Hi guys.  For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be drinking the Achouffe McChouffe Artisanal Belgian Brown Ale produced by the Brasserie d’Achouffe located in Achouffe, Belgium.

Let’s just jump to the website, achouffe.be, to see what we can find out about this brew. 

The Mc CHOUFFE is an unfiltered dark beer, which is re-fermented in the bottle as well as in the keg.  Behind its fruity flavour a slight hint of bitterness may be found.

Let’s pour it.

The McChouffe comes in a 25.4 oz. bottle with an ABV of 8.0%.

It poured a hazy brown to burgundy color with an off white collar of near perfect size.  It was very soft, creamy and fluffy.  The retention time was very good and the lacing was sufficient, soapy and clingy.  After settling, a steady film remained on top of the liquid for the duration.

The nose revealed suitable bursts of dark fruit.  Mostly fig and plums.  A very, very light bit of funk was found along with some herbal and earthy hop goodness.  A creamy Belgian yeast component fused with spices of clove and light touches of pepper.  I began to notice the slightest bit of caramel malt as the brew warmed a tad.  Overall, very well balanced, but kind of relaxed and not too overbearing.

The flavor announced more dark fruits.  Figs, dates and plums.  Very similar to the aroma in that it gave off a significant amount of that Belgian yeast, cloves and peppery spice.  Again, rather earthy and herbal to expose a bit of “roundness”.  The bitterness was medium to light in strength and right toward the end I began to notice just a smidgen of sweetness from the caramel.  Not much though.  Only the smallest savor of alcohol was noticed throughout the entire drink as well.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied.  Smooth, mostly dry, slightly creamy and chewy.  The carbonation was nice and light while leaving an acceptable dose of flavor behind after the swallow.

In conclusion, this is a solid and very good beer in my opinion.  Definitely worth a try.  It has a lot of nice characteristics that make for an enjoyable experience.  The look, feel, aroma and taste all made for an easy drink.  This beer would be well received during the Fall or Spring season in my opinion and I may just have to pick it up again sometime to enjoy on a crisp afternoon.  So, the next time you see the McChouffe Artisanal Belgian Brown Ale, give it a try and see what you think.  I think that if you can appreciate the Belgian style, you may really like it.

Thanks for reading and commenting guys.  I’m grateful for it.

Until next time.  Cheers.

Score:  4.0 out of 5
Grade:  B+