Brasserie d'Achouffe Cherry Chouffe

Brasserie d'Achouffe Cherry Chouffe.
8 % ABV, 10 IBU.
Brasserie d'Achouffe, Achouffe, Belgium

Brasserie d'Achouffe has been one of my favorite breweries since I had my first sip of chouffe, so long ago, but they have not appeared here in the Nib in seven years. That one was La Chouffe, one of their flagship beers, or whatever the Belgian equivalent of that might be. Prior to that was N'ice Chouffe, the holiday offering, Biere de Soleil Saison, McChouffe, the scotch ale, Houblon Dobbellen Tripel IPA, and the collaboration with Ommegang called Gnomegang. Those are between the years 2011 through 2013, only six beers.

Doing a little research, I find that Untappd has them at 16 beers (and this platform has numerous duplications, multiple entries, etc.) and BeerAdvocate had them at 10, (or is it 29?) with some of these being beers that don't leave Belgium.

As you can see, it's not a lack of love that keeps me from trying new brews by the gnome-themed brewery from deep in the Ardennes forest. I was delighted, then, to find this one on a recent beer run, and doubly so when I saw they were only $11 for the 4-pack. Will they be worth it? Come on, it's d'achouffe, right. It's got to be good, right?

Clear, bright crimson/deep plummy hue, large at first, but quick to settle dark pinkish head.

In the nose: Sweet and tart together, very cherry, but with a slight plastic/medicinal feel.

Before I drink, I noticed something curious on the label. It reads: "beer with natural flavors and colored with vegetable juice." Curious. Were they not able to get the right color with cherries and had to bring in some beets? I wonder...

In the mouth: More tart, more sour, more fruit. The intense pucker leaves after a bit, but lingers lightly on the palate. Another sip, and it's more tart cherry, but a bit of plum in the back. Thins out a bit, but the sweet cherry flavor looms in the background. Medium bodied, refreshing, tasty. Just a bit too much on the sweet side, at times.


For some reason, I wasn't that into the first two bottles I had, but this third one is tasting just fine by me. This label is the first to introduce a female chouffe (gnome), her name is Micheline. All of the chouffes have names that start with M. There's Marcel (La Chouffe), Malcolm (McChouffe), Matthew (Houblon), and now Micheline,  the lady chouffe.

If you've gotten tired of reading the word "chouffe", if you're the type of person who is annoyed by that other race of Belgian little people, the Smurfs, and how they use "smurf" as a catch all word for everything, verb, noun, adverb, or adjective, DO NOT VISIT THEIR WEBSITE. It is so Chouffe. You can't even chouffe how chouffe it is.

Anyway, here's what they say: The gnomes love Achouffe beers and the juicy cherries which grow in their magical land. Every year they gather and store them in the attics at the brewery. One day, after an abundant season, the floor gave way under the weight of the harvest, and some cherries fell into the Mc CHOUFFE brewing below. Impish as ever, the gnomes kept quiet about the incident. Surprised to discover a glowing, ruby-tinted beer with a fruity taste, the master brewer decided to bottle it up. Enjoy Cherry CHOUFFE carefully to avoid staining your beard and always drink it in delightful company. 

Because of COVID, the delightful company has to be my cat, Sonny Boy. But as delightful as his company is, he will not pose with a Chouffe hat on his head.

Also, they say this: This is the latest addition to the Achouffe Brewery... The aroma of Cherry CHOUFFE gives pride of place to cherries. It also reveals notes of strawberry, almond, spices and sweet Port. Round-bodied, soft and delicate, Cherry CHOUFFE delights the gourmands among us. It has a satisfying finish, with a very slight bitterness.