Houblon Chouffe

Review Date 8/1/2024  By John Staradumsky

  Style: Belgian IPA   Brewery: Achouffe   Country: Belgium   State: N/A   $ Per OZ: $.35 (B)   ABV: 9%

Last September, at the end of the month if truth be told, I stopped by Total Wine to buy some beer. One of my scores was a 4-pack of beers from Belgium’s Achouffe brewery. I got a very nice Chouffe “Find Marcel” glass in the pack (Marcel being the gnome prominently featured on all the Chouffe labels), along with a bottle each of the following:

N’Ice Chouffe

McChouffe

Chouffe Blonde

Houblon Chouffe

It is, of course, the Chouffe Houblon I am here to talk about today.

From the label:

The Gnomes of Fairyland may be little but they have big, very big, personalities. Houblon CHOUFFE matches their impish spirits. All gnomes, with their innate good taste, are in full agreement about Houblon CHOUFFE, which is flavoured by three different types of hops. This India Pale Ale is appreciated for its pronounced bitterness combined with the fruity tones of traditional Achouffe beers: it softens the strangest of characters.

What are those three different types of hops? According to the brewery website, Tomahawk, Saaz, and Amarillo. Houblon Chouffe has an alcohol content of 9% by volume and I paid $17.99 for the 4-pack and glass at Total Wine. That’s actually really only about $2.49 for the glass since they sell a 4-pack of these beers in 11.2 ounce bottles for $15.49. My bottle is marked as best before end of 09-2024. I think it could easily go longer than that.

Houblon Chouffe pours to a cloudy orange amber color with a thick fluffy white head and a nose of sticky, earthy bitter hops. A thick layer of Brussels Lace forms on the sides of my glass and follows the liquid all the way to the botto. Taking a sip the beer is rich and malty up front and robust with caramel malt. It is infused with earthy herbal minty grassy hops. They linger long and dry and bitter in the finish and are simply delicious. The beer is gently phenolic, too, and hints at Belgian yeasty funkiness.

A wonderful Belgian IPA you simply must try.

Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??