Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel
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My love of IPA-style beers has intensified during this yearlong “one-a-day” challenge. But after making my way through many of the Trappist ales in late March, I discovered an enthusiasm for the Belgian style called a Tripel.
A good Belgian Tripel is refreshing and crisp, boldly alcoholic, and full of flavor — spicy, sugary, yeasty, and often tartly bitter. You can drink a Tripel and its carbonated, fresh taste makes you feel energized and renewed even as the relaxing effects of the alcohol wash over you.
Many Tripels pack a surprising amount of bitterness for such a light-colored and often fruity beer. The hops in a Tripel are often designed as a check on the fruit and candy sugar sweetness, acting to balance the brew, tame the alcohol, and clear the palate for a crisp finish. But the IPA style reverses this emphasis, often showcasing hops and emphasizing bitterness while layering in sweet and pale malt for balance.
Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel is a happy marriage of these two great styles. The Brasserie D’Achouffe describes the beer on its website:
The HOUBLON CHOUFFE was brewed for the first time in 2006. It is an ‘Indian Pale ale’ type of beer, with a harmonious balance between a marked bitterness (three types of hops are used to make it) and a pleasant fruitiness. The HOUBLON CHOUFFE is unfiltered, and re-fermented in the bottle as well as in the keg.
The beer poured a hazy golden-straw color — far too pale for an IPA, this beer gets its good looks from its Belgian bloodline. I used a Duvel tulip glass (Brasserie D’Achouffe was purchased by the Duvel Moortgat Brewery three years ago, so the glass only seemed fitting), and the creamy white foam plugged the top of the glass and seemed determined to live forever.
Houblon Chouffe quickly announces it’s not your typical Tripel. The aroma wafting from the glass was packed with herbal, spicy, and piney hops. Reversing the usual order with Tripels, the hops in the aroma are lightly accented by citrusy Belgian yeast. There’s a floral element — but I’m not sure if that comes from the hops or from the yeast!
The initial taste was fruity and sweet; but the hops yawned, stretched, and arched out of the flavor before the first sip had slipped away. By the second or third quaff, IPA influences were becoming more assertive — grapefruit and herbal hops were dominating the fruity yeast, but not at the expense of balance. The flavors blended as the beer warmed and opened up, with the wheaty malt shining through as a mellow, grainy taste.
As I drank, the creamy mouthfeel of the beer became it’s own flavor element. Houblon Chouffe is extremely carbonated, so it felt soft and pillowy as I drank. And frequently, a bit of tenacious foam would float in with the high tide of a sip, melting on the roof of my mouth and creating a texture all its own.
This beer should be considered canon for those who follow the flavor story of India Pale Ales. Try it and enjoy!
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