Chimay Bleue (Blue)

Brewed by Chimay
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Baileux, Belgium

Had this beer once a few years ago. Wasn’t into the stronger dark beers at the time, but surprisingly liked this beer. Its no wonder it is one of the top rated.

Smells library and sweet. All sorts of things going on in the flavor. Grapey, leathery, marmalade, Keeps going back and forth between sweet and earthy, musty and bright. Feels like whipped cream. Just dissolves. Not my favorite flavor, but love how it melts in your mouth.

Bottle@home, 1999 vintage (!) Apperance: Ruby red with almost no head. Liquid is quite clear. Aroma: Earth, Ripe fruit, Port wine. Very sweet and inviting! Flavor: Dark caramel, Port wine, Ripe fruit, Hint of alcohol and some coffee. Palate: Very sweet and delicious with a medium body. Very little carbonation but still enough. When you smell this beer you could swear that it is a port wine you have before you. The taste is similar to portwine but the body is quite alot thinner. This beer has aged with beauty and it was indeed interesting to see what 10 years could do to a beer.

Absolutely marvelous. The flavor is perfectly balanced with just enough sweetness and just enough hoppiness. This is in spite of the high ABV. Thank God for trappists.

Excellent beer. Very smooth and not too harsh from the high alcohol content. A rich, malty taste with subtle fruit flavor. Pairs amazingly well with pork loin or country ribs.

Strong yeast in the aroma, otherwise a malty, chocolate nose. Sweetness of golden syrup and some fruitiness like peach. Spicy flavours, peppery at first but turns slightly toward aniseed and allspice. Some yeast in the flavours. The alcohol is obvious, but along with the spice it adds warmth (not like I need this right now, seeing as it’s 30 degrees C outside...). Some fruit in there like red grapes and dark plum, as well as hints of raisin and caramel. A hoppy bitterness in the aftertaste which is nice. Great ale.

pours a dark brown with no foam. nice alcohol content. liked the chimay red better personally.

Pours deep burgundy brown with off white head. The aroma is slightly meaty, funky and of dark fruit. My smelling experience was somewhat ruined by another taster saying it reminded him of the smell of dead mice he feeds his pet snake. The flavor is sweet, complex with notes of various spices I can’t yet name. The palate is velvety, warming, and bubbly. Overall this is a very nice beer, but the spice/funk thing is not quite my thing. It may need more time.