on this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 06:26:27 | More by Maltmaiden

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.16/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750 Ml pored into a snifter

A- Pours a light orange or copper color. A TON of sediment swimming around. A good bit of head on there as well.

S- Grain, Belgian yest. A slight oily hop. Touch of dark fruit.

T- A good bitterness at first. A lot of dark fruit in this beer, Plums, and figs. A nice hop flavor. There is a good onion, lemon grass and herbal onion like note here. This beer has a surprisngly strong grainy taste, in a good way, its quite unique and reminds me of a Dortmunder style.

M- A silky creamy and bitter mouth feel. High carbonation, my bottle had a slight foamsplosion so be careful.

O- A great beer. Very unique and well done.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 15:04:00 | More by TwelveOunces

fdig23

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750mL Bottle.

Appearance: Brassy gold with a fine bubbly white head. Slightly cloudy.

Nose: lemon, bread crusts, grapefruit, bananas. There's a good bit of dank going on as well.

Taste: Pine and grapefruit on-top of sourdough bread, lemons, banana and a bit of astringent green tea. Balanced to perfection.

Mouthfeel: No complaints.

Overall: The most balanced and perfectly composed Belgian IPA I've had. The hops lend flavor without too much bitterness messing up the Belgian profile underneath. More sophisticated and tasty than Piraat and Duvel Tripel Hop.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 04:21:57 | More by fdig23

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.43/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Capped 75cl bottle into my Hair of the Dog tulip. Slight gusher, though I was very careful with the bottle.

A: Hazy bright gold with TONS of brilliant white head and tons of lacing left behind.

S: Very much Belgian and very little IPA...earthy, funky wet hay aromas, plenty of crisp Belgian yeast, pretty floral and very bready with a pronounced crisp malt presence, and lots of grassy hops. There is a hint of fruitiness but the grassy nature of the Saaz is really all of the hop component I get.

T: Follows the nose, Belgian yeast with a striking 'dirty' earth taste, pale malt breadiness, and a sharp grassy bitterness on the finish. Floral, fruity flavors wind their way through the flavor profile but from start to finish their overwhelmed with yeasty esters and Saaz hop bitterness. Dry, chalky finish.

MF: Lighter, not quite medium bodied (which is surprising @ 9% abv). Crisp, chalky, and dry. Its refreshing in a way, but still un-enjoyable because of the flavors. Surprisingly low carbonation considering the gushing of the bottle.

O: Epitome of 'meh' - this thing must be older because I don't get an ounce of Amarillo or Tomahawk hops on the nose or the palate. There is a light fruitiness (pear/apple/grape skins) but I attribute that to the Belgian-style Chouffe yeast. The only plus is the 9% cannot be smelled or tasted.

Will revisit this one with a fresh bottle, someday.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 14:35:39 | More by Scotchboy

VoodooBear

Puerto Rico

4.46/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Presentation: 11.2 oz stubby brown bottle, "Best by" date on the back label. Served in an oversized wine glass.

Appearance: Thick, foamy, one finger white head that goes down to a thin ring that stays 'till the end. It has a cloudy dark gold color and leaves some great lacing.

Smell: It's a rich, fresh, musky, hoppy smell more than anything. There's some malt and yeast notes that go along with it.

Taste: A herbal hop flavor is dominant, with some citrus hints. There's malt and alcohol in the background as well.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and creamy, with some good carbonation. It's fairly easy to drink, despite the alcoholic "kick" it gives you.

Overall: What an incredible beer. Everything is tightly balanced on all departments. It has a simple and pleasant smell, an interesting and refreshing taste and a very nice texture. One of the best Belgian beers on the market, definitely a must try.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 07:13:04 | More by VoodooBear

JimTeal

Nevada

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

Crazy interesting to say the least. The head just sits there for minutes like a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Wonderfully smooth, complex hints of citrus at first, then as it warms the banana releases from the yeast. The alcohol is subtle, and the finish is crispy and bold. I would suggest this beer for anybody who like me has a wary view of IPAs, but these Belgians have constructed a fine tripel that just wants to be enjoyed. The fullness of the look in the glass, slightly cloudy, bekons for the adventure ahead. Not sure how I missed this fine beer for so long, but glad we found each other.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 23:07:38 | More by JimTeal

Douberd

Netherlands

4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brown stubby bottle of 330 ml, poured into a Chouffe tulipm glass. ABV is 9%.

