Brasserie d’Achouffe La Chouffe

Brasserie d’Achouffe, Achouffe, Belgium – La Chouffe  

Stars: 3.5  
Date sampled: Jan 12, 2014
Format: 11.2 oz. bottle
Where we found it: BevMo, Northgate, Seattle

One of the must-try Belgian brews – if not just because of its notoriety among those interested in Belgian beer.

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

Anchor Zymaster Vol. 5

Anchor Brewing, San Francisco, CA – Zymaster Vol. 5 Harvest One American Pale Ale  

Stars: 3.5  
Date sampled: Jan 2, 2014
Format: 22oz bottle
Where we found it: Whole Foods, Roosevelt Way, Seattle

After sampling over a dozen experimental hop varieties, the folks at Anchor Brewing Company were so struck by one variety in particular that they immediately knew they had found the inspiration for the fifth installment in their experimental and innovative line of brews known as the “Zymaster series.” In October 2013, Anchor released Zymaster Vol. 5.

The first thing you’ll notice about this beer is how the smells and flavors imparted by this new mystery hop create an unmistakable flavor profile of melon and peaches.

The sweet notes of peaches and melon seem to continue to float over a pleasantly bitter linger (the later likely being produced by the more familiar Nugget hops added early in the boil.) The medium-full body of this not-so-pale pale ale provides a wonderful stage for this “bitter-sweet” interaction to play out. I probably would have called this one an IPA rather than just a pale ale.

But it is not just the experimental hops that make this brew intriguing. More commonly used in the production of lagers, Anchor uses a method of carbonation called “bunging” in order to produce their ales. And this method, which involves closing the vent on the fermentation tank when fermentation is nearly complete, results in more “champagne-like bubbles” than do more common methods of carbonation. In Zymaster No. 5, this produces a wonderful crispness that really brings out the hoppy aromas.

Very solid and a nice opportunity to try some brand-new ingredients.

- Sam 

7.2% ABV

Base Camp Ripstop Rye Pils

Base Camp Brewing Co., Portland, OR – Ripstop Rye Pils

Stars: 4
Date sampled: Jan 12, 2014
Format: 22oz aluminum bottle
Where we found it: Industry-provided sample

Base Camp Brewing Co. out of Portland, OR markets themselves as specializing in brews made for the outdoors. To date, four of their offerings are packaged in really snazzy looking and awesome feeling all-aluminum bottles. The bottles are lightweight and shatterproof, so they are great to throw in a backpack…great if you’re into the whole drinking-in-the-wilderness thing. These bottles also supposedly chill beer more quickly than glass if you stick them in a river (although, as Megan points out, that means that the beer will also warm more quickly than glass-bottled beer if left out).

Function aside though, apparently the net environmental impact of packaging in aluminum is less than that of glass. So the bottles look good, feel good, and they are better for the environment – nicely done.

But what about the beer? Regardless of the merits of the packaging, this beer has sparked renewed interest in the pilsner style for me.

Like most pilsners, this is an incredibly refreshing, easy-drinking brew with a user-friendly ABV. And pouring crystal-clear with a snow-white head, this beer is just as pretty as the packaging. But, unlike any pilsner I’ve tasted to date, this pils has an unprecedented rye spiciness. A bit maltier than your average pils too, so the mouthfeel is a bit thicker than average for the style. But the rye spicyness cuts this and gives the impression of a drier beer. There is a slightly spicy and citrusy hop presence both in the nose and the linger, but it’s the rye that really steals the show here.

This is a fantastic brew and I’d recommend it even to those who don’t normally gravitate to the style (especially if you’re a fan of tasty-rye-goodness like I am).

-Sam

Stats: 5.7% ABV / OG: 1.055 / FG: 1.012 / IBU: 52 / SRM: 3.7