Cuvée D'Achouffe
Brooklyn Brewery

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From:
Brooklyn Brewery
 
New York, United States
Style:
Saison
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
87
Avg:
3.84 | pDev: 11.72%
Reviews:
32
Ratings:
32
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 31, 2009
Added:
Nov 28, 2006
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
As per Garrett Oliver: brewed with a dash of thyme, and, technically speaking, a form of Saison.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Hautacam:
Photo of Hautacam
Reviewed by Hautacam from Connecticut

4.4/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Hazy deep gold with a small head that lingered awhile.
Smells faintly of spices and yeast.
A definite sweet malt flavor up front with a nice balance of spice...I would guess coriander..maybe some pepper.? Some other hints of funk and bubblegum , subtle fruit along with a nice hop flavor near the end. Almost a semi dry finish ..nice medium mouthfeel..velvety carbonation. Got better and better with warming.
Must be low ABV as I had a few pints w/o much of a buzz that I would expect from a Saison or Belgian ale.
Very good and very drinkable...this is my kind of stuff.
Mar 11, 2007
More User Ratings:
Photo of JohnQVegas
Reviewed by JohnQVegas from Tennessee

3.4/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Draught @ BTAH, '06 vintage.

Pours cloudy amber, off-white head that shows some nice lacing.

Nose is mellow - spicy, a bit yeasty, hint of candy sweetness.

Flavor is also mellow - spicy yeast, some sweetness that combines with the yeast gives it almost a very light, sweet fresh baked bread quality, clean finish, light on the palate. This one is really all about the yeast.

Mouthfeel is smooth, with light carbonation.

Deliciously drinkable.
Jan 31, 2009
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Apparently, this is the last keg; tapped at Bar Great Harry for the Brooklyn Brewmaster's Reserve Night

Appearance: Arrives at the bar with a cloudy amber color and a significant head that leaves a nice pattern of lace behind

Smell: Yeasty farmhouse character

Taste: Biscuity up front, with the thyme flavor making an appearance rather quickly, along with some earthy hops; after the swallow, the thyme is much more easily discernable and is joined by yeasty farmhouse flavors and a hint of sweet licorice

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: A rare treat and I am glad that I had a chance to taste this - I wasn't planning to order it but the head of operations for the brewery was sitting nearby and recommended it
Jan 28, 2009
Photo of hopdog
Reviewed by hopdog from Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to weeare138 for bringing this over!

Poured a medium and cloudy amber color with a small sized off white head. Aroams of yeast, candi sugar, fruity, and some spices. Tastes of some yeastiness, the same fruitiness, spices, and candi sugar sweetness.

Notes from: 1/5/07
Jan 07, 2009
Photo of RblWthACoz
Reviewed by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
On tap at The Blind Tiger for a Brooklyn event. Pours orange brown with a great crème head. Nose is not very prevalent. Flavor is bringing the yeasty funk. Stays smooth while it’s around, but the flavor is not overly lasting. Feel is thick with carbonation, but the liquid seems a tad thin. Definitely drinkable. A nice American interpretation of what can be a difficult style.
Jan 01, 2008
Photo of sleazo
Reviewed by sleazo from New York

4.12/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at Spuyten Duyvil

A-Pours a nice bright brown with a very foamy head. Beautiful lacing.

S-crisp green apples and yeasty aroma. Slighlty subtle.

T-nicely sweet with a pleasing sourness in the followthrough. Yeasty green apples are present as is a vague pepper and generic spice.

M-highly effervescent with a light body. Very refreshing

D-wonderfully refreshing beer and unlike any American beer I have had. once again Garrett Oliver has succeeded with the Belgian styles.
Jul 22, 2007
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Geez, I thought I'd reviewed this beer already. I sat next to Chris from La Chouffe at an event in Brooklyn with Garret and we talked about this. Anyway, I tried it first at Capone's, and then had it again somewhere else. It's a great beer and I wish it had been more available. It's the kind of beer that will hold my attention, that I can just sit and enjoy slowly... which tends to keep me from going over the edge! Anyway...

It delivers the typical hazy orange-gold appearance of La Chouffe (perhaps a bit brighter) with the massive dollop of creamy white froth atop. The head holds exceptionally well and leaves sticky, craggy maps of both thick and thin lace about the goblet. Very nice!

