Stars: 3.5
Date sampled: Jan 12, 2014
Format: 11.2 oz. bottle
Where we found it: BevMo, Northgate, Seattle
La Chouffe, which means “the gnome” in French, is a relatively young Belgian brew, first brewed in 1982 by two brothers-in-law in Belgium. They started their operation as hobbyists but, within a few years, things grew quickly and the brothers-in-law went professional. Then, in 2006 they sold to the well-known Duvel Moortgat Brewery, brewers of Duvel golden ale. (By the way, Duvel Triple Hop 2014 is coming this March. We’ll be trying it as soon as we can get our hands on it).
Brewed with coriander, this Belgian golden has a yeasty, slightly spicy, and heavily banana nose. The medium-full mouthfeel (a little fuller than most Belgian goldens) is complemented by a slight tartness. The finish of this solid brew is spicy with a hay-like flavor, and is surprisingly dry considering the fuller mouthfeel (Megan was not a big fan of the finish).
Overall, a great stand-by golden ale. Not sure I’d seek this one out again but I’m certainly glad to have tried it.
- Sam
Stats: 8.0% ABV / OG: 1.065
