Day 15 of the 7th Annual Holiday Beer Advent-ure Calendar
Day 15: Cherry Chouffe
Is this a Christmas or winter beer? It doesn’t appear so but something about Chouffe does feel wintery. Most of us have had the classic La Chouffe, but no one has tried the cherry version. From Brasserie d’Achouffe: “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.”
Reflections
Ben: Oh boy. Anyone who has even a slight aversion to cherry flavored things is going to hate this. You can definitely tell it’s cherry “flavor” in this, and no actual cherries were harmed during its creation. There’s just not enough character for this to be real fruit. But I have to admit, I don’t hate it. I’m a big fan of regular La Chouffe, and this is very much NOT an improvement in any way on the original, but maybe the base beer is so good that the cherry garbage doesn’t totally ruin it for me? This is not good, but it’s not awful. There are much better fruit forward Belgian beers out there, so seek one out with real shit in it and avoid this one.
Julia: I was a bit excited to try this because Chouffe is a delicious beer I always forget about. It smells very cherry-y and it also tastes like it. It tastes like a lager mixed with cherry juice. At first, I thought it was pretty decent. But the more I drink it the more I don’t like it. It does taste a bit like cough syrup, I’m weirdly sensitive to things that taste like cough syrup. Would I try this again? Absolutely not. And no, there’s nothing wintery or Christmas about it.
Adam: viscous | Luden’s | at least it’s different. | a thicc Gnome boy | sweet and sour
Alex: Cherry Chouffe definitely lives up to its name. It tastes sooooo much like a cherry candy a la the fake cough drops we had growing up. It’s slightly tart as well. I do like it but probably couldn’t have more than one.
Scott: I was really happy to find out the Cherry Chouffe label tells you exactly what it tastes like. That’s because I would never buy this based on the label, and can confirm I definitely wouldn’t buy it after drinking it. I know there’s a market for this type of beer, but it’s not for me. It’s the equivalent of drinking a cocktail of cough syrup and marachino cherry juice. Next beer please.
Christa: I am of the belief that you should give every beer a chance and that there’s a beer out there for everyone. For example, you might be someone who thinks “Gee, I love cherry cough syrup so much, I wish I could drink it in larger quantities.” Well friend, Cherry Chouffe is that beer! Enjoy yourself, weirdo.
Tony: Well if you’ve ever wanted to confuse your tastebuds this one is for you haha. Its funky. Definitely lots of cherry in both aroma and flavor. Its also sour and maybe a liitle tart. The challenge with cherry is avoiding the dreaded cough syrup taste. At first you’re like ok its cherry and kind of works but then the after taste, for me, had that cough syrup feeling. Its so funky though that it makes you want to keep taking sips. Like when someone says “dont push that button” and all you want to do is push the button. Anyway, this one is strange, so if you’re lookin for somethin outside the box this might work but its a little too out there for me.
Megan: Huh, I don’t know what to make of this. I smell the cherries and it comes off as sweet. It reminds me of the smell you get from the mixers in a cocktail and not so much a beer. It’s a rich and deep red color, darker than I would have expected given the fact it’s fruity. I like that it stands out of the crowd. I think I would try one but I don’t know if this would be good enough to have multiple in one setting.
Brad: First thought, “No.” Second thought, “This is not a holiday beer”. I love Belgians but dislike cherries. I don’t want cough syrup flavor ruining my Belgian. This beer has definitely been ruined by the worst fruit in the land. All that said, It’s not terrible and I found myself finishing the bottle with no bad aftertaste.
Heather: Blech. Nu-uh. Whyyyy the cherry burn?? I mean I’ll drink it, because I love Chouffe usually, but this one was mixed with Luden’s cough drops and that ain’t OK. Perhaps very applicable to 2021, but not OK. I taste a whole ton of the cherry, fairly intense carbonation, a hint of booze (almost a wine flavor?) and not much else. Points for the adorable bottle, though.