Chouffe Biere Du Soleil - Brasserie d'Achouffe

Neorebel

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I just had this on tap at Shorty's in NYC. I was surprised to see that La Chouffe had a Saison style beer that I did not know existed. The hazy chestnut color does not look like the Saisons I am used to, and it did not have very much of a head. The aroma was pleasing, with sour apple and pepper standing out. For the flavor itself, the tart apple remained and brought with it a grassiness and a certain funkiness. I did not pick up on much citrus as some of the other reviewers did. The mouthfeel was watery, and overall it was a bit one-dimensional. This was not really a great saison, and I am disappointed that it be4ars the great name of La Chouffe. I would like to find out more details of the brewing for this.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2012 19:17:23 | More by Neorebel

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.26/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a rich, deep golden color which borders a light bronze. Pillowy, foamy head forms and leaves a lot of lacework on the branded glass. Aroma of bready malts, very clean, with some yeast and earthy must. In the taste, Belgian yeast with a very light musty taste. Subtle tart notes, but mostly just amplified yeast notes and the hops. Malt is doughy and mildly sweet, not enough to cut through the earthy, dank funk. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, high level of carbonation, and very smooth. Overall, this is a high quality authentic Belgian farmhouse ale. I'd recommend it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2013 23:07:42 | More by Stinkypuss

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Refreshing to see a Saison with managable alcohol and taste- not trying too hard to meet the demand of American craft drinkers, nor the anti-establishment table beer. It's like baby bear soup.

Honey gold and hazy in appearances, the heady beer releases a creamy froth that steers away from the usual racy carbonation and spritzy character. Instead the beer looks of Witbier with a soft ivory pillow that retains effortlessly the session and trails with classic Belgian lace.

Earthy with pear and fresh cut tobacco, the sent is backed with honey and mild grainy caramel. Hebal hops offer up a pleasantly floral tone with grassy botanical and wet hay. A spicy tinge of white pepper and wine tickle the nose heading into taste.

Terse sweetness of grain, light honey and over-ripened orchard fruit captivate the early palate, just as the raw taste of hibiscus and tobacco offer an earthen sweetness at middle palate. Finishing boldly bitter- the taste turns dry, peppery, and lightly cidery. An aftertaste of mulled herbs and grass keep the beer lingering into the next sip.

Mid-light on the palate, the ale affirms with slightly more robust malt character that holds of the turn to dryness, warmth, or crispness until later in the taste. Light wine tannin and cidery spice offer a final impression.

Biere du Soliel is certainly an earthy and semi-dry Saison, yet it borrows a fruity and earthy tone that's normally seen in older English ales. Though they fit in nicely here, its oddly compelling until the taste buds get acclimated to the beer's overall taste.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2013 22:57:11 | More by BEERchitect

randylangford

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%

04-26-2013 22:28:13 | More by randylangford

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served from tap into a Trappe Door tulip. Poured a hazy yellow-orange with a two finger off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount very slowly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, earth, spice, fruit, spicy hop, and earthy hop. The flavor was of sweet malt, earth, fruit, earth hop, spice, and spicy hop. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. I actually didn’t know what to expect going into this one, but knew with it being from La Chouffe that it would be earthy and hoppy. They did not disappoint on this fact as I got both right out of the gate. The spicy note was definitely a new one from them though that I have no experienced in the past. I actually quite enjoyed this one with my lunch that day. Definitely worth at least trying if you get the opportunity to do so.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2013 11:51:55 | More by thagr81us

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -18.3%

12-29-2012 12:58:47 | More by ejimhof

tln13

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +15.8%

10-18-2012 01:55:23 | More by tln13

mdillon86

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

07-27-2012 02:42:21 | More by mdillon86

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap in a tulip glass

Appearance – Served a hazy yellow-orange color with a billowy off-white head. The head had nice retention, eventually fading to leave a fair amount of lacing.

Smell – The smell was largely of wheat, spice, yeast and a lighter citrus aroma. Mixed with this were some aromas of green apple and a very light caramel smell.

Taste – The taste began with a sugary sweet and bready flavor with good hints of the citrus that was in the nose. With these flavors is a strong presence of a yeast flavor. As the flavor advanced, some spice came to the tongue with hints of a sour lemon/apple entering the scene. The sour got stronger more toward the end of the taste with the sweetness lightening some giving overall a a nice mildly sweet and sour spice flavor on the tongue.

Mouthfeel –The thickness of the beer was a little on the lighter side with the carbonation level being average to just above average. Both made for a very refreshing wheat style brew.

Overall – A very easy drinking and flavorful beer that is great for a warm day. While a little pricey for the quality it was well worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2012 20:50:48 | More by Darkmagus82

UCLABrewN84

California

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Little Bear in Los Angeles, CA.

