Brasserie D'Achouffe La Chouffe Blond Ale (7/10)

Brasserie D'Achouffe's Achouffe

Belgium's Brasserie D'Achouffe is one of the most well-known breweries in that country.  The Winking Lizard actually reserves a tap for them every month.  La Chouffe is their blonde ale which is refermented both in the bottle and in barrels.

The brewery describes it as "pleasantly fruity, spiced with coriander and tinged with hops."

La Chouffe pours a gold/amber color.  It's slightly cloudy with a thin white head that lasts a while and leaves behind a thick ring of fine lacing.

The aroma is a mix of citrus, spice (mostly clove, implying a wheat base), and hops.

The flavor is kind of bland at the outset.  Then it turns clovey and bitter, and finishes with a kind of dull bitterness.  It's a subdued bitterness without a "bite" to it.  The finish is a balance of sweet and bitter elements.

It's pretty typical for me to love a true Belgian beer, but I can't say that I love this one.  It's pleasant enough to drink, is nicely carbonated, and although it's nowhere near as bitter as a pale ale or IPA, it's more bitter than I really like in a Belgian beer.

I'm rating it a 7 out of 10.  This puts me strongly at odds with the Beer Advocate crowd, which rates it a 94 to 99 (outstanding to world class) and Rate Beer, which gives it a 98.

This beer is periodically on tap at The Winking Lizard Tavern locations around town.  I've also seen it for sale at Weiland's Gourmet Market.