Chimay Triple / Blanche (White)

Brewed by Chimay
Style: Abbey Tripel
Baileux, Belgium

Small bottle
Fruity (apricot) and spicy aroma. Orange chestnut, hard to avoid yeast clumps, big creamy head. Fruitbread base, raisins, citric freshness, a bit marzipan. Relatively light body, somewhat foamy mouthfeel. Sugary aftertaste. It is a really nice trippel - fresh and with a light body, but I don’t know, something was missing - mayby it was the small bottle

Bottle. Hazy amber color. Head is initially very big, and has good duration. Aroma is sweet and fresh dominated by fruits. Taste is rich and sweet.

Dark golden color with a large fluffy white head. Spicy hops and yeast in the aroma. Fruity taste, followed by spice and vanilla. Just a small amount of carbonation.

Gold color with a large head. Slightly skunky aroma and freshly cut grass. A fairly wheaty flavor that finishes bitter and dry. A pinch of Noble hop.

Bottle. Dark golden colour with a white head. Fruity yeast and alcohol aroma. Fruity yeast flavour with alcohol notes.

Pale Golden. Pours with a wonderful champagne effervesence. You MUST DRINK THIS at the right temperature (56-57ish) or the flavor will not come out and you will not get the true experience. Just tried this in the small bottle. WOW! This is the best tripel Ive had to date(RERATE. Ive tried alot more tripels, this is still good, but not as good as some of the best ones). It didnt suffer from the overly yeasty/grainy flavor I see in so many belgians. Had a great floral flavor at points and I even thought I tasted some citrus notes. The alcohol was not reserved for the finish and was pleasantly present throughout and adds to a huge yeasty/raisiny complex body. While I was drinking this, I kept thinking of an abbey pale and even an american pale. It had a wonderfully even body which I did not find myself wanting more of at the end, which is usually the case with most beers. This is one of the better beers Ive tried in fact and many brewers could learn a lesson from this. Only things detracting from this beer is its need of a little extra kick of something in the main body, though I should reiterate, it does have a wonderful medium- full body. I have looked, and I do not taste any metallic bitterness on the finish. Rerate, it dosent have nearly as much flavor as many smaller brewed belgians and is a bit astringent. This one is much more on the drier side, could stand more malt/bubble gum. Good sharp lemon/hops/citrus mix on the aroma.

Draught tulip at redbones, January 2006
Fairly aggressive yeastiness, plenty of perfumey alcohol esters and lots of dry, grainy biscuity malt. Dry fruits on the end, but could use something to anchor it, ie. more malt and body. Seemed a little too aerated and bubbly, with too much sharpness. Not quite as much finesse or sheer flavor as some of the best in the class, but I need to get a 750mL bottle and sit down and give it a better review.

(33 cl bottle from Systembolaget)
Best before 2009.
I’ve never been a fan of the White Chimay, but had this sit for a few months to see if perhaps it turned out better.
Lots of co2, almost on the brink of gushing. Pulls the sediment up from the bottom of the bttle.
Shady ornage color, big tan head.
Belgian ale yeast, spicy (clove mostly) and hints of smoke scent. Some milk or yogurt as well.
Rather spicy yeasty taste, also dryish and some paper.
Spritzy mouthfeel, low bitterness.
Alcohol aftertaste, also warming.

Didn’t do any great success with that short storage, got another bottle that I’ll leave for some 2 more years.

Somewhat light for a tripel but still really well brewed. Hazy deep gold with a great off white head which lasts and leaves excellent lacing. Lots of hot spicy aromas along with some esters like apple, along with a variety of phenolics like hay, clove and a touch of vanilla at the end. Flavors are yeasty and malty with a spicy backbone. Moderately smooth finish.