The nose is typically spicy, and although Chris feels that the La Chouffe yeast is not immediately recognizable, I have to disagree. It might be semi-masked in his own Houblon, but for the most part, in my opinion, it sticks out like a bloodied sore thumb. It's chalky, earthy, and subtly fruity with notes of dried fruits, some banana, and delicate non-commital spice. Beyond that, the D'Achouffe is honeyish and floral with some underlying notes of spice and herb. It's not superbly complex or overly full, but it's not intended to be. It's supposed to be rounded, and approachable, and it is. But you can come back to it time and time again to look for just a little bit more, which is nice.

The flavor, not surprisingly, follows the aroma almost to the T. There may be a bit more apple character to it, and even some more bubblegum/clove, but it's not a bold change. It's nicely balanced with solid-but-underlying bitterness, superbly rounded in character, and supple in the mouth with a delicately bristling, seemingly natural carbonation.

Quite nice. Very enjoyable.
May 26, 2007
Photo of akorsak
Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Served in a snifter glass at Capone's.

A: The ale is a vibrant orange color, almost like a mimosa but not quite. There appears to be a bit of haziness in the glass. Head is around 1 finger, decent for a snifter.

S: The nose is very unique, strong on spices without betraying anything on the underlying malts. There is some anise and coriander and a sweeter candi sugar-like note.

T: The ale is very floral, relying on a number of spices to create its flavor. I find a bit of ginger sweetness, peppery coriander, anise and honey in the ale. The flavors don't always get along though, and the flavor remains muddled because of it.

M: The mouthfeel is big on spices, as though the entire spice rack was used to flavor the ale.

D: I enjoy both Brooklyn and d'Achouffe, but this combination never quite takes off.
Apr 20, 2007
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.31/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
On-tap at Pizza Plant. Neither McChouffe nor cuvee. Looks great with enormous head on peach colour body. Lace. Thinnish boosted by carbonation, end of the keg. Subdued spice,except for the wierd astringency of the thyme, that I think would work for a meat or thick sauce vegetable dish, sour finish. Pepper. Bugged my stomach.
Mar 12, 2007
Photo of DrJay
Reviewed by DrJay from Texas

3.48/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Hazy amber with a fine, white cap of foam that produced solid sheets of lacing that clung to the glass. The aroma was comprised of caramel, bready malt, along with a bit of spiciness and yeast. Mild bitterness with candy and caramel sweetness up front, followed by a spicy middle and sweet finish. Just a little grainy. Medium/light bodied with lowish carbonation that made it feel heavier than it was. Some astringency from husky tannins. The sweetness ended up being a little cloying by the end of the glass. I probably won't revisit this one - there are much better offerings from this brewery.

---
4/26/08: Tried it again recently and I liked it more than before. There was a pleasant peppery character in the finish and the astringency that I picked up before wasn't there. Scores have been modified to reflect my latest encounter with this brew.
Mar 10, 2007
Photo of oberon
Reviewed by oberon from North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Had on tap at the Pizza Plant on Main Thursday night,poured into a goblet a hazed orange/brown color with a thinner white head.Belgian yeasty tones in the nose somewhat phenolic with a wet blanket kinda funk,I have to say at first sip the beer really wowed me with different compexities somespicey/clovey yeast with notes of citrus and pepper with the dash of thyme only showing thru marginally but as I drank more that dash of thyme became more prevelant and the phenolic flavors became a bit much.Its interesting and complex but maybe a bit heavyhanded in its spice and herb qualities,Iam glad I tried it.
Mar 04, 2007
Photo of tempest
Reviewed by tempest from New York

3.57/5  rDev -7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
On-tap at the Blue Tusk in Syracuse.

Got a pint with a roasted chicken sandwich. The ale is pale and hazy without much head or lacing. Smells of spice, maybe coriander. This beer seems kinda of like a big wit beer with its mellow flavor and focus on spice. I tasted some white pepper and occaisonal earthy flavors. Overall a nice beer, but not a great belgian. There were too many alcohol flavors as it warmed for my liking and the flavor didn't seem very deep.
Feb 28, 2007
Photo of Gavage
Reviewed by Gavage from Nevada

4.33/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Appearance: clear soft orange in color sporting a nice 2" head that lasted a while. The glass gets painted with a nice lace during hte session.

Smell: yeast spiciness and some sweet tones are easily picked up by the nose.

Taste: well balanced beer here. Malt sweetness, yeast, orange citrus, and a hint of barnyard funk and spice round it out. Alcohol is not noticable at all.