Huge white soapy head, with fantastic retention.Nice lacing on the glass as the foam goes down. Pale golden colour on the body, very clear. Medium activity in the glass.
Very nice hoppy aroma, citrus, yeast.
Very slighty sweetness at first, gives its place right away to an amazing hoppy bitterness, with long duration.
Alcohol very nicely conceiled, full body and average carbonation.Bit oily on the palate.
To conlcude, this was a fantastic brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 19:26:26 | More by Douberd

keithmurray

Louisiana

3.43/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - golden amber color with bits of sediment suspended in the body, fluffy white head

Smell - one note citrus tone, a slight bit of skunk on this as well, cracker

Taste - wheat, lemon, mango, pale malt, presence of black pepper

mouthfeel - medium bodied, heavy carbonation, slightly sweet upfront, nice lingering bitterness on the back and finish

Overall - decent beverage I'm glad to have tried, refreshing

Price Point - $9.99/750ML bottle

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 18:49:45 | More by keithmurray

jwhancher

Pennsylvania

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

Bought a bottle last week from a Philly bottle shop at little over $7. Poured into a tulip glass. Didn't realize there was so much yeast on the bottom. Accidentally dumped a generous portion of yeast into my glass.

A: Yellow gold with nice thin layer of foam. Belgian lacing evident on the sides of my glass. Ample carbonation.

S: Lots of spicy lemon character. Citrus hop notes from Amarillo hops used. A bit of pine from Tomahawk. Saaz seems a little hidden. Some honey notes. Clean malt aromas with bready wheat. Light alcohol notes detectable.

T: Wheat and lemon, light spicy Belgian yeast. Peppery. Hops blend well with clean malt taste. Nice balance of bitterness with seemingly sweeter honey-like notes.

M: Medium feel with ample carbonation.

O: Solid Belgian beer. Interesting take on a tripel. 9.0% ABV is excellently well hidden - sneaky, as you would expect a good tripel to be. Didn't see a freshness date on the bottle. I think the hops have somewhat faded in this bottle, but something I'd definitely try again. Not sure if I would pay $7 however.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 18:23:51 | More by jwhancher

MarioM

California

4.34/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml poured into Tulip

A: Slight dark yellow, clear with a slight cloudiness. Big white head made of creamy to large bubbles, high carbonation with good lacing.

S: Floral fruitiness, hay, lemony citrus and a little banana like from the Belgian yeast. Smells very much like a Tripel, I get no hop aroma and would never expect this to be an IPA since the hop aroma comes through as spicy and floral. Very excited at this point!

T: Light citrus with some good earthy Belgian yeast flavors. A tad bit fruity and flowery but extremely drinkable and balanced even with its high hop bite. Slight alcohol comes in at the end but very hidden. Very simple and extremely drinkable.

M: Good and dry yet a bit fruity and floral. Bitterness lingers for a while right after taking a sip and followed by a slight alcoholic warmth that reminds me of its high abv of 9%, which I have to remind myself to keep sipping instead of downing like a session or day ipa.

O: A great beer which I will now continue to have as often as possible. This will be my "go to Belgian Ipa" whenever I'm caving a hop bomb with a Belgian twist. Also, a good intro beer for those non-Belgian, all american Ipa drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 07:09:46 | More by MarioM

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

330 ml bottle with freshness date, poured into a tulip yielded a huge pillowy creamy head that showed excellent retention lasting several minutes, quite something to behold. Colour was a slightly hazy straw blonde. Shows plenty of carbonation

Smell had an upfront light and fresh hoppiness. Some barnyard funk, earthiness, fruitiness, and a subtle yeastiness. This is quite complex and crazy interesting. Estery and deep. Sublime.

Taste is quite fruity initially then dryness and yeast come in, hops are somewhat dry and not too aggressive. Some solid earthy character, malt is quite light. A tart and bitter character develops later. Aftertaste is tannic, and dry. More tart than I anticipated, but it manages an amazing amount of of flavour and complexity.

Mouthfeel is quite big but remains very refreshing for the ABV, though the strength is somewhat apparent. Tart on the end. Quite great though, carbonation is moderate, blends nicely together and drinks well.

