Chimay Triple / Blanche (White)

Brewed by Chimay
Style: Abbey Tripel
Baileux, Belgium

Tasted side by side with Westmalle Tripel and St. Bernardus Tripel. All three were great, but Chimay was my least favorite of the three. I struggled to pin down what bugged me about it. By contrast, both the St. Bernardus and the Westmalle seemed to be "continuous" and "integrated", with all the elements holding together: In Westmalle the ester profile gives way naturally to the alcohol then malt, then hop bitterness and dryness---each element seems to anticipate the next. In Chimay white though, I get the chimay yeast banana ester profile, then CLUNK the malt, then CLUNK the hop bitterness. St. Bernardus Tripel fell between the Chimay and the Westmalle, being more like the Chimay in flavors and aromas, but with better integration.

Draft at Chappys Tap Room & Grille in Dayton. This place is known for offering the only available Chimay White draft in a 200 mile radius. So I had to try it. I usually don’t enjoy Tripels that much, but this one was much better than I expected. It looks fantastic. Golden amber in color with a perfectly formed white foamy and fizzy head. Aroma is the standard Belgian yeast but has some citrus as well. Has a nice sweet flavor with some spiciness. Nice carbonation and a great crisp, slightly bitter finish.

Not as good as Chimay blue, but definately as good as a Chimay should be. I love this company and all of its brews. Sweet, warm, and inviting, like the girl from prom night....can’t say no to that!

On tap at the Malthouse. Pours a cloudy deep golden. Big head when served but dissipates to a thin layer which lingers. Stronger aromas than what I remember out of a bottle of citrus and vanilla. A bitter palate with loads of spice and a subtle sweetness. Finishes smoothly with a lingering bitterness.

A quite overrated beer in my opinion. I expected a lot better for a Belgian tripel. Drinkable, enjoyable, but lacking in flavor and character for the price. Doesn’t compare to the Chimay Blue. Won’t be having again.

Pours a cloudy gold with a lot of yeast floating in the beer and a big, foamy head. The aroma is of mild hops, not bitter, just lightly fruity and fresh, and some sweetness from the malt as well. Flavor follows the nose, mainly tasting fresh and fairly light. It is somewhat sweet, with a dry, hoppier finish. This beer is very subtle, with nothing ever being aggressive. Very nice.

33cl bottle from Vinmonopolet. It poured an orange colour with a medium white head that settles down fast in the glass. The aroma is fruity and smells of hops, wheats and citrus fruits. The flavour is dry and bitter and tastes of malts, alcohol and citrus. It has a short aftertaste.

Nice golden color with a great white head. You can smell the hops and a kind of dark citrus aroma well before glass reaches your nose. Feel great in the mouth and flavor compliments aroma. Finishes with a touch of bitter.