N'ice Chouffe Winter Beer 11.2 oz

Belgian Brown Strong Christmas Ale

Brewed by: D'Achouffe Brewery
Country: Belgium
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Color: Deep Amber Brown

ABV: 10.0%
Ratebeer.com rating: 96
BeerAdvocate.com rating: 91

N'ice Chouffe Winter Beer (ABV 10%) from Brasserie d'Achouffe is a special Belgian Strong Dark Ale that will warm you in the depths of winter. Brewed with spices, orange peel, and thyme, and tinged with hops, it is unfiltered and refermented in the bottle and in barrels.

It pours a deep amber brown with a tan, creamy head and visible carbonation carrying aromas of dark stone fruits, spicy Belgian yeast, and brown bread maltiness.

The silky mouthfeel supports the taste of sweet dates, brown sugar, plum, and banana, plus a balancing element of spicy bitterness from the judicious use of orange peel and hops. With a smooth, dry finish, even at 10% ABV it's very easy to drink, and perfect for a winter celebration.

Brewery Information:

Named for Achouffe, the village where it began or (depending on the storyteller) for a colony of beer-brewing gnomes reputed to have once lived in the area, the D'Achouffe Brewery was founded in the late 1970s by brothers-in-law Pierre Gobron and Chris Bauweraerts, first as a hobby, and then as a full time venture.

Nestled in the green hills of the Belgian Ardennes, the brewery released its first ale to high acclaim in 1982 and has flourished ever since. A meticulous attention to quality, a tried and true application of brewer's savvy and innovation, and an irrepressible talent for promotion (the popular gnomes appear on every label) helped propel the brewery to its current success.

Today D'Achouffe (acquired by the Duvel Moortgat brewery group in 2006) exports award-winning ales to over 40 countries around the world and hosts more than 10,000 thirsty brewery visitors each year.