I've been looking forward to trying this for sometime. Definitely didn't dissappoint, smell is amazing, taste and mouthfeel are really good as well, an interesting combination, this is more on the triple side, hops actually become more prominent as the beer warms, but it does achieve a really nice balance in its profile. Try it.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 20:58:32 | More by mick303

gtermi

Texas

4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer pours a golden body with a thick white creamy head that slowly fades and leaves a nice amount of lacing on the glass.

S: apple, banana, sweet grain a strong amount of alcohol tingle on the nose and belgian yeast

T: Fruity with banana type flavors, some sweet malt and a little bit of wheat type flavor.

M: The beer has a nice amount of carbonation and a pretty thin body.

O: This is a very tasty beer, but not one of the best that I have ever had.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 06:32:08 | More by gtermi

stumac

Texas

4.08/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sitting on a cloud of judgement... Pours up a cloudy honey golden with a big white head. Great lacing. Nose of honey, lemons, and poop pops. Tastes of lemons, honey, white pepper. Body is medium. Carbo is smooth. I got this beer as a Christmas gift. Woooop!

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 03:51:50 | More by stumac

Amalak

New York

4.45/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got from Beer Boutique in Williamsburg, BK for $13.

A. It has a straw color, completely cloudy and opaque, with a huge bubbly white head that leaves a good deal of lacing. Many, many small bubbles rising up from all over.

S. Strong wheat, yeast, and alcohol scent.

T. It has a tart Belgian beer taste with an alcohol kicker, but not overbearing at all. Some hops and a wheaty, refreshing tingle. A bit of citrus underneath.

M. Carbonated and medium bodied.

O. This is just a really pleasant and truly refreshing brew. Highly suggest, even for the price.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 03:35:58 | More by Amalak

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.15/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a light golden amber with a huge half glass of white foamy head with good retention, dissipating eventually to pillowy lacing. Aroma of spicy orange, sweet malt, Belgian yeast and spices. Flavor is peppery light fruit and citrus, tripel spicing with an emphasis on coriander, finishing with a pleasant well hopped bitterness complemented by the spices. Medium bodied with active carbonation. This is a very nice melding of the tripel and IPA styles, and great to drink, like other Chouffe ales.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 03:44:45 | More by LiquidAmber

spoony

Colorado

4.35/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From a 750 ml into a tulip.

A-The beer is slightly cloudy, pale yellow. Lots of visible carbonation in there. The head is great: 2-plus fingers of dense, fluffy off-white foam. The foam really hangs around and leaves great lacing on the glass.

S-The smell is subtle, but pleasing. There is a spicy, peppery, hoppy note and a touch of funk with just a little bit of that tripel-style banana/clove smell.

T-Smooth and complex. It starts out like a typical tripel with a slightly sugary note and powdery yeast flavor, but it transitions to a mildly peppery, grassy, hoppy, pale-ale style about halfway through and bitterness ratchets up just a bit on the finish. The alcohol hangs out in the background and provides a bit warmth and spice all the way through.

M-Smooth, and lighter to medium bodied, but not as creamy as some tripels. The carbonation is like the alcohol...noticeable, but never intrusive.

O-This might be my favorite of the Chouffe family, which is saying something. The taste is complex and always evolving in your mouth, but the flavors integrate really well. Unlike some mixed styles, this beer's flavors never clash and it feels like the flavors were meant to go together. This one really clicked for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 03:23:39 | More by spoony

Greywulfken

New York

4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: hazy golden with some sediment in suspension; fat off-white head - uncapping the bottle actually caused some foam to rise; fine lacy drapings

S: citrus and wood; orange; herbal, floral, and earthy

T: funky yeast and bitter hops dominate over the malts; flowery and slightly spicy - citrusy flavors like an IPA, but with Belgian yeastiness; as it warmed the pale malts became more noticeable, but never got particularly sweet

M: crisp, clean, fresh and bright; some tart astringence - faded as it warmed; brisk carbonation and tingle; bitter, dry finish

O: a class beer - the bottle says tripel and IPA: the beer straddles the two style elegantly, leaning toward the body and feel of a tripel, while being more in-line with the (Belgian) IPA in flavor and aroma.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 23:39:49 | More by Greywulfken