Pours a murky honey orange with a foamy beige head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass all the way down to the last drop. Smell is of malt, grain, yeast, and spice but seems pretty mild aroma wise. Taste is much the same with a very mild spice bitterness with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but it's pretty thin and mild in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2012 08:25:50 | More by UCLABrewN84

Thomas_Picton

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%

06-22-2012 12:36:46 | More by Thomas_Picton

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hazy honey color with an inch of head. Excellent retention. Looks great in its own D'Achouffe tulip. 4.5

Nectarine and apricot fruity with some light funk and apple sweetness. Nectary. Not what one would expect from a farmhouse ale. 4.0

Light apple and peach fruitiness with a smack of tart lemon and hay. Finishes with some clean bitterness and powdery yeast. 4.0

Very lightly carbonated and thin-bodied. Feels a little too thin, although a medium body might trick the palate into interpreting the beer as sugary. 3.5

Delicious beer, but makes for a strange saison. Sweetest saison I've had yet. 3.5

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2012 02:29:26 | More by thecheapies

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +9%

06-17-2012 18:00:57 | More by Reagan1984

SocalKicks

California

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%

06-17-2012 06:36:54 | More by SocalKicks

Lovely85

Florida

4/5  rDev +9%

06-13-2012 01:03:36 | More by Lovely85

schomber

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

06-10-2012 19:06:15 | More by schomber

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On-tap at Crescent Moon/Max and Joe's for d'Achouffe Week
Poured into a Brasserie d'Achouffe tulip glass
Review from notes

The bartender was referring to this as a saison, but the brewery's material called it a Belgian Pale Ale. Whichever it is, Soleil is a satisfyingly drinkable beer, though it is simple, straightforward, and surprisingly mild in aroma and flavor: you really have to search for things in it. I don't mind trying to find things in beer, it's just that after a while it becomes tedious, and you wonder if the mind is inventing more characters than are really there. I'd not seek this out again, instead opt for a solid Belgian wit, which is a bit like what this reminded me of.

Pours a 3cm head of white, dense bubbles, small in size. Retention is about average, settling to a few wisps of foam atop the body, and a ring around the glass. Lacing is noticeable and above average, being slightly refreshed with each swirl and sip. Body is a semi-hazy, gold-meets-copper color, with light bringing out some orange and yellow highlights. Carbonation is visible along sides of the glass.

Aroma fairly simple, of light grain, lemon citrus, and a bit of green, leafy herbaceous vegetation (not hops).

Taste is similar to smell, thankfully a bit stronger. Most expressiveness from pale, sweet malts and lemon citrus, with mild fruit esters and modest hop bitterness appearing mid-palate and traipsing through to the back. Aftertaste of lingering lemon, grain, and mild bitterness. Again, fairly lacking in any intensity and expressiveness. Seems kind of like an old beer, even though this was just tapped at the beginning of the day.

Beer is medium bodied with gentle, though noticeable carbonation. The result is a smooth and adequately flowing beer across the palate. Closes with a fair bit of dryness.

Serving type: on-tap

06-07-2012 23:41:00 | More by falloutsnow

zonker17

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

06-06-2012 23:14:24 | More by zonker17

ste5venla

California

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%

05-23-2012 17:48:28 | More by ste5venla

hayesjw

California

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

05-17-2012 20:59:44 | More by hayesjw

nickfl

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours with a two finger white head on a copper colored, hazy body. Average head retention but excellent lace.

S - Bready malt, pear, pepper, and lemon.

T - Sweet malt, toffee and lemon up front. A finish full of bread, pear, honey and lightly herbal hops.

M - A thick, chewy body, low carbonation, and a slightly sweet finish.

D - Subtle but interesting with good balance and drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2012 22:15:14 | More by nickfl

kylehay2004

Florida

4.03/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Two finger thick head with nice retention and lots of lacing. Body is murky crimson with golden hues. Aroma is very sweet and fruity with mostly green apple and kiwi with typical Belgian yeast. Flavor is Bready plus more of the same with a mild sour green apple note mixed with a sweet kiwi and banana flavor. Semi dry in the finish, medium body and moderate to high carbonation. Overall an excellent beer. It's a little dryer than I like but still good.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2012 01:30:23 | More by kylehay2004

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Always exciting to see a new d'Achouffe beer on tap.

A: The ale is amber color, lighter towards the autumnal orange end of the spectrum and hazed over. No head on this one.

S: Sweetness, pale breads and fruits and yeast, gives the beer the air of a Belgian amber ale on steroids. Beyond the candi sugar-inspired sweetness, there isn't much depth.

T: The candi sugars and yeast are immediately evident, sweetness from the first sip. Light breads follow, biscuity. A fuller body, supporting the sweetness, doesn't add much depth, making this a one trick pony. Too much amber for me, the sweetness a minor moment of redemption.

M: An amped up amber ale. Glad for the chance to try it though. If there are d'Achouffe offerings, check them out first.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2012 01:10:29 | More by akorsak

BrownNut

Florida

2.78/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Well what a letdown. I'd just had the beautiful De Glazen Toren Saison D'Erpe Mere and then tried this one. It fell totally flat by comparison. Faint, not much flavor happening, none of that delightful saison sweet freshness. I'm a saison lover and this was a real disappointment, a shadow of what you'd expect. I just wound up using it as a palate cleanser between some heavier things I was trying. It was handy in that role! Utterly forgettable and I'd never waste another beerportunity on it in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2012 04:26:06 | More by BrownNut

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.3/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

11 ounce goblet - $9.00 at Taco Mac in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: This one is hazy, opaque, and dark orange-amber in appearance with a thin layering of snow white foam. Copious lacing.

Smell: Honey-toned, pale malted, bready malts with little, light touches dried herb, green grapes, lemon rind, and vague florals.

Taste: A sweetish taste of raw, organic honey over cracked pale malts with a light toastiness, and a light caramel quality. Herbal, lowly citrusy hops, very low bitterness. Hint of grapeskin, a bit of pulverized apricot. Drying finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium-high carbonation.

Overall: It's alright, I am appreciative of the relatively low alcohol. However, I'll politely, though entirely disagree with the saison categorization.

Serving type: on-tap

01-11-2012 17:04:26 | More by ChainGangGuy