La Chouffe
Brasserie d'Achouffe

4.53/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

330 cl bottle marked best by 4/21

Hazy golden color, two fingers mixed head. Spotty lacing, incomplete cap.
Strong coriander yeast, lemon, apricot aromas
Clove, coriander, banana, light citrus, pear, light white grape flavors.
Smooth light feel, consistent carbonation, no alcohol heat, light hop bitter aftertaste.
Delicious, great with a variety of foods

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5/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

My absolutely favourite Belgian strong blonde ale. Bordering on my favourite overall. Everything about this beer is just perfect for the style. Fruity esters, mild bitterness and overall bust perfect balance. Close to the perfect beer in my book.

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4.44/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle purchased for $9.59 and split with my wife. Best by August 2020.

Pours an effervescent yellow. The large, fluffy head slowly fades with excellent lacing. Aroma features light spice, faint floral/grassy hops, citrus (mainly lemon), and biscuit malts. Flavor is similar with additional Belgian candi sugar sweetness. Mouthfeel is moderately carbonated and full-bodied with some sugary slickness. The 8% abv is extremely well-hidden and the beer is very drinkable. Overall a fantastic BSPA, which is not normally a favorite style of mine.

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4.19/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Finally pouring one of these in my glass, yet another import i never bothered to grab off the shelf despite knowing i would enjoy it. a lovely golden color dropped out of the stubby lil bottle and awoke a decent frothy white floating atop that gathered into a decent sized stubborn ring, with not really any lacing left behind. the aroma was full of warmth, with cloves and coriander resting on very slightly sweetened bread-like malts. a banana bread note came in on the back, with more fruitiness coming through overtime with lots of apples leading the pack. general yeast and a floral note is keeping the rest in balance. the flavor profile follows a similar route, with a big helping of sweet bread hitting at first and then a quick follow through with some clove-like spices, a touch of lemon tartness, and banana/apple/pear notes all creating a lovely balance. the tart fruity notes linger and force that next sip. it's fairly light bodied for it's 8% weight, a bit too fizzy for my taste, but overall a joy to drink. lovely beer, something i'll snag again soon hopefully.

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4.38/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Nose - Banana Nut Bread + Fruity Spice

Mouth - Light/Medium and bubbly.

Taste - Honey Yeasty Bread, Coriander & Clove, Warm fruity mixture of Banana/Orange/Apple/Pear.

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4.25/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Kinda murky gold, hazy, with a finger or two of white head... Fruity aromas and sweet bready notes, accented with sweet spices and coriander... Very soft and smooth, amply carbonated... A solid brew...

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4.42/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Hazy golden hue on the pour with a big long lasting head and plenty of lacing. Hoppy but smooth, with coriander and fruit notes. Great bready aroma. Nice carbonation and a pretty good kick at 8% ABV. A good one....I will be buying this one again....and reasonably priced vs. other Belgians.....

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4.28/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Best By date of 01-2021

Slightly hazy orangey-gold , with ample , very-fine-to-coarse off-white, long-lasting head. Leaves 3/4"-1" of spotty lacing up the side of the glass.

Smell is the to-be-expected mix of banana extract, clove, and sweet, fruity malt. Swirling it brings up some slight spicy aroma. When initially poured, there was a slightly boozy pine aroma . That faded quickly, and isn't apparent a minute or so later. As it warms for another minute or two (as I type this) the spicy/coriander element becomes more noticeable.

Taste is sweetish golden bread, a spicy flavor that is no doubt from the coriander, but not obviously that, a little faded clove, a mild fruity mix (sweet apple + pear) , finishing with some mild pleasant bitterness. The overall flavor isn't as sweet as the aroma would suggest. I think that's a plus. No apparent alcohol taste.

Feel is light-side-of-medium, with very fine carbonation tingle throughout, that creates a pleasant, lingering tongue-lashing. Surprisingly light , given the 8% abv.

Overall, a joy to drink. Dangerously easy-drinking.