Mouthfeel: smooth with a bit of a tongue prickle at the start, smooth with a touch of dryness at the finish. Aftertaste is brief.

Drinkability: great tasting and easy to quaff beer. This was my wife's favorite beer during Max's 72 Hours of Belgium Fest in Baltimore, and easily made one of my top 3 choices there too.
Feb 23, 2007
Photo of Rudgers73
Reviewed by Rudgers73 from New York

2.56/5  rDev -33.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
On tap as a special at Monty's Korner, Rochester, NY.

Served in a pint glass, amber-reddish color, moderate carbonation, very little head. The smell was a little old, might have been from dirty lines or an un-fresh keg. The taste was very odd. There was a strong wheat base with moderate mellow hops, but overall it had a dirty taste to it. Not unfiltered or stale, just a bland, mediocre off taste. Ommegang does a much more crisp, clean, saison IMO.
Feb 10, 2007
Photo of atsprings
Reviewed by atsprings from North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Had this one on tap at Tyler's in Durham. Served in a Brooklyn Snifter with a good sized head that was well lasting and left good lacing. The aroma was similar to other saisons I have had in the past, with a unique spice characteristic thrown in. This was also evident in the taste as well. Just a tad bit on the yeasty side, even for a Belgian style, but still a very good beer overall. Brooklyn continues to be one of my favorite breweries.
Feb 09, 2007
Photo of ggaughan
Reviewed by ggaughan from Pennsylvania

4.12/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at Monk's Cafe on 2/6/07 before the Lost Abbey dinner. The beer poured a nice golden color, a bit hazy and with a soft white head. The aroma was definitely of some nice Belgian yeast and a touch of sweetness. The taste is more of the same with yeast and fruity sweetness running through but it ends up rather dry and refreshing.
Feb 09, 2007
Photo of HimerMan
Reviewed by HimerMan from New Jersey

3.2/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
On tap at the Ginger Man 2/2/07.

Pour - nice bright golden color with a small off-white head.

Smell - yeast, spices (I didn't smell thyme, but its in this), a touch of a spicy/peppery note and sugar.

Taste - This really wasn't what I was expectnig from this beer. Strong estery notes, belgian sugar, lot of spices, figs?, then at the same time a creamy balance with an alcohol backdrop.

Overall - this was definitely saison-like, mixed with a tripel and a belgian pale ale. It was interesting to drink, and would likely pair well with a nice assortment of cheeses. Definitely worth trying, just not the best beer with Brooklyn involved.

Cheers.
Feb 05, 2007
Photo of shirfan
Reviewed by shirfan from New York

4.39/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Dark peach in color with a touch of haze, and little head.

Aroma is something like old-fashioned hard candy, with apple and cantaloupe notes.

Taste is ester-centric without being heavy. Light apple, honeydew, notes of black pepper. Really crisp and refreshing for the style, balanced sweetness, light mouthfeel, low bitterness.

Too bad this is a limited release, it would make a phenomenal summer beer.
Jan 31, 2007
Photo of PSUDREW
Reviewed by PSUDREW from Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
What a weird and wonderul beer

Pours a nice golden color, pretty deep If I do say so. Has a nice nose, sweet and malty, with hints of hoppy goodness.

Has some white head, but it doesn't last and neither does the lacing
The taste is great. it has honey, and an intersting mix of spices. I gottqa say the spices mix really well together witht he honesy and make for one hell of a brew. I detect cloves, cinimonn, and hints of apples

Over all a very well made beer. get it if you can, you won't regret it
Jan 28, 2007
Photo of warriorsoul
Reviewed by warriorsoul from Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Enjoyed a13oz. pour of this creation at Christopher's in Porter Square.
Arrived a hazy golden color with just a finger full of bright, white head...most of which disappeared rapidly, but reformed with just a gentle swirl of the glass.
Earthy yeast in the nose...mild spice with a touch of honey.
Taste is real good...not pushing any flavor boundaries here...a pleasant balance of floral hop, belgian yeast and delicate malt. A hint of honey also shows up, but the cloying feeling does not accompany it. Quite carbonated in the mouthfeel, but not overly thin...not sure of the abv, but I did detect some warming alcohol in the very last couple sips.
Easy drinking here and I can imagine would be real popular with anyone looking for a delicate belgian style brew...have to say I enjoyed this one.
Jan 19, 2007
Cuvée D'Achouffe from Brooklyn Brewery
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 32 ratings