Chouffe Soleil
Brasserie d'Achouffe

A: crystal clear; medium gold in color; 2 finger finely pored ivory head that receded to a wispy cap with a fat, tight collar; light lacing;

S: lemon zest;

T: lemon, elderflower, and a hit of lime; yeast comes through nicely and adds complexity; mild bitterness at the end;

M: medium bodied; moderate to high carbonation; moderately dry finish;

O: refreshing; easy drinking;

Copenhagen 25/1 2020. 33 cl little chubby bottle from Ølhandleren in Give (web-shop). Drawing of Chouffe’s garden-gnomes having a picnic on the label.

Pours unclear pale yellow with a big white head. Fluffy and stable. Settles as thin layer of foam just covering the surface of the beer. Clinging to the sides of the glass. Substantial lacing.

Aroma is intense, yeasty, fruity and a little sharp. Sugar and banana. Humid basement and barnyard. Light sour, citric odor. A little bit chemical.

Light carbonation. Slightly thick, oily almost flat texture.

Flavor is medium sweet followed by a slightly stronge citric bitterness. Aftertaste is citric sour. Lingers for a while. Semi-dry finish.

Pretty light and fairly bitter Belgian but with all the characteristics.

RB transfer

Bottle 0.33L.
Slightly hazy golden body with an average, frothy, white head, mostly diminishing with some lacing, though.
Moderate hoppy (citrus) and light-to-moderate malty (grains) aroma with notes of spices and white fruits.
Light-to-moderate sweet and light acidic flavour; long sweet finish.
Light-to-medium body with watery texture; soft carbonation; light astringency in the finish.

 

Pour it, and stand back. One of the most heady beers you'll find. A majestic, billowing white head that stands tall and grows. It's a head that doesn't quit, and laces tenaciously to your glass. Flowery nose and a delightfully refreshing summer flavor blend favoring lime, orange and a touch of pepper spice. Superior thirst-quencher--if you can wait for the head to calm down.

Very versatile beer. This one transcends occasions. You can drink it year round (as it says on the bottle). Pours a hell of a head for a blonde ale. Overall a very drinkable and refreshing beer. It's not overly dynamic but absolutely no qualms about drinking this beer.

 

If Duvel 6,66 is the Citrus among BA this is the Orange. It is very refreshing and i can most certainly associate the Soleil with it. This is what i could drink all afternoon by the pool, straight from the bottle which i know is heresy to some.

What more can i say besides let me have another?

A beer like this is also an awesome prelude to the big brothers like La Chouffe blond and Duvel, brewed by the same company.

did i even know this exited? not sure i ever did, but i was stoked to see it on tap this week on my travels to montana, what a unique beverage, as refined as expected from one of the belgian greats, but also weird and distinctive and not quite fitting neatly into any one style, or what i generally expect from them, a lovely beer on a day that feels like spring is finally getting close, it has a glowing and sunny and almost optimistic disposition, and im into it. blonde and golden, crystal clear and incredibly excited from the tap, hard for them to pour like its been refermenting a bit in the keg, as belgian beer should be, super airy, as much foam in the proper glassware as there is beer, sparkling and sexy. the nose is almost saison-esque, estery and rustic, preserved lemon, tangerine zest, white pepper, lemongrass, and green tea, fresh and floral and rather delicate on top of faint pale malt sweetness and a nice minerality, springy all the way, with white wine and coriander essence as it warms a bit. the flavor is definitely yeast driven, distinctive, and again more in that clean saison range than the traditional belgian blonde to me, although certainly aspects of both dance around, very original and very well used, the ferment here is epic, makes it. grassy hops add a nice organic note to it, mostly on the back end, but bitterness is well restrained. subtle vanilla and sugar cookie among the graininess, dry on the back end but not bone dry, vinous more and more as it sits, a light farmhouse vibe but not bretty or anything, black and white pepper, jasmine, and honeysuckle. this beer rules, its incredibly lively, light, soft, and flavorful, and its not like anything else out there. delicious, it put me in a great mood, and its a beer i absolutely need to drink again! ideal for this time of year, just loved it!

The head is big, fluffy, and pure white, barely contained by a LaChouffe Tulip glass. Slowly it settled over the chill hazed beer below. Occasional lazy bubbles of carbonation can be seen within the chill hazed golden beer (SRM 4-5). With time it because gem clear, than I added the last 2 oz which brought down a curtain of haze and darkened the beer to (SRM 6-8).

The aroma is mild, yet distinctively clover and orange. A strong earthiness is prevalent amidst herbal notes and light honey. Over ripe pair comes with warming, then green apple. There is a floral perfume as well. The added yeast elevates the floral and funky notes.

Sadly, it is surprisingly bitter and astringent. Orange and apple mix with ginger and celery in the long bitter finish. It is fairly dry. The yeast addition completely tamed the bitter astringency while adding clove and completely drying out the beer. The Yeast addition improved the flavor by a full half point.

A medium body with the smooth/hard texture of coarse nylon. ABV is as expected, highly energetic carbonation that scours the mouth with each sip. The carbonation does soften with the added yeast.

This is a beer to showcase how yeast sediment can transform (in this case for the better) a beer. The flavor and mouthfeel both improved decisively. I enjoyed it early January and think it would be best with a Summer pick-nick lunch of charcuterie.

 

Clear amber brew with abundant foam in the Orval chalice. Highly aromatic with tangerine, grape, and straw. Tangy and prickly carbonation. Flavors of dried pear with wheat cereal. Lighter than a Tripel but the same sort of flavor profile. This is light and citrusy after the initial Belgian yeasty rush. Overall this is a brew in a classic Belgian style that is also highly drinkable. From the 330 ml bottle purchased on the West Coast. Apparently "best by" date is 01/2024.

Golden hazy body with a perfect 2 finger head and great retention. Aroma is subtle and light grassy and bannana. Really nice lightly sweet banana bread flavor with crisp hop finish. Silky but carbonation provided added drinkability. Been a while since I’ve had a Belgian Blonde ale and especially at this high level. Really enjoyed.

 

Familiar stubby bottle …. 11.2 ounces

01 2024 dating… best before info ?

Pours with a slight haze, yeasty final pour. Moderate cap and just a few bits of lacing.

Pleasing nose with light pepper, melon and vanilla. More of the same on the palate…this an approachable and easy quaffing Belgian, that will go great with all sorts of light, summery foods, salads and cheese…love the style and the execution here is on point…go get some and enjoy

Hazy body, one finger head. Smell is cracker and bready malt, light Belgian funk, spice, and hay. Taste follows. Funky cracker and biscuit, a touch of Belgian yeast, spice, and hay. Moderate hoppy bitterness. Feel is crisp. Easier drinking than other Belgian styles but still retains the character. Nice mellow choice.

 

Surprisly light, very refreshing, good carbonation. Straw gold blond. Definitely different in feel to the original blonde offering from Chouffe. Bready aroma, crisp, almost sweet and fruity on the tongue. Different in a good way!