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4.67/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

A delightful, strong pale ale. Looks deceptively like a pilsner. Very smooth up front, slightly sweet on the palate, with a little bite at the back of the mouth. C’est magnifique!

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4.27/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

330mL bottle stamped Best before end 08-2020 poured into a Duvel glass at fridge temp 8% ABV. The beer pours mostly bright orange amber in color with off white head. The head recedes to a thin ring and puffy island leaving a Belgian lace behind to mark it's path. The aroma is coriander, lemon, lemon zest, pale malt and Belgian yeast. The taste is more pale malt, lemon and coriander before the yeast takes over with subdued clove and banana. Very low bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with just above average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, excellent. Beautifully combined flavors make this beer not too much of any one thing, yet wonderful as a whole.

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4.76/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

One of the most weird beers i have drink.. The taste is really weird but also very refreshing.. This beer give you some fresh air in your month.. Also is the most fruity beer i have drink too.. The fruits is very bright to me.. And you can feel big lemon here and it is my favorite.
The colour is very deep Gold and awesome in my opinion.. And lastly has insane mouthfeel and the 8.0% seems very high but is very well hidden and that is the most important to me because i can feel the great taste over the alcohol..
Overall this beer is very special.. I never have drink something similar to this and perhaps many people don't admire the difference here.. To me this beer is very refreshing and specially in the summer when the hit is very high.. This beer can make my day for sure.. Perhaps my favorite beer out there. Hail Belgium!

Drinking Temperatures: 6–10 °C

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4.16/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Beautiful golden amber with a modest head, not much lacing. Peppery citrus blast initially, tiny profuse bubbles, a nice mix of sweet and bitter. The smell doesn't quite mesh with the taste for me but I would drink this again and again as the flavors are complex, interesting and linger. This is great.

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4.3/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Tap and Mallet in Rochester, NY.

This one pours a clear straw blonde color, with a very small head, and not much lacing.

This smells like sweet floral aromas, spice, peach, pear, and clove.

This has a really tremendous balance to it between all of the competing strong flavors. There's a big fruity sweetness, almost stone-fruit like, but it's cut down with some floral and clove-like bitterness. I also get grassy hops, citrus, pear, and some white grape.

This is light bodied, with no booziness whatsoever, and a pretty great amount of drinkability.

This is a textbook version of the style. It's a style I don't appreciate enough these days.

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4.22/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Clear, faded copper body, covered with a foamy white holding a minute or two worth retention.
Aroma is fruity yeast and very mild spice and smoke. Intriguing and indecipherable.
Mysterious yeast notes all over the palate - baked fruit (apple, banana) with minimal sweetness, light caramel malt, a hit of umami, mild spices (clover, coriander). All of it blending as one, indescribable taste. High alcohol contributes a soothing heat in the finish, accompanied by a brief touch of hop bitterness, leaving you eager for another drink. Medium body and carbonation. Crisp but also slightly oily mouthfeel, keeping the palate excited.

Truly fun to drink, a guessing game. I'm a sucker for Belgian beers and this is a great one, with pronounced yeast notes and a lively feel. Complexity makes for great food pairings, particularly with cheese and charcuterie, but a burger would match the umami notes beautifully.

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5/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The little gnome knows how to make a tasty beverage. My favorite beer from my favorite style (strong Belgians). The perfect amount of head and perfect flavor balance. Slightly hoppy and just the right amount of sweetness.

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4.31/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

The most economical strong Belgian ale at my local grocer. Good flavor balance, doesn't taste like 8% but feels like it. The tap version had a more pronounced vanilla aftertaste. Will drink again.

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4.28/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Dark yellow in color with hues of orange and a light haze. Poured with a moderate, frothy, white foam with excellent retention. Aromas of sweet banana, light coriander, yeasty bread, and bubble gum. Medium bodied with effervescent carbonation. Creamy feel through the middle and boozy warmth near the end. Sweet banana and bready malt flavors with light peppery notes beneath. Medium light acidic bitterness through the middle. Bready, malty flavors from the middle to the end. Finished with estery banana and pear flavors, light peppery and bready notes. Great eatery banana and light spiciness. I personally prefer the sweeter side vs the spicy side. Acidic carbonation and bitterness nicely temper the sweetness. Easy drinking finish the hides the 8% abv very nicely.

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4.27/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

From the stubby 330 ml. bottle with an 03-2020 expiration date. Sampled on March 9, 2019.

The pour is a cloudy looking light amber with a long-lasting and foamy ivory head. Plenty of lacing. Sediment deposits in the bottle.

The aroma has an array of traditional Belgian characters like banana, pear, barley grain, and a coriander sensation of course.

The body is better than medium and almost full.

A very tasty and sweet flavor with a kind of musty cellar almost wooden background. The coriander can be be found easily here and the 8% ABV is well masked. Finishes with a mild to moderate dry character.

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4.22/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a transparent amber color with a finger's worth of coarse, sudsy froth. Aroma smells of noble hops, coriander, and lemongrass, with a whiff of light, biscuity malt. Sheets of finely speckled lacing cling to the glass as the beer recedes.

The taste features a vibrant burst of coriander, lemongrass, and chalky yeast, complemented by notes of pepper and vegetal hops. Alcoholic heat is modest but noticeable, as is mild honey courtesy of the malt. Medium body and exuberant carbonation make for rich, vivacious mouthfeel and dry finish.

Overall, this is a direct and very well-executed Belgian blonde. A wonderful mouthfeel and all the crisp, vibrant flavors you'd expect leave little in the way of obvious flaws. It would be hard not to enjoy this.

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4.57/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I love Pale Ales and this one is one of my favorite ones. Great taste, goes quite well with red meats, and well, it gets you drunk thanks to its 8.00% alcohol content!

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4.74/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Decanted from an 11/2 oz (330 ml) brown bottle into a custom Same Adams glass; best by January 2020.
A: Pours a very slightly hazy, golden color with remarkable head formation, leading to a much greater than one inch, fluffy, foamy off white to wheat head, incredibly good retention, and rings and rings of lacing. Did I say outrageously good retention? I should have.
S: Interesting grassy and grainy at first, with banana and cloves quickly establishing themselves as the dominant aromas.
T: Semidry. Very, very refreshing while chilled. Flavors of banana and cloves out front without overwhelming. Maybe some tutti-fruity and somewhat saline. Bitterness sufficient to lead to crisp, clean finish.
M: Light to medium bodied with intense and persistent, champagne bubble carbonation. Crisp and refreshing.
O: I could drink this all day. Any questions?

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4.22/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Look: Cloudy gold with a fluffy white head.

Smell: Mostly hops as well as citrus fruits (and a bit of white grape), some yeasty, bready undertones, and I think some spices.

Taste: Hints of banana and bubblegum give way to "fuller" flavors, more robust grains. It tastes a bit more like raisins and sugar as you swallow, finally leaving a grainy, slightly grassy, pleasantly bittersweet aftertaste.

Feel: Medium body, normal carbonation. Leaves a warm mouthfeel, kind of sticky/syrupy going down.

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3.17/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Cerveza dorada y espumosa. Al olfato distingue la malta, la banana y el cilantro. Al paladar resulta ligeramente amarga con un final picante bastante largo.

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3.86/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

**
09/07/2018

On tap at Uno.

LOOK:yellow, solid white head, good retention
#-3.5,wrts-3.5
AROMA: clove, squash, yeast
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wrts-
str-
TASTE: oats, banana, spice, small touch of late heat.
#-
wrts-
str-
FEEL: light body, but sturdy,
#-
wrts-
OA: grew on me.
#-
**

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4.48/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

From a 33cl bottle dated best by 6/2019. Pours a golden orange with a finger of fluffy white head. Strong smell of yeast, coriander, and fruit as soon as I opened the bottle. Medium feel, carbonation on the lighter side. Taste is a mix of fruit, floral hops, and spice. Excellent!

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