La Chouffe | Brasserie d'Achouffe | Beer Review |

[@short537]

I will say an important thing to note price-wise is that this is usually at least $6 cheaper than Duvel, and I would argue this beer is just as good if not better than Duvel. Belgian strong blonde ales are a nice occational treat, and I find that they fit more occations than quads or dubbels which seem to me to fit solidly with cold weather and the holidays. Thanks for giving this a shot even though it's not typically in your wheelhouse! Cheers!

[@averagejoe716]

Good information, for sure! I'm not sure if I enjoy this one more than Duvel, but if you factor in the price, I would probably lean towards this one. Yeah, lighter Belgian beers (color-wise) definitely work better year-round than their darker counterparts. I'm just a dark beer lover, in general, so I'll always prefer the Belgian Strong Dark Ales/Quads more so than any other Belgian style. That said, I can appreciate the quality of something like this, and like you said, while it's not my favorite style, I still enjoyed it. Thanks for the comment, Frank! Cheers, man!

[@TeoOktoberfest]

Cheers 🍻

[@averagejoe716]

Cheers back your way!

[@dangruhn9838]

I am a big fan of Belgian beer and I agree with you and tend to enjoy the dubbels and quads. I drank my pack over the holidays and really enjoyed the cherry ale (I had last years pack). Great stuff as always. Cheers 🍻!

[@averagejoe716]

Yeah, the cherry offering is one I'll try and review this year. Will probably take a break on the d'Achouffe beers after this pack for a while. Thanks for sharing, as always, Dan! Cheers, dude!

[@ABeerADayWithTK]

I love these, especially the cherry one. Great review, cheers!!

[@averagejoe716]

The cherry one I'll probably pick up at some point this year and review, too. Definitely looking forward to the rest. Thanks, TK! Cheers, buddy!

[@Beergeekholland]

Great review! Love it! I will review some classics soon. 👌🏼

[@averagejoe716]

Thanks, Remi! Looking forward to whatever classics you review, dude. Cheers!

[@billyrossi4661]

Sante'🍻

[@averagejoe716]

Santé back your way, Billy!

[@michaelbis2148]

Belgian blonde beers are by far the best type of beer there is : la chouffe la duvel just to name a couple

[@averagejoe716]

I've had Duvel, and that beer, along with this one, are definitely good. It's just not my favorite style. I prefer the dark Belgian beers, as they're much more my speed. That said, Belgian beers, as a whole, are quite tasty. Just a personal preference, of course. Cheers!

[@byrnez2755]

I am the same as you. I prefer the Belgian quads but not a huge fan of their lighter beer, because I don't particularly like the banana/clove/Coriander element(s). If they don't have those elements in the foreground, I tend to enjoy them much more. I do like the bubblegum element, as well. Houblon Chouffe tends to be my favorite from the ones you mentioned, for some reason. I do find the carbonation level can be too high for me, with lighter Belgian beer.

[@averagejoe716]

I actually like those yeast esters and phenolic notes, but like you, I think it's the carbonation being almost abrasive in lighter Belgian beers that trips me up. I just feel like they have such a drying sensation that it's tough for me to enjoy the flavors, as they don't linger as long. It's been a long while since I've had Houblon Chouffe, so I'll be curious to see what I feel about it at this point. Thanks for sharing, Byrne! Cheers, dude!

[@apples874]

No more alcohol for you

[@Prioryhomecare26]

Bubble gum , nah , is there a connection here with Duvel ???

[@averagejoe716]

The connection with Duvel is that they're both within the same style of a Belgian Blonde/Golden Strong Ale. The bubblegum note I was picking up on comes from the yeast strain. We all have different palates, but that's what I get out of it. Your mileage may vary. Cheers!

[@Diccie]

I understand the bubblegum flavour you were getting. I thought I was getting more of a bubble gum flavour up front then ending on a sweet popcorn